Stange reflects on his path before 2020 NHL Draft

Madison, Wis. — For Sam Stange, the journey to college hockey was all about creating his own path.

As a child, Stange competed in hockey, baseball, football and soccer. He eventually had to give up football and soccer because they overlapped with hockey season in the fall, but was still able to play baseball during the off-season.

Before joining the Badger men's hockey team, Stange attended Eau Claire North High School. He was a star on his high school's hockey team, but come spring time, Stange was ready to trade in his skates for a baseball bat and glove.

The Wisconsin native was in no rush to make the move to just one sport.

"When I got to start baseball I was really into that and by the time baseball was over I was ready to get back into hockey," said Stange. "It kept me really excited to start the next season every year."

As a senior in high school, Stange joined the Sioux City Musketeers for a few weeks after his high school hockey season ended, but decided to return to Eau Claire just in time for baseball season. It was a decision that definitely paid off.

Stange led his baseball team to the 2019 State Championship, hitting the championship-winning home run and sealing the state title for Eau Claire North High.

"It was an exciting year and I definitely had a lot of fun with it," he said.

Although Stange's coaches on the Musketeers and at Wisconsin were supportive of his decision to continue playing baseball, it was still something he struggled with.

"When we finally did end up winning State, on one hand it was validation for the decision that I had made and I knew that I had made the right decision," Stange said. "I was really happy about that, and on the other hand, being able to experience one last run with all the kids I grew up playing with and who were my best friends there was really special."

Many hockey players specialize in the sport at a young age, given the extensive time and effort it takes to play hockey at a high level. As a multi-sport athlete all his life, Stange decided that path of development wasn't right for him.

"It was a really tough decision," Stange said regarding his choice to pursue both baseball and hockey. "Everyone who was involved was supportive, but I was always worried about how it might look. [Baseball] was something I was passionate about too, so being able to get that last run in was important."

Stange was named the 2019 Wisconsin high school player of the year in both baseball and hockey. His success and talent in multiple sports made it difficult to pick just one when the time came, especially when it was a possibility to play both at the collegiate level.

"It was kind of a toss up I guess," Stange said on choice to forgo baseball in favor of hockey. "I just decided I was enjoying hockey more and I think that's still the case. Obviously I miss baseball but I wouldn't change my decision at all."

Stange played four seasons for Eau Claire North High's hockey team, tallying an astounding 31 goals and 37 assists for a total of 67 points over 24 games his senior season. It wasn't until his sophomore and junior year of high school that Stange considered playing hockey at the USHL or college level.

"I think I was a late bloomer in that regard," Stange said.

Given the short length of the high school hockey season, Stange was also able to play for Team Wisconsin, one of the top performing AAA teams in the state. Playing against competitive teams in the off season allowed Stange to realize his potential in hockey.

Stange is listed 110th on the NHL Central Scouting Ranking of North American players for the 2020 NHL Entry Draft. The draft, which will take place virtually for the first time, airs on Tuesday, Oct. 6 at 6 p.m. CT on NBCSN, with rounds 2-7 on Wednesday, Oct. 7 beginning 10:30 a.m. CT on NHL Network.

"I think it's definitely a cool opportunity," Stange said on potentially being selected in the NHL Entry Draft. "I'm excited to see what happens.

Stange also received an invite to USA Hockey's 2021 National Junior Team Evaluation Camp in October.

Three Badgers - @colecaufield, @lindy2201 and @sam_stange3 - headed to the 2021 US National Junior Team Evaluation Camp

Oct. 8-13 in Plymouth, Mich.

UW equipment manager @N_LaPoint will also be there

2021 World Junior Championship in Dec/Jan in Edmonton pic.twitter.com/wdHL5gXQ4C
— Wisconsin Hockey (@BadgerMHockey) September 29, 2020

Before graduating high school, Stange got a preview of USHL play in between the hockey and baseball seasons, competing in eight games with the team.

"I knew I was going to Sioux City following my senior year," Stange said. "That was really important for me, just getting used to what I was going to see the next year."

Stange spent the 2019-20 season in the USHL rather than going straight to college. It's another decision he stands by.

"I think a lot of people recently have been rushing to get into college," he said. "For some people it works and we've seen that here, but the coaches are really big on taking as much time as you need because they have nothing against slowing the process down and making your own path."

He started with the Sioux City Musketeers and played four games at the end of the season for the SIoux Falls Stampede.

"It wasn't too difficult for me to accept playing another year because I knew it would be better for me and the team once I got in here," Stange said in regards to his time in the USHL. "Another year to play hockey and focus on hockey and get a little bigger, stronger and faster too."

On the Musketeers, Strange played alongside fellow Wisconsin commits Luke LaMaster and Anthony Kehrer.

"It's unique that half of our freshman class played on the same team in Sioux City for most of the year," Stange said. "It's been nice to know those two really well, then the other three freshmen have been awesome. I think we've gelled really quickly and have a lot of fun together."

Playing for the Badgers was an attractive opportunity for Stange, who was born and raised in Wisconsin. It was hard for him not to jump at the opportunity right away.

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"I tried to take a step back and really think about it," Stange said on his commitment to Wisconsin. "I still wanted to make sure it was the best fit for me once I really looked at what I wanted in a school and a place to play."

Having the opportunity to play for Tony Granato was something he couldn't pass up.

"It's hard not to like him," Stange commented on the Badger's head coach. "He's definitely a player's coach and you can tell he knows what he's talking about… He's really personable and it's easy for anyone to get along with him."

The Badgers were unable to get together as a team this summer, but coaches and upperclassmen still made an effort to get to know the freshmen and acquaint them with the team. Stange connected with Ty Embersson, a junior and team captain on the Badgers, and a fellow Eau Claire native. The two had crossed paths before coming to Madison, competing at rival high schools.

Stange is a power forward looking to add some size to Wisconsin's line up. Off the ice, he plans to study biology and take advantage of the university's prestigious science programs. Playing multiple sports in high school while focusing on academics allowed the high school valedictorian to get experience managing a busy and time-demanding schedule.

Now on campus with the Badgers, Stange is adjusting to his new team and life in Madison. He's eager to learn from Wisconsin's elite coaching staff and begin practicing with the team.

"Going from high school to juniors last year was a big step, then there's another big step from juniors to college this year," said Stange on his transition to college hockey. "I think I'm still adjusting to the speed at times but it's kind of meant to be that way. Just trying to get a little bit closer to that speed everyday has been one of my goals."

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Stange reflects on his path before 2020 NHL Draft

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