Adam Krause is not an easy person to track down for postgame interviews and it’s not because he’s too busy celebrating the last win, either. After every UMD home game, you’ll find Krause in the hallway outside the locker room catching up and checking in with every person he passes on his way out of the rink.
Born and raised in Hermantown, it was destined that one day Krause would become a member of the team he grew up idolizing. The two-year captain has strong ties to Duluth and is a big believer in giving back to the community that has been there for him from the start.
Krause is involved the Duluth Area Special and Sled Hockey program. While he has been a part of the organization for some time, this is Krause’s first year serving as head coach. The team practices every Sunday night for an hour.
“I love it,” Krause said. “They’re just a blast and the hour just goes by so fast. We usually stay out there a lot longer than an hour.”
As much as Krause helps DASSH out, the athletes that are a part of DASSH help him out just as much — even though they might not know it.
“It’s something that kind of puts the weekend in perspective,” Krause said. “If you have a bad weekend and you go and practice with those guys, things get back into perspective.”
But that’s not the only way Krause gets involved. He’s become known as a “yes man,” but in the best kind of way.
“Whatever he’s involved in, he always says yes,” UMD Head Coach Scott Sandelin said. “Whether it’s visiting sick kids, going to the outdoor rink or going to visit schools. If he’s asked, he’s never said no and sometimes he shows up when nobody expects him and I think that tells you a lot about him.”
Over the past four years, Krause has been one of the most influential players on the Bulldogs as the only captain to serve two straight years since the 2007-08 season. When Krause was named captain as a junior, he was honored.
“Coach Sandelin called me at home and I immediately hung up and called my parents,” Krause said. “They’re usually not emotional, but they started to cry. I called my brothers and it was more of a family thing, rather than just myself.”
Along with his coach, Krause’s teammates have high praise for the senior winger. Freshman goaltender Kasimir Kaskisuo believes that Krause is the definition of an ideal captain.
“He’s the optimal captain anyone could have asked for,” Kaskisuo said. “He sets a great example of how to handle school and hockey. He always makes sure people fit in and get along, especially freshmen.”
Krause knows the impact he has on his teammates and works to set an example on and off the ice.
“I know there are a lot of guys (on this team) that are going to have long hockey careers and being able to impact them in a positive way is a pretty cool thing for me,” Krause said.
After being a captain two years in a row, there will be big shoes to fill next year.
“He’s a great reflection of our program,” Sandelin said. “When you’ve got a guy like that that’s wearing the “C” and representing your program, doing the things he does the way he does it, you can’t go wrong.”
BY CALI SKARET
Statesman Correspondent