ST. CLOUD, Minn. — Zach Okabe is the reigning NCHC Forward of the Week after scoring a natural hat trick in a 6-3 win over North Dakota on Saturday. Okabe has already matched his career-best goal total for a season (11) and is third on the team in points (18) through 16 games.
Okabe, a senior from Okotoks, Alberta, discusses his development as a player through college. He also talks about the close relationships he has made with the team, his friendship with Jami Krannila, how he has gained strength, his family ties to the university and more on this episode of the Huskies Hockey Insider podcast with The Rink Live's Mick Hatten.
TIME STAMPS
:25 Being named NCHC Forward of the Week
:50 The poor start of the game he ended up getting a hat trick in, controlling his frustration level, a slow start to his freshman season
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5:04 Coming to SCSU after second season in the AJHL, being on a line with Jami Krannila and Chase Brand as a freshman
6:45 Getting to know Krannila as a freshman, becoming friends when Mike Gibbons picked them up from the airport, how one of them was nearly forgotten
8:40 The outgoing personality of Krannila, his sense of humor
10:00 Being on the International Exchange Line with Krannila and Veeti Miettinen , Miettinen's calm personality, playing against top lines this season
13:25 How he spent last summer, got prepared for his senior season, working at Spencer Meier 's hockey camp, Central Minnesota Development Program camp, what he gets out of working at camps, dropping an expletive during camp
18:15 Areas of improvement for him in his college career
20:30 Why his physical play has increased, his strength in board battles, a big hit against North Dakota on Saturday
23:50 The bond betwee the four Huskies from Alberta: Okabe, Kyler Kupka , Dylan Anhorn and Ethan AuCoin ; possibly meeting at the Calgary Stampede this summer
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25:30 The impact of Anhorn since transferring
26:10 How he ended up not going to major junior hockey (WHL draft pick) and ended up playing college hockey
28:15 His dad played club hockey for SCSU and graduated from the university, his sweatshirt and a jersey from when he was growing up that hangs in his room
29:00 Originally committed to Vermont, de-committing, his parents' excitement when he was being recruited by SCSU
31:20 What has surprised him about his college experience
32:20 Finishing his economics degree
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