MADISON, Wis. — Meaghan Mikkelson Reid likely would have been content to play forward throughout her career with the Wisconsin women's hockey team.

That was her position of choice growing up in St. Albert, Alberta. Upon her arrival in Madison, Mikkelson Reid was listed as a forward for her freshman and sophomore seasons, which totaled 67 games.

But UW coach Mark Johnson had an offseason thought that dramatically changed the course of her career. It began with a conversation with her father, Bill, and evolved into a legend.  

"There was something he saw in me as a coach that he felt like I would be a good defenseman,'' Meaghan said of Johnson. "I don't think I would have made the Canadian national team and had as long of a career as I did if it weren't for Mark Johnson switching me to defense.''

Mikkelson Reid was such a revelation – such an impactful player on the blue line – that the Badgers won consecutive NCAA titles in '06 and '07 and that she was named WCHA Defensive Player of the Year and was a first-team All-American as a senior.

In all, Mikkelson Reid accounted for 29 goals, 86 assists and 115 points in her time at UW.

"There's no way that I would have had the career that I had without Mark Johnson,'' Mikkelson Reid said. "I can't say enough good things about him.''

From there, Mikkelson Reid won two Olympic gold medals and two golds from the World Championships before retiring last fall.

Granted, Bill Mikkelson played four seasons in the NHL as a defenseman and Meaghan's brother Brendan, a second-round NHL draft pick of Anaheim in 2005, also played defense. But gene pools don't come with guarantees.

"It didn't take long for her to adjust because she's such a good skater, a good stick-handler and a good passer,'' Johnson said of Mikkelson Reid. "That first year she just started to get better at better. Before you know it, she's an All-American, then she's winning gold medals and you're thinking,
"Hmmm.'''

Johnson doesn't recall getting any blowback from Mikkelson Reid.

"The thing that attracted me, and what I thought would work, was just her skill level,'' he said. "Great skater, good stick, great first pass. If you have those kinds of capabilities, you can end up becoming pretty good at that position.''
 

Nikki Burish, an alternate captain of that '06 team, said her former roommate wowed everyone who came to watch her play.

"She was awesome,'' Burish said of Mikkelson Reid. "She belonged on the men's team she was so good.''

Johnson said moving Mikkelson Reid to the blue line was made in part because UW was getting deeper and more skilled at forward, adding the likes of Sara Bauer, who won the Patty Kazmaier Award as a junior in 2006, Jinelle Zaugg, Angie Keseley and Erika Lawler.

"She wanted to be a goal-scorer and to make offensive contributions,'' Johnson said of Mikkelson Reid. "At that time, we had some pretty (high) profile kids that were able to do that. I wanted to put her in position where she doesn't have to worry about scoring goals.''

Mikkelson Reid found competitive joy playing against the American teams, especially those featuring former Badgers and especially when the stakes were the highest. In the Winter Olympics she played with the likes of Kristen Campbell, Emily Clark, Ann-Renee Desbiens, Carla MacLeod, Sarah Nurse and Blayre Turnbull while playing against Brianna Decker, Meghan Duggan, Molly Engstrom, Hilary Knight, Erika Lawler, Alex Rigsby, Jessie Vetter, Kerry Weiland and Jinelle Zaugg-Siergiej.

"There was a sense of underlying pride that came along with that because of all the Badger players,'' Mikkelson Reid said.

These days, Mikkelson Reid offers color commentary for the cable network that covers the Calgary Flames. She uses that platform to send shoutouts to former UW men's players skating in the NHL, from Edmonton's Dylan Holloway to Dallas' Joe Pavelski, Ryan Suter and Craig Smith.

"You feel like you have an instant connection with people when you know they were a Badger,'' she said.

Mikkelson Reid also stays in touch with former Wisconsin teammates, such as former defensive partner Bobbi Jo Slusar, Mikka Nordby, Carla MacLeod, Meghan Duggan and Jessie Vetter.

Mikkelson Reid said she was "absolutely ecstatic'' when UW athletic director Chris McIntosh called her with the news that she would be the part of the latest class of hall of fame inductees at Wisconsin.

Coming back to Madison with her family will be a treat for Mikkelson Reid.

"They have to experience that for themselves,'' she said. "Everyone lives and breathes the Badgers.''

BEST OF THREE

One: Quite the couple
Mikkelson Reid met her husband, Scott Reid, the summer before her senior year, when he was a goaltender in the American Hockey League playing for the Milwaukee Admirals. They have two children, Calder and Berkley. Talk about a fun moment, Reid got word of her induction at around the same time that Scott was informed that he would be added to the Wall of Distinction at MacEwan University in Edmonton. "Pretty cool for sure,'' Meaghan said.
 
Two: Helped by a familiar face
Mikkelson Reid earned a degree in business marketing from UW with a 3.4 grade-point average. She lauded Mary Weaver-Klees, a retired academic counselor, for helping her get her scholastic bearings. "I would never have known where to go or what to do were it not been for Mary,'' Mikkelson Reid said.
 
Three: A name to remember
Turns out there's a story behind the first name the Reids gave their son.

"My great uncle won the Calder Trophy (as NHL rookie of the year) when he played for Detroit in the late 1940s and early 50s,'' she said. "My dad won the Calder Cup (given to the AHL champion) when he played for the Hershey Bears in the 1970s.''

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