>
> I have no idea what position Steve Carroll (Mankato St.),
> Mark Hentges (St. Thomas) or Rick Strack (Plattsburgh) played,
> all of whom were 1981 nominees.
>
 
I used to open the penalty box doors at St. Thomas home games back then.
Me and a guy I played hockey with worked the games in exchange for free
admission and a free pop (13 years olds are cheap).  Both Hamline and St.
Thomas called the Colesium in the state fair grounds their home ice (and I
think they still both do).  Enough history.
 
Mark Hentges was head and shoulders above everybody else in that league.  I
clearly remember that.  I don't remember for sure but I think he was a right
wing.  The guy who would know is Dave Wright.  He writes some articles in
stuff like Let's Play Hockey and also does some color for local games on the
radio.  Once in a while you see his mug on the TV shoving a microphone in
a players face.  He also was the public address guy at our high school games.
Anyways, he was (and probably still is) known as "Stats" by the St. Thomas
players.
 
If I remember correctly, after St. Thomas Hentges signed with the Montreal
organization, didn't make it in the bigs right away, and then gave up.
 
Back then, St. Thomas would trade years traveling to Alaska to play UAA and
UAF.  One year they would travel up there, the next year both Alaska teams
would come down and play in the Colesium.
 
--
- Matt Rein
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