2008-09 College Hockey A to Z (Trupp)

Inside College Hockey has been doing an A-Z 2008-2009 review where they look at one player from each of the 58 teams; Evan Trupp was the Sioux player that was written about in the article. I am excited to see what this kid can do this year after having a year of experience.

EVAN TRUPP
North Dakota
So. | F | Anchorage, Alaska

Trupp's five game-winning goals included a highlight-reel overtime goal against Minnesota on Feb. 1.

Key Statistics: In 32 games as a freshman, Trupp had 13 points, scoring eight goals and sharing the team lead with five game-winners. He missed the last 11 games of the season after being sidelined by an ankle injury on March 1. North Dakota was 7-1-0 in games where Trupp scored.

What He Does: Trupp has bulked up to 170 after coming to Grand Forks as a 155-pound freshman, and has what his coach terms “wiry strength.” That commodity goes along with offensive instincts and puck-control skills that made him the anchor of North Dakota’s second power play unit as a freshman. With a year of experience, Trupp is expected to play a bigger role in filling the offensive holes in the Sioux lineup.

The Bigger Picture: A three-time state high school champion (for two different schools) and the 2005 prep player of the year in Alaska, there was some pressure on Trupp to play close to home for Alaska Anchorage, or to follow his father’s collegiate footsteps to Fairbanks. Trupp opted instead for the British Columbia junior ranks (where he was rookie of the year in 2006), then admits that an official visit to palatial Ralph Engelstad Arena cemented his decision to play college hockey in the Lower 48. His 2008 injury marked the third year in a row in which Trupp has missed the end of the season due to a medical issue (it was an inflamed appendix in 2007 and a separated shoulder in 2006). As a sophomore he’s striving for more speed, more strength, more health and a fifth straight Frozen Four trip for the Sioux.

North Dakota head coach Dave Hakstol on Trupp: “Size and stature-wise, he and Ryan (Duncan) are very similar. They’re intelligent and think the game very well, and they flat-out make a lot of plays. Evan is a money-type player. When you need a big play, he seems to always be there in the clutch.”

— Jess Myers