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And while many NHL fans locat- ed outside of the Pacific Northwest time zone may not get to experi- ence it on a regular basis, for those who have the opportunity to see him play night in and night out it's a joy to watch. " B r o c k 's a n a w e s o m e d u d e ," said J.T. Miller, an Ohio native and Boeser's Vancouver Canucks teammate. "He's super laid back, ve r y l a i d b a c k , a n d e a sy t o g et along with. "From the team standpoint, he's part of our team, and when we have success, he's normally a big reason behind that." L i k e m a n y o f u s , B o e s e r 's character was shaped by his life c i r c u m st a n c e s a n d s i t u a t i o n s. A Burnsville, Minn., native, the 24-year-old has faced more adver- sity than most people twice his age. And still, he excels, using the game of hockey as an escape in situations that are hard to grasp. "I think when you go through some tough situations, it makes you appreciate that you get to play a game more," Boeser admitted. "I know for me anyway, that's how I feel in some of my life situations." From the 2-year-old who carried a mini stick everywhere, to an NHL superstar and 2022 U.S. Olympic hopeful, Boeser has used his hard- ships as building blocks, continuing to cement his place among the best forwards in the league. Staying Humble Almost every player harbors an NHL dream. Few make it a reality. While Boeser is a part of the small margin that made it, it took him until his senior year of high school to see professional hockey as a possibility. "My whole goal in the NHL Draft was to go in the top two or three rounds," recalled Boeser, who led the United States Hockey League with 35 g oals for the Waterloo Black Hawks ahead of his draft year in 2015. "Then all of a sudden they start- ed talking about the first round a n d t h a t w a s k i n d o f w h e n I thought I might have a shot at this NHL-life thing. "You always hear how hard it is to make it to the NHL, like only one percent out of college or what- ever it is. I just didn't really think about it too much." B o e s e r w a s o n e o f s e v e n A m e r i c a n s w h o h e a r d t h e i r names called in the first round of the 2015 NHL Draft when the Canucks selected him with the 23rd overall pick. He would g o o n t o p l a y t w o s e a s o n s a t t h e University of North Dakota. " He wa s s e l e c t e d i n t h e fi r st round, so people around him knew he was good, but so many, including himself, didn't know how good," said Derek Plante, who coached Boeser at the 2014 Ivan Hlinka T here's a stoic demeanor about Brock Boeser. A quiet approach to NHL stardom sprinkled in with a competitive drive and need to win vibe all rolled into one. 25 OCTOBER 2021 NHL Preview photo by ACKERMAN + GRUBER