By Dave Krider
MaxPreps.com
Most of the premier hockey players in the USA jump when the USA Hockey National Team Development Program or the United States Hockey League come calling. It often leaves the local high school team shorthanded and brings bitterness to some communities.
Roseau, Minn., junior defenseman Aaron Ness had all these opportunities, but he rejected them out of loyalty to perhaps the greatest hockey town in America and today he is reaping the benefits. Roseau has declared March 17-21 “Aaron Ness Week” in honor of his recent selection as Minnesota’s coveted Mr. Hockey.
“We’ve hung seven state championship banners, but he’s our first Mr. Hockey,” Roseau coach Scott Oliver says proudly. “He also was the Associated Press Player of the Year. I think he’s in the top 10 of all time (in the state). He sees the ice and moves the puck better than any player I’ve ever seen. He reminds me of (former NHL great) Phil Housley. I kept him on the ice as much as I could. He’s a dynamic player and has got a real good gas tank. Even when he was tired, he probably wouldn’t tell me. He’s very passionate about the game and a real pleasure to coach.”
The 5-foot-10, 170-pound Ness, who sparked the Rams to a state title as a sophomore, calls the Mr. Hockey award “awesome. To be the first in a town like this is an amazing feeling.”
Roseau is a town of just 2,700 with 410 students in grades 9-12. The Rams play in the largest classification, AA, though they belong in Class A. “Most of the teams we play in the state tourney, their high school enrollment is bigger than our town,” coach Oliver pointed out.
Ness has lived in Roseau since shortly before his sixth birthday. “I love it,” he bubbled. “Hockey is pretty much life here. It’s really indescribable unless you get a chance to live it. It’s the David and Goliath story. We always get a chance to show them that it doesn’t matter how big you are. For this town, it would be a slap in the face to be in Class A.”
Explaining why he passed on national opportunities, Ness said simply, “You can’t leave a community like Roseau. There never was a doubt in my mind. There’s nothing like Roseau. It’s a great town to grow up in. I’ve grown up with buddies who have played hockey all of their lives.”
Though he’s now a superstar, Ness idolized the Roseau High School players as he grew up and still cherishes many autographs from former players, as well as his own teammates. “I have 20 right now,” he noted. “I’m going to keep them just in case. When I was a little guy I would go and watch them. It was awesome for me.”
He is carrying on that tradition of being a good role model for younger skaters and has signed as many as 100 autographs on a single day. “It’s a great feeling to be a big idol in their eyes,” he said. “It’s obviously a lot of pressure because you don’t want them to do the wrong things.”
He’s definitely come a long way from his freshman year when television lights and cameras “had me shaking. Now it’s getting to be an every-day thing.”
Aaron can thank his father, Jay Ness, for bringing him from St. Cloud to his former hometown where he could become a hockey player purely by osmosis. Jay played at the University of North Dakota and was drafted by Chicago in the seventh round in 1982, but never was able to play pro hockey due to a serious knee injury.
Aaron’s first attempt to skate at age four, however, was somewhat of a disaster. Jay recalled, “He absolutely hated it. We watched a lot of hockey on television and went to some games. The next year, he said, ‘Let’s try it again.’ He just took off and was able to skate almost immediately.
“He’s about 10 times better than me. He has a lot more tools than I had and he really works at it. I couldn’t be any more proud. It’s been nothing but fun – just a blast.”
Ness believes his talent is natural, but he developed it fully by playing hundreds of hours at local rinks. He said the most important thing he learned was to work hard every day. Playing with various age groups, he never failed to help his team reach the state tournament.
When he was around age 13, he switched from forward to defenseman. He explained, “My dad always played ‘D’ and we were hurting back there. I went back and tried it and I’ve been there ever since. I am an ‘offensive’ defenseman. I jump up into the play a lot.”
At this point, Oliver got the first look at his future protégé. He recalled, “At that time he was a dominant player and a player who always stood out. He’s always been a player that would catch your eye.”
Despite his success in youth leagues, Ness admitted, “It was a pretty big shock” to start on the Roseau High varsity as a freshman. He proved himself, though, by compiling 18 assists and three goals in 30 games as the Rams posted a 24-6 record. They reached the state tournament, but lost both games.
To reach the state finals the Rams had to beat powerful Moorhead in the section final, 4-0, as Ness contributed a pair of assists.
As a sophomore his statistics jumped to 38 assists and 13 goals. Even more important, however, the Rams posted a 29-2 record and won their seventh Class AA state championship.
“That was huge for us,” Ness said. “It was pretty cool to be part of that.”
Again, the Rams had to get past Moorhead, which had beaten them twice by large margins during the regular season. They eked out a 1-0 victory in what Ness termed “one of the most fun games I ever played in.”
This past season was memorable for several reasons. Ness recorded the first hat trick of his career during a 7-1 rout of Moorhead. “It was a pretty big relief,” he admitted. “I had never been able to get over that two-goal mark.” He later had three more hat tricks, finishing his junior year with 44 assists and 28 goals.
The Rams also played a very unique game – outdoors – at Lake of the Woods in Baudette, Minn. It was 40 degrees below zero and boards were placed around the edges of the lake for a state-wide televised game. Roseau somehow shivered through a 1-0 victory over Blaine.
“It was the most miserable thing I ever had to do in my life,” Ness said. “We had everything on – turtle necks, long johns, two pair of socks and face masks. We had a couple of guys get frost bite, but there were no serious injuries.”
Roseau entered the state tournament undefeated and ranked No. 1. However, it lost twice to finish 29-2 and take fourth place.
“It was obviously a big letdown,” Ness conceded. “We were a big target and it was tough maintaining that level of play.”
For the first time since sixth grade, Ness will not be playing varsity golf this spring. He now has more time to concentrate on his academic side, which has produced a 3.8 GPA despite a Herculean load. Since September he has been taking eight classes per day plus 3 ½ online because he plans to graduate this spring, skip his senior year and play hockey next season at the University of Minnesota.
Ness has been rated the No. 2 player in the country. At Minnesota he will hook up with No. 1-ranked Jordan Schroeder – who also is graduating after his junior year – in what must be the nation’s premier recruiting class.
Unlike Schroeder, who is too young, Ness is expected to be either a first- or second-round selection in this year’s NHL draft. “It’s been my dream since I was a little guy – definitely my ultimate goal,” Ness said.
Coach Oliver believes no matter what happens in the draft that Ness will “still go to college. There’s going to be a learning curve for him (before the NHL). He’ll get bigger and stronger. He’s pretty strong and very explosive, but I see him some day being 185 to 200 pounds. He’s still 17 years old. He’ll be a completely different man when he’s 21. He’s very committed to the weight room.”
Even though Oliver is losing his young star when he should be at his zenith, he has no bitterness or resentment. He explained, “He has coach support, teammates’ support and community support. He has turned down (outside) opportunities and stayed to win a state championship. He’s been very loyal. He wanted to play with his buddies and wear the green and white. He’s ready to go.”
