GRAND FORKS, N.D. -- RIP, Travis Dunn.
In the fall of 1976, a lanky defenseman from Winnipeg arrived on the campus of the University of North Dakota, without any of the fanfare of players like Mark Taylor, Doug Smail, Phil Sykes, Cary Eades, all future teammates who became stars at UND.
In fact, Dunn spent his first two years at UND relegated to the junior varsity team, playing just a few games a year in relative obscurity and on a team discontinued a few years later.
It wasn't until Dunn's junior year that he carved out a spot for himself on the varsity, playing behind Marc Chorney, Craig Ludwig, Howard Walker and Mickey Volcan, all defensemen who eventually went on to the NHL, a level Dunn never reached.
But you know what? As a junior, he played in 25 of UND's 42 games on a team that lost in the NCAA championship game in 1979 in Detroit. A year later, Dunn played in 37 of UND's 40 games and capped his college career with a ring as a proud member of the 1980 NCAA title team in Providence. R.I.
His contributions to UND far exceeded his 62 games on the varsity ice and two years on the JV team. He became a noted television and radio broadcaster of UND hockey, and had his own successful radio talk show in Fargo.
Through it all, he maintained his gentle demeanor and warming smile, always taking time to visit, always taking time to listen.
On the first day of this month, Travis Dunn died unexpectedly, at age 65.
It left me feeling that we all have been robbed of a giant of a man. He was a quality individual who loved his university, who was eternally grateful for the chance to play hockey here, and wore his championship ring with great pride.
He stood out in a special way. He played in 62 games in his two varsity seasons from 1978-80, and never scored a goal. No player in UND history has ever played that many games without a goal. He did have 13 assists over 62 games, but he was on the ice to prevent goals, not necessarily score them. He did both jobs very well.
I remember the first weekend in January, 1979, after Dunn had suffered a broken collarbone or dislocated shoulder, not sure which, in a Fighting Sioux sweep at Notre Dame.
On the bus ride from South Bend to the airport in Chicago on the trip home, I sat in the seat behind Dunn. Every time the bus hit a bump in the road, Travis would wince in pain, and I'd lean forward, and ask if he was OK.
He worked his way through that, just as he worked his way into a championship ring on a hockey team he loved to death, right to the very end.
I used to tease Travis on occasion for having played his career without a single varsity goal. He always took that with a smile. And he could point out that he did something at UND stars like Taylor and Smail and Syke couldn't do -- play his career without a goal!! So like them, he's a record-setter in some category as well.
So yes indeed, Travis Dunn was special, for those who knew him in person, for those who listened or watched him in UND hockey broadcasts on radio or TV.
He stayed in this area, marrying and raising a family. He was around UND hockey a lot, so I saw him often, and developed a deep appreciation of him. For what he made of himself as a man, for how he took what talent he had in hockey to his highest level possible, and appreciated that like few others.
Just over a week ago, Brad Schlossman of the Grand Forks Herald called me at home, and said eight words to me that rocked my soul.
"Did you hear that Travis Dunn has died?'' he said.
I had not. I still find it difficult to digest, to accept. I'm 82 now, and I am losing classmates, teammates, dear friends of the same vintage, all the time.
But Travis? He's always been around UND hockey -- like me. I first started covering UND hockey for the Grand Forks Herald in 1969, and Travis Dunn arrived as a student-athlete 10 years later. So it has been more than 40 years that I have someway been connected to him through hockey. And he is just 65, gone way, way too soon.
l will miss him greatly. Many of you will as well.
Blessed be his memory.
Hawk-ey Talk with Virg Foss is a new weekly column about North Dakota hockey by longtime writer Virg Foss. Foss covered UND hockey for 35 seasons for the Grand Forks Herald, including 5 NCAA title teams, before his retirement. Since his retirement, he's written about UND hockey exclusively for FightingHawks.com. This marks his 53rd season since he began covering UND hockey in 1969.
