Thunder Bay’s Travis Hensrud, who skates with the Steinbach Pistons of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League (MJHL) has a lot on his plate these days.
He’s juggling courses at Northern Michigan University from a distance while gearing up for his second appearance at a Hockey Canada event.
“I am majoring in finance, so I’m worrying about that and making sure that I stay on top of my schooling from a distance. It’s tough to balance hockey and school but once I get down there, (the school) provides tutors and what not to make sure you stay on top of schoolwork. If you are not doing well off ice, you won’t be able to play on ice.”
After falling to the Dauphin Kings in last year’s Turnbull Cup final, the Pistons got over the hump, knocking out the Virden Oil Capitals in five games to win their third championship since the franchise relocated from Beausejour in 2009. Hensrud compiled 12 points in 18 playoff games.
Hensrud said his teammates talked about the loss, adding "it left a bitter taste, and we wanted to make sure that everyone buys in again this year and not worry too much of last year, but still have that in the back of their mind. It made us a bit hungrier to not have the same result this time around.”
When asked at what point he thought the team was capable of another run, Hensrud pointed to when the calendar turned to 2023.
"After Christmas and the final stretch leading into playoffs, we realized that we really had a very good chance of winning it all this year. Our big focus was taking each round at a time, and not worrying too much about the next opponent, but just staying in the moment and just worrying about what was ahead of us,” Hensrud added.
Hensrud is one of eight players in their final year of junior hockey for the Pistons, and has a place to play for the 2023-2024 season.
“Just before Christmas, Northern Michigan showed some interest in me and it was a quick process,” Hensrud mentioned. “Diving into their program and their hockey history was an easy choice for me because it’s somewhere that I want to play and I’m looking forward to the next four years.”
With his future mapped out, Hensrud is doing his best to enjoy what’s left of junior hockey, and soaking it all in, advice that he would have given to his younger self when he first entered the MJHL.
The last time Hensrud played on the national stage was at the 2019 TELUS Cup for the Thunder Bay Kings. Hensrud credits the event for allowing him the opportunity to play for head coach Paul Dyck in the Automobile City south of Winnipeg.
“I have at times thought about, with my dad, how my junior career could have been different if I chose to play in Thunder Bay for the North Stars,” recalls Hensrud. “Darrin Nicholas was my coach in midget, and that’s how I got the opportunity to play for the North Stars as a call up (during the 2019-2020 season).”
“Paul Dyck and Graham Pollock made the trip to Thunder Bay to watch the TELUS Cup, and that was the first time I was introduced to Steinbach, I had no clue where it was. I went to camp the following year but couldn’t play because you had to be 18 years old to play outside of the province. (That said) I was able to dive into their hockey program and see how passionate the community was about their hockey team. Before the 2021-2022 season, Paul offered me a spot on the Pistons and the rest is history.”
Nicholas looks back fondly on being Hensrud’s coach for two seasons with the Under-18 Kings.
“When I think of his development path, he was certainly able to leverage to the maximum the benefits that U18 hockey affords to players. There was a constant pace to the growth in his game, which I think provided intrinsic encouragement for him,” Nicholas noted.
“He put himself in a position where he could continue to learn, develop, and enjoy both personal and team success at the U18 level. Along with that, he also was also able to participate as an affiliate at the Junior ‘A’ level, so he had that experience when it was time to transition into Junior A full time. It’s gratifying to see that his trajectory has continued. He played a critical role in having his club win the MJHL championship and qualify for the Centennial Cup. And I’m sure he’s going to have the time of his life playing NCAA Division 1 hockey in the fall.”
When asked whether he’s seen what the second-year Kam River Fighting Walleye has accomplished, Hensrud noted “I know my parents as well were watching games online. They had a good run, hats off to them for winning (the Bill Salonen Cup) and I can’t wait to play them in the Centennial Cup.”
Hensrud and his Piston teammates begin the Centennial Cup against the Collingwood Blues on May 13.
