There are two memories that distinctly stick out to Florida Panthers’ forward Nick Bjugstad from his three international tournaments with USA Hockey: The honor of being selected to each team, and the thrill of bringing home a medal on two of them.

“Making the World Junior team … that’s a hard one to make, so it was definitely really exciting for me,” said Bjugstad, who was a freshman at the University of Minnesota when he played in the World Junior Championship for the first time in 2011.

“I didn’t know if I was going to make it.”

Bjugstad, the nephew of Scott Bjugstad, who was a member of the 1984 U.S Olympic Men’s Hockey Team, earned two bronze medals, one with the 2011 U.S. National Junior Team and another at the 2013 International Ice Hockey Federation World Championship.

“When you win a medal, it’s a lot more fun to bring that home,” Bjugstad said. “It’s something you can share with those guys … you can share that memory forever.”

While Bjugstad hopes to one day win a gold medal in international competition, he recognizes the honor of being able to compete for his country and bring home hardware. Bjugstad, who has six goals and 12 points in 22 games internationally, led the 2012 U.S. National Junior Team with four goals and six points. He also assured his first medal, scoring the game-winner in the bronze-medal game in 2011.

“Definitely winning medals is a great time, and being able to bring that home and show your family is a lot of fun,” Bjugstad said. “It’s always exciting when you get a chance to put the jersey on, and I’ve had the honor to wear it a few times.

“When you’re with a group of guys, all for the USA and you’re playing different countries, you find a sense of pride when you’re playing.

“It’s just pretty surreal because when you’re younger, you never know if you’re going to be able to make it to that point, so whenever you get the opportunity to wear the jersey you take pride in it.”

Bjugstad, who was born in Minneapolis, reached this point through the Minnesota high school hockey system with Blaine High School before playing collegiately at Minnesota. Bjugstad, who was named 2010 Minnesota Mr. Hockey as the state’s most outstanding player, scored 67 goals and 140 points in 79 games at Blaine, leading his team to three straight state high school hockey tournaments, the pinnacle of competition in the state.

“The state tournament is crazy, and you sell out the Xcel Energy Center,” Bjugstad said, referring to the Minnesota Wild’s home arena. “That’s kind of a big deal in Minnesota, and that’s what your goal is.

“I stayed there and learned to be a leader at the end of my high school career.”

That continued at Minnesota, where he played three seasons, totaling 54 goals and 98 points while helping lead the Gophers to a pair of Western Collegiate Hockey Association championships.

Now, the 23-year-old Bjugstad, a first-round NHL draft pick in 2010, is part of a talented, young core that hopes to take the Panthers back to the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time in a decade. The group includes 10 players 25 or younger.

“We have a lot of really young, skilled guys,” Bjugstad said. “It’s fun being part of the group, and the guys are really embracing it.

“It’s definitely exciting seeing this core, and I think we’re relied upon to bring some energy.”

It’s a far cry from when Bjugstad initially entered the NHL in 2013, leaving Minnesota after his junior season to join the then-last-place Panthers. He was third on the team with 16 goals and led the Panthers with 38 points during his first full season in the NHL.

Now, thanks to Bjugstad’s help, the culture is changing in Florida.

“I came in and really didn’t know what to expect,” Bjugstad said. “I was pretty wide-eyed and still a college kid. But I learned from a lot of the guys I’ve been playing with.

“The locker room is more of a winning attitude, and I think that’s the main thing. We’re expected to win and we want to win.”

Story from Red Line Editorial, Inc.