Eye of the Tiger

Breakout forward Ben Meyers is giving Gopher fans many reasons to cheer

By Aaron Paitich

Ben Meyers is the eighth all-time leading scorer in Minnesota high school hockey history with 278 career points. So it should come as no surprise that he burst onto the college scene as one of the Big Ten’s best freshmen.

But it was a surprise to many. Maybe because he was never drafted by an NHL team, or maybe because he hails from the smaller, blossoming hockey community of Delano. The Tigers had never made it to the state high school tournament until Meyers and company paved the way in 2016-17, when he tallied 120 points in 31 games. Thanks to grassroots efforts and some on-ice success, the Delano boys have now made it to state in three of the last four years, something Meyers keeps a close eye on. 

MHJ // How good does it feel to be back?

Ben Meyers // It’s been awesome being back in the rink and getting the boys together. You really miss that camaraderie that you don’t get in the summer. Just to see everybody’s face has been awesome. We’re a close group and we have a lot of fun.

MHJ // With so many Minnesotans on the roster, have you become friends with any former rivals?

Meyers // Me and Moe (Jared Moe of New Prague and Holy Family) played against each other a lot in high school. We played some good games. They usually beat us but he was probably my biggest rival. We’re good friends now.

MHJ // How did it feel leading Delano to its first-ever high school state tournament?

Meyers // It was so cool. That’s what we were thinking about growing up as kids. The fact that nobody from Delano had ever done it, and we made it happen. It’s something we wanted to do for a long time and it finally came true. We had a packed building at our section games and then a ton of people came to the state tournament games.

MHJ // Delano is not known as a Minnesota hockey hotbed, but it looks like that is changing.

Meyers // They made it three of the last four years. There’s definitely more excitement about hockey in the community. They started having year-round ice in Delano, which they’ve never had before, so that plays a factor. I just love watching them in the tourney. I’ve watched every year they’ve made it back.

MHJ // Do you still stay in contact with them?

Meyers // I still talk to those boys all the time, and the coaches as well. Every Christmas break I try to catch at least one game. I made it to a section game last year as well. And almost every Gopher game I see someone with a Delano sweatshirt so I try to give them a wave.

MHJ // Who really taught you the game?

Meyers // My dad (Steve Meyers) coached a lot of our teams growing up. He definitely taught me so much. He played Division III hockey at UW-River Falls. I’ve always been fortunate to have good coaches and I’ve learned a lot from them.

MHJ // You also played football and baseball. Did that help your development?

Meyers // I played one year of varsity football as a sophomore and varsity baseball my freshman, sophomore and junior year. I would say the biggest thing is just mental. Learning how to play different sports—the competitive aspect, the different challenges. It’s huge for development.

MHJ // You were the best faceoff man for the Gophers last year. What’s your secret?

Meyers // It’s kind of funny. Until last year I hadn’t really play center since high school. I take a lot of pride getting into the circle and competing as hard as I can. I want to win every draw. You have to want to win the draw more than the other guy.

MHJ // What are your thoughts on how the game has changed, with more of an emphasis on skills, skating and puck possession?

Meyers // You’ve definitely seen more skill guys being higher draft picks. They’re not drafting big guys who rack up penalty minutes anymore. I definitely think there’s a skill movement going on right now. We want to possess the puck. It’s always something I’ve thought is very important, a crucial part of the game. It’s tough for the other team to score if they don’t have the puck.