Issue link: https://read.uberflip.com/i/1531040
J A N / F E B 2 0 2 5 | M H J ON L I N E . C O M 17 MHJ // You have a knack for the offensive side of the game. Where does that come from? Nolen Geerdes // I actually used to be a forward on a line with two of my buddies but then got moved back to D in high school. So, it's definitely an advantage having the offensive side and skill in my bag and being able to have that experience and skill with the puck. MHJ // What do you like about playing defense? NG // I like defense a lot. Just seeing the ice and being on that back line, it's a ton of fun. MHJ // How's the squad looking this year? NG // Everyone on the team's hungry. We all bought in. MHJ // You committed to play at Western Michigan, currently one of the better programs in the country. What about the Broncos drew your attention? NG // The coaching staff is awesome. The campus is beautiful. And they're building a new rink soon, so that's going to be fun. MHJ // You've been logging a ton of ice time—how do you keep your body in shape in order to see so many minutes? NG // You just gotta stay healthy. Recovery after practice, eating the right things so you can get your body back to the best it can be before the next game. MHJ // What's your go-to food fuel for such performances? NG // A lot of protein. Chicken. Go to Chipotle and get some steak. Eat a lot of meat. And then you have to make sure you're drinking enough fluids; water, electrolytes. MHJ // We hear you're an active member of The Blue Crew, a group of Rogers Royals faithful–how fun is it being a super fan sometimes? NG // We like to show up to support other people in football, vol- leyball and basketball. It's nice because they come to your games and do the same. So it's good, and it's always a fun time. MHJ // And hopefully this year that Blue Crew support makes a trip to Saint Paul for The Tourney? NG // That's the No. 1 goal: to win a state championship. And to have the chance to do it with these guys, it really is like a family here in our community almost. It's amazing. Nothing 's going to beat these times. And I can't wait to see where it takes us. We have unfinished business. It's everybody's dream to play at the X, and we haven't reached that goal yet. So that was definitely the leading factor of why I wanted to come back with the boys and get there together with them." Q&A