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10 // AUGUST 2019 USAHOCKEYMAGAZINE.COM by Jeff Carpenter MEMORABILIA O F F T HE D R AW Father, Son Bond Over Their Ever-Expanding Puck Collection M IKE BOLINSKI AND HIS WIFE NICOLE bonded over their love of hockey. Now they 're sharing that love with their 5-year-old son Luke. T h e d e p t h s o f t h e i r p u c k p a s - sion are currently on display inside their Ashby, Minn., home where an ever-expanding collection of souve- nir pucks threatens to overwhelm their walls. The col lection cu r rently st a nds a t m o r e t h a n 1 , 0 0 0 p u c k s , w i t h more trick ling in a lmost ever y day t h a n k s t o t h e g e n e r o s i t y o f t h e hockey communit y. It all started several years ago when Mike took Luke to his first hockey game. Along the way he marked each event with a souvenir puck. But it wasn't until he found a puck collec- tion group on Facebook and began emailing coaches asking for a team puck that things really took off. Mike estimates he's sent about 1,000 emails, most of them producing a favorable response. Each trip to the post office has become a family affair as Luke's eyes light up as mom or dad return with a box in hand. The contents are pret- ty much a given. The real surprise comes with what logo is emblazoned on the black disc. "Their initial goal was to find high school and non-NHL pucks from every state in the nation. " "He'll see us walking back to the car with a puck and you'll see his head peek around the seat, he'll get excited and start bouncing around," M i k e s a i d . " H e a l w a y s w a n t s t o open the package and be the first to see what's in there. He's usually impressed by whichever puck it is." T h e c o l l e c t i o n , w h i c h c a n b e viewed on Mike's twitter account @PuckMagnetLuke, includes pucks from all over the world. There's a bounty of high school hockey pucks along with ones from various NHL, AHL and ECHL teams. His inter- national collection includes pucks from Kazakhstan, Russia, the Czech Republic, Switzerland, and even Australia and New Zealand. Their initial goal was to find high school and non-NHL pucks from every state in the nation. They are close to accomplishing that goal, needing pucks from New Mexico and Hawaii to complete their collection. L u k e 's f a v o r i t e puck changes frequently, but these days he is particularly partial to a puck from the Atlanta Knights of the defunct International Hockey League. He also can't stop talking about the puck he received at the NCAA Division III Men's National C h a m p i o n s h i p g a m e , w o n b y University of Wisconsin- Stevens Point, where Mike went to college. Starting this fall, the Bolinskis will be expanding Luke's puck passion to the ice as he embarks on his own youth hockey career. That's when his focus will shift to putting pucks into the back of the net, rather than on his wall. And when the day comes when he nets his first goal, it's safe to say that puck will take its rightful place on the wall of fame. P PUCK PALS Luke Bolinski shows off his puck collection inside his Ashby, Minn., home. The 5-year-old hockey fan's favorite puck changes with each new addition.