From The Rink Live
By Rob Beer
MINOT, N.D. — Christian Kadolph has a few nicknames. The Minot State defenseman simply goes by “Bubba,” but on the ice he’s the “Swiss Army Knife.”
“I just had it ever since I was a little kid,” Kadolph said. “I guess my mom and dad gave it to me because I was pretty chunky as a kid. They’re just like, ‘We’re gonna start calling you Bubba or whatever.’ And then it just stuck through school, like teachers were calling me Bubba all the time.
“So it’s like one of those things that that’s what everybody calls me and half the time nobody knows my real name anymore.”
He’s certainly making a name for himself in Minot.
He’s part of the No. 1-ranked team in the American Collegiate Hockey Association. And now the Beavers (17-4) are getting a rare opportunity to play NCAA Division I teams later this month when they take on Colorado College on Dec. 29 and Denver on Dec. 30 in a pair of exhibition games.
“He’s got so much energy. He’s a sophomore and assistant captain for us and he’s just so dynamic on the puck,” Waselenchuk said, calling Kadolph simply “a world-class kid” as well.
Kadolph has 27 points in 21 contests this season for Minot State. A sophomore defenseman for the Beavers, the Brainerd, Minnesota, native has the wheels and skill set to play forward, but also can play the blue line. Brainerd head coach Dave Aus kept him interchangable in high school.
“Everybody called me the Swiss Army knife when I was growing up because I would get thrown in situations where they thought would be best for the team and my coach always asked me if I wanted to play forward every once in a while,” Kadolph said. “But growing up I mostly played ‘D’ because that was like my true position.”
His skating ability caught the eye of Minot State head coach Wyatt Walenchuck when as a 17-year-old, Kadolph tried out for the Minot Minotauros of the NAHL.
“That kid was the best player in the ice hands down,” said Waselenchuk, who was an assistant coach for the Minotauros and continues to double as the goaltenders coach for the NAHL team.
A return to Brainerd for his senior season resulted in a 31-point campaign during the 2019-20 season. Six of those points came in a late January game when he had two goals and four assists in a 6-3 win over Bemidji. But a chance at a state championship eluded the Warriors later that season. Kadolph scored in the opening round of the Section 8AA tournament against Roseau, but Paul Huglen’s shorthanded goal in overtime earned Roseau a 2-1 victory.
He was paired at times defensively with Eric Pohlkamp on Brainerd’s blue line. Pohlkamp, a fifth-round selection by the San Jose Sharks in last summer’s NHL Draft, is now in his freshman season with Bemidji State.
“Me and him were always doing stuff together,” Kadolph said of growing up with Pohlkamp. “Being outside, out at the outdoor rink. I’d bring him home from practice, bring him to practice. He didn’t have his driver’s license quite yet.”
After high school, Kadolph returned to the NAHL, making the Bismarck Bobcats team out of camp. But the team dealt him 110 miles up Highway 83 to play for the ‘Tauros.
“It’s my second home away from home,” Kadolph says now of the Magic City. “There were some ups and down with juniors right, like I was hurt quite a bit. I was fighting for a spot in the lineup every day. Like that really pushed me in wanting to prove myself here.”
Kadolph posted just two goals in 26 games during his 2020-21 season with the Minotauros. The next season, he had a goal and 13 assists playing 50 contests. He credits his billet family for helping him stay on course.
And stay in town. As his junior hockey career was nearing its end, the 5-foot-9, 176-pound Kadolph didn’t garner Division I interest. That’s when the ACHA Beavers came into play.
“Then I was like, it might be a great opportunity,” Kadolph said. “I know the town and I know a lot of people here and maybe it will transform me into something that I didn’t know I could become. And quite frankly, it’s been doing that for me. I’ve been really successful here and like I said, it’s just home away from home.”
Kadolph had nine goals and 13 assists last season for the Beavers as the team won the ACHA Division I championship for the second consecutive season and third time overall. Minot State’s three nattys are tied with North Dakota State, which won three times in the early 1990s. Only Penn State (6), Lindenwood (4) and Ohio State (4) have more titles.
Kadolph not only brings his skill to the ice, but also his knowledge. He’s been coaching the Bantam Elite League minor division for Team North Dakota, which became the first team from the state to win a BEL championship in the Minnesota-based operation with this year’s victory.
“We ended up winning the thing and it’s pretty fun for the kids to see how happy they were and how much effort they put in for me,” Kadolph said before expanding on his future plans.
“I would really like to pursue coaching instead of teaching, but if I could do both, that’d be great. Maybe move back to Minnesota and coach a high school team.”
Kadolph has a hat trick of championships this year alone. Besides the ACHA and his BEL team titles, he and Beavers teammate Jay Buchholz were named to the U.S. squad that won the 2023 World Cup of University Hockey in Cǎrta, Romania, last April. Both Minot State players scored goals in the 4-0 win over Canada in the championship game.
“That was a cool experience. It was just eye-opening to see other countries’ style of the game,” Kadolph said as he looks forward to the Beavers’ upcoming games against Colorado College and Denver. “I think this is going to take over that, having all these dreams of playing a Division I team.”
But Kadolph has no regrets not having an opportunity to play NCAA Division I hockey. While there’s still pressure to perform, he’s enjoying college life while continuing to play the sport he loves. Even if it comes with a little noise.
“He’s a little Energizer Bunny who never shuts up on the bench,” Waselenchuk said. “And sometimes it wears a little too much on guys, because it’s like, ‘Hey, shut up back there, man.’ But he’s everything, he stirs our drink, for sure. And we’re just so fortunate to have him.”
(Originally published at https://www.therinklive.com/mens-college/christian-kadolph-powers-minot-states-road-to-division-i-matchups)
