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January 26, 2012

Mavs' McInnis is feeling Minnesota

MSU forward Johnny McInnis is the lone WCHA player from Boston.

By Shane Frederick Free Press Staff Writer

BEMIDJI — Despite being a native of Boston, Johnny McInnis doesn’t feel like an outsider.

Not in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association. Not at Minnesota State. Not in his college house.

“There aren’t a lot of guys from my neck of the woods,” the Mavericks sophomore forward said.

McInnis isn’t just the only Minnesota State player from the northeast but the only player in the entire WCHA who grew up in that area. Anyone who paid close attention to the 1980 U.S. Olympic team or watched the movie “Miracle” knows of the rivalry between college hockey’s two main regions,

“I grew up a Hockey East fan,” said McInnis, whose sister, Jill, played for Boston College from 2002-06.

But there’s no conflict between McInnis and the other Mavericks.

His house, which he shares with six teammates, is full of different inflections, representing not only Massachusetts and Minnesota but Oklahoma, California, Wisconsin and British Columbia, Canada.

McInnis has learned to love the Midwest, he said. After graduating from Lawrence Academy in Massachusetts, he played two seasons of junior hockey with the Okotoks Oilers in Alberta, Canada, before moving on to Minnesota State.

“It’s  been a long haul, but I’ve seen it all,” McInnis said of his hockey travels. “I just sit back and take in the experience.”

At MSU, he didn’t find 25 Minnesotans as his new teammates. Besides housemates Chase Grant (Oklahoma), Matt Leitner (California), Josh Nelson (Wisconsin) and Evan Karambelas (British Columbia) — he also lives with Roseville native Adam Mueller and Mankato native Corey Leivermann — McInnis joined out-of-staters Jean-Paul LaFontaine (Michigan via Shattuck-St. Mary’s in Faribault), Danny Heath (Arizona), J.P. Burkemper (Missouri), Eli Zuck (Alaska) and Illinois natives Tyler Elbrecht, Evan Mosey and Phil Cook.

“We are kind of a melting pot right now,” MSU coach Troy Jutting. “I think junior hockey is a part of that.”

McInnis has fit right in on the ice, too. Going into this weekend’s WCHA series at Bemidji State, he has five goals and five assists, including the game-winning goal in overtime Saturday against Nebraska Omaha. It was his second game-winner of the season and third of his career.

Just as impressive, Jutting said, was a defensive play McInnis made earlier in overtime that may have prevented Omaha from winning the game.

“No. 1, (McInnis) brings a great attitude every day,” Jutting said. “I give him a lot of credit. We gave John some specific things we wanted him to do and work on (in the offseason), and he did them. I believe they’ve really helped his game.”

Specifically, McInnis worked on his speed and quickness and got stronger. As a freshman, he played in 14 games, scoring one goal and assisting on three others. He has missed just one game this season.

So all is well for McInnis? Almost.

“I’m starting to lose my Boston accent,” he said. “I’m starting to get that Minnesota/Alberta accent. I don’t know if I like it.”

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