When lightning strikes, it's rare to see it happen a second time. But that's precisely what happened to goaltender Hampton Slukynsky this hockey season.
After winning a gold medal at the International Ice Hockey Federation's World Junior Championship in January, Slukynsky, along with his teammates at Western Michigan University, took home the National Collegiate Athletic Association's National Championship trophy.
Slukynsky says it means a lot to be able to accomplish the feat.
"It was unreal, I mean, it's what you work for all year, so, to be able to play in the Frozen Four, and get two wins there, and win a championship was an unreal feeling."
The Los Angeles Kings prospect, whose grandparents live in Portage, stopped 24 of 26 shots in the final game against the Boston University Terriers. He adds that facing such an historic program was all about forgetting the history.
"It doesn't really matter who you're playing, at this point of the season, in a championship game, you know they're obviously going to be good," he continues. "It's one game, right? The past doesn't mean anything for that game. You've just gotta go out, compete, try to win. There's a lot of history; it's a pretty storied program at Boston University. But we weren't intimidated, we stuck to our game, and it worked out."
Slukynsky now returns to his schooling, where exam season will take over his life for the remaining school year.