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Austin Bruins defenseman Ryan Lund grew up in a place dubbed Hockeytown, USA and in his first season in Austin, the game he loves is already taking him places.

Lund, a 6-foot, 4-inch, 205-pound player from Warroad, Minn., broke through as a Top Prospect selection recently and Austin head coach Steve Howard thinks it won’t be the last honor for Lund.

“It was a feather in his cap to be selected to the Top Prospect in Michigan and he played great out there. We had a few schools ask about him afterwards and he’s one of those guys you’ve got to keep an eye on, because he’s one of the best 06’s in the league as far as D-men go,” Howard said. “That flight to Michigan was the second flight Ryan has ever taken in his life and for a kid to be able to experience that because of hockey is great. He’s going to have a lot more flights because of hockey, I can guarantee you that. This game is going to take him places.”

Lund has fit in well with the Bruins, who like Warroad, have been a consistent winner on the ice.

“It’s super nice to go from a winning high school hockey program to a winning team here in Austin,” Lund said. “We’ve got a great group of guys here.”

Warroad is 443 miles north of Austin and the town of 1,959 people that lies just miles from the Canadian border is famous for its success as a boys hockey program. Often playing against bigger schools, the Warriors have played in 21 overall state tournaments, 10 state finals and won four state titles, with the last championship coming in 2005.

Warroad offers free ice time for players of all ages throughout the winter, which means that younger players and older players often share the ice together.

“I played there my whole life and I wouldn’t have done it any differently. For me, growing up in Warroad meant going to the rink every day and everything revolved around hockey,” Lund said. 

Lund, who also played football, baseball and lacrosse at Warroad, said about 13 of the 90 students in his grade were boys hockey players and they all grew up on the ice together.

Warroad has produced five NHL players – including T.J. Oshie of the Washington Capitals and Brock Nelson of the New York Islanders. Warroad has also produced 80 Division I college hockey players.

“You just try to master your own craft and be your own player. Looking up to those guys is a great way to become a better hockey player,” Lund said. “A lot of those guys visit for celebrity golf tournaments so we get to see a lot of NHL guys in the summer. That’s a lot of fun.”

Lund has played in 46 games this season for the Bruins and he’s compiled four goals and 15 assists. Howard said that Lund was used to playing 20 minutes per game in high school and the Bruins have had to pull back his shifts to 45 seconds to keep him fresh.

“He’s a new guy this year, but you wouldn’t guess that he’s a new guy,” Howard said. “He plays veteran minutes and he’s an all situations guy. He’s got the size, the skill and he’s got everything he needed to succeed at the level. He just had to get the reps.”

While Lund’s parents have to watch most of his games online, he does have family in Rochester and he does like the small town atmosphere of Austin.

“Living up there and not being in a huge town is kind of like playing here,” Lund said. “You see a lot of familiar faces around town.”

Howard has learned a little about Warroad from Lund and his Lund’s dad, Tom, who played at St. Cloud State University. Bringing in the tradition of Warroad is one of many examples of how the players bring their background to the NAHL for the betterment of the league.

“The place is special. It’s not a big town and hockey is everything there,” Howard said of Warroad. “All of our players bring their own element. It’s hard to win with guys all from the same location. You need to bring in different mindsets from different places. In today’s game, you’ve got guys from Texas, Florida and California. Some have dads that played and some didn’t. Some looked up to an older brother and some were an only child. When you put all of these guys together, it builds your culture.”

The Bruins are currently tied for second place in the NAHL Central Division with the Minot Minotauros at 71 points, while the Bismarck Bobcats lead  the division with 72 points.

Austin will play at Bismarck Friday and Saturday and its next home game is against the Aberdeen Wings at 7:05 p.m. on March 14.