GRAND FORKS, N.D. -- Let me start by saying the idea of bringing back a former UND hockey great for "One More Shift'' around the ice of Ralph Engelstad Arena before a game is one of the best promotions and celebrations I have seen involving athletics.
It not only keeps the great players and fan favorites connected to their old school and team, it helps with the connection with fans as well. And I don't know of another sport that the concept of "One More Shift'' plays out as well as it does with hockey. So a tip of the hat to UND for developing this program.
This past weekend, Tony Hrkac, the 1987 Hobey Baker Award winner and national scoring leader on a team that won a school-record 40 of 48 games on its way to the national championship, became the sixth ex-UND star to skate "One More Shift'' at UND. He did so to thunderous applause for perhaps the greatest player in school history.
By the reaction of the fans, their love for Hrkac and his "Hrkac Circus'' team of 86-87 remains strong. As he skated his laps around REA, the roar from the fans certainly sent vibrations all the way down to ice level.
It was quite the night for Hrkac as well. He said in an interview afterward that he couldn't stop smiling. He won a national team title as a college player at UND. He won the highest individual honor available in college, the Hobey Baker Award. He won a Stanley Cup ring as a player with Dallas, and two as a scout for Tampa Bay.
So his honors have been great. But on his "One More Shift'' at The Ralph a week ago, another lasting memory was made that left a smile on his face and a rekindling of the love from his fans showering down upon him. Pretty tough to top that.
Well done, Tony. Well done, UND. Well done, fans.
I went to Dallas in 1999 when Hrkac was playing with Dallas in the Stanley Cup finals against Buffalo. Ex-Sioux goalie Ed Belfour backstopped Dallas, and former Sioux player and coach Rick Wilson was an assistant coach with Dallas. Former Sioux greats James Patrick and Dixon Ward played for Buffalo.
The Grand Forks Herald sent to Dallas to do stories on those five on pro hockey's biggest stage. It was one of the highlights of my career of 50-plus years as a journalist.
But let me get back to Hrkac, and a story from his freshman year at UND, in 1984-85.
For reasons I will not get into, coach Gino Gasparini sat Hrkac out for a short span of games for disciplinary reasons, not allowing him to even suit up for the games.
Hrkac still had a great rookie season, then left UND to play with the Canadian National Team against international competition the next year. He returned to UND as a mature, seasoned, exceptional player in 1986-87, ran up a school and NCAA record 116 points (46 goals, 70 assists) and led UND to its fifth NCAA title with the highest-scoring team in school history.
All that, despite Bemidji's George Pelawa, a 6-foot-4, 240-pound giant of a man, an incoming freshman and a first-round draft of the Calgary Flames, being killed in a Labor Day weekend car accident in his home town. That tragedy happened before Pelawa had a chance to even played a single game for the Fighting Sioux, likely on a line with Hrkac and 52-goal scorer Bob Joyce.
But let me get back to Hrkac and his rookie season, in 1984-85, when I pulled a prank on him that I regret to this day.
The late Lee Bohnet, then the veteran Sports Information Director at UND, always ordered pizza for the press box media and workers, to be served between periods on the counter behind the press box row of seats at the old Ralph Engelstad Arena.
Bohnet often stuck a pizza or two into the cabinet under the counter to take home for himself and family after the game.
During the span of games when Hrkac was suspended, Tony came into the press box once between periods, but the pizza was pretty well gone by the time he showed up. He told me he was hungry, and asked if there was any left.
I told him sure, just slide open the cabinet and grab a pizza and help himself, which he did.
As he was chomping away, Bohnet turned around, saw him eating the pizza he had stored away for later, and yelled at Hrkac.
"What the heck are you doing?,'' I recall Bohnet yelling at him.
"Virg said I could have some pizza,'' Hrkac replied.
"He doesn't run the blankety-blank press box, I do,'' Bohnet screamed at him. "Get the heck out of here.''
Hrkac was a quiet, shy young man as a freshman, and I felt guilty as he walked past me and out of the press box, his head down, his spirits crushed. It was a horrible thing to do, I realized later.
Two years later, he was the best player in the land, the leader of the Hrkac Circus and holder of a school record for points in a season that will likely last forever.
He has never once mentioned that pizza incident to me.
I saw him in the new Ralph Engelstad Arena press box last week after his "One More Shift'' skate.
He saw me. We visited a bit. The smile remained on his face.
You're the best, Tony. I apologize for my stupid prank 40 years ago.
Virg Foss, in his 54th season of involvement with UND hockey, was beat writer for the Grand Forks Herald for UND hockey for 35 seasons from 1969-2005 before his retirement. He is now in his 19th season of writing about Fighting Hawks hockey for UND Athletic Communications.
