It's Peanut Butter ... Hjelle Time!!!

DJ: What have the coaches told you about opportunities this year with All-American Alex Stalock out of the picture?

BH: With Al gone, it’s anyone’s net and I just have to prove myself with every opportunity I get.

DJ: Speaking of Stalock, talk about the experience you got backing up a talented player like that.

BH: Working with Al was a great experience for me. He plays a completely different style than me, but I was still able to pick things out of his game and just how he handles himself as a person in general. Al is a great team guy, and I really liked the way he handled himself in the locker room and he was also good at working with the media.

DJ: Your coach Scott Sandelin just signed a 2-year extension. Excited for another two years with Sandelin? And what strengths does he bring to the Bulldogs?

BH: I’m really excited to have coach Sandelin sign that 2-year extension. He recruited me so he is who I want to play for. Coach brings a lot to our team, but I think that his expectations of us to perform in both games and practices really push us and make us the best players we can be.

DJ: Like you mentioned earlier, prior to Friday’s game, UMD unveiled its 2008-09 WCHA Final Five championship banner. What was going through your mind when it was unveiled?

BH: When they unveiled the banner, I was really proud to be a part of last year’s squad and the special run we had. It was the first time a WCHA team has ever won the Final Five from the play-in game and it was just an unbelievable experience.

DJ: What are UMD’s expectations this season? You guys lost nine regulars, who all skated in over 40 games last season, so on paper it looks like it could be a struggle early. Thoughts?

BH: Obviously, like any other team, our main goal is to bring home a national championship. Yeah we lost a lot, but we also brought back a lot of great players who are going to have big years. We are a very young team, but we have three great captains who will help the younger guys adjust to college hockey and life in general.

DJ: UMD was picked to finish sixth by both the WCHA coaches and the media in two separate preseason polls. Who are your top six selections in the WCHA right now before the conference season opens this weekend?

BH: Our league is so difficult anything can happen on any given night. There is no such thing as an easy game, whether you are playing a highly skilled team or a shut-down, defensive style team. With that said, your guess is as good as mine at how the standings will pan out. I guess we’ll have to wait and see what it looks like at the end of the season.

DJ: Why did you choose No. 30?

BH: I have been No. 30 ever since I can remember. I wore it in the Falls up until my sophomore year, then I got it back my junior year and I also wore it in Cedar Rapids. I just think it’s a great goalie number. I never see myself changing to anything else.

DJ: You spent a season in the USHL before spending a season backing up an All-American. The door is now open and you’ve had a little taste of success with the two career victories, including one last Friday. What are your goals this season and what are you looking forward to most?

BH: My goals this season are to become our go-to guy and be someone who our team can depend on night in and night out. My main goal is do be the best I can be and try my hardest so hopefully our team can bring a national title to UMD. I am definitely looking forward to getting in there after having a year practically off. Nothing is as fun as playing in a college hockey game.

DJ: Finally, how do you enjoy the “It’s Peanut Butter Hjelle Time!!!” T-shirts?

BH: I think they are pretty cool. It’s fun to have something like that with the students. It’s nuts. The fact they made shirts is pretty crazy.