Brady Heppner
Senior Forward
Hometown: Crookston, MN
Last Team: MN Magicians (NAHL)
Major: Global Business Leadership
Since the pandemic, has started life has changed a lot. It’s been mostly finishing up school work and trying to stay active with my roommates. We’ve played a lot of tennis and golf, as of late, since the nice weather. It would’ve been a lot different had the pandemic not happened as I would’ve been in Virginia playing hockey. This was a huge shock as it took away the first couple months of getting my professional hockey career started. Of course, it was necessary and we have been staying safe up here and hunkering down in good ol’ St. Joe.
Coming from a small town in northwest Minnesota, I never thought I would be able to afford going to a private college. I’d drive past it all the time going to the Twin Cities and was amazed by how much land a college could have, but never truly imagined I could go there. After playing junior hockey and talking to the coaching staff here, I realized it was afforfable and it was the right fit for me. Being at SJU these past four years has been the best years of my life so far. The relationships I’ve built and the lasting community that will always be there for me is incredible. Being here has shaped me into the person I am going to be heading into the “real world”. Through the amazing faculty, to our awesome coaches, it seems everyone has completely bought into the culture here to create a community anyone would want to be a part of. I’ve loved every minute here, and am going to cherish the memories that I will have forever.
Playing hockey at SJU, I have been blessed to play with some of the best guys I have ever met. Every year the new faces we would have and the new relationships we’d get to start was so much fun. Being able to walk away from SJU knowing that we won a regular-season MIAC championship and making history is something I will always be proud of. A memory like playing a quadruple-overtime, MIAC-championship thriller is another thing I will never forget, as I still have nightmares about hitting the crossbar in the first OT. The families we have built within our hockey teams is one that I have never seen before. Hockey here at SJU has given me a family each year and one that I will have forever and couldn’t be more grateful for.
To my parents, who have helped me so much along this journey. I’d be nowhere if it wasn’t for them. They drove me around endlessly when I was a kid to away games every weekend and practices everyday. My dad made an outdoor rink for my brothers and buddies to skate on everyday in the winter. My parents are the most selfless people I have ever met and have sacrificed so much for me in trying to live out my dream of playing college hockey. I can’t even begin to imagine how many miles they’ve put on their cars since I have been at SJU, driving 3.5 hours one way to home games and more to the others on the road almost every weekend just to watch me push a black circular object around the ice for an hour and give them a hug afterwards. They have always pushed me to be a good person and have good morals. They’ve taught me so much and will always be my biggest role-models. Thank you so much for everything you’ve done for me and continue to do for me on a daily basis. I will never be able to repay you for everything you have done. My brothers, as well, have been so instrumental in my hockey career as well and in life and they have truly helped me become the person I am today and I thank them, too .
In the future, I am plan on continuing to try and live out the dream and play professional hockey either in the United States or Europe. It’s been my dream for as long as I can remember to get paid to do the thing I love most in the world, and that’s playing hockey. I am going to give it a shot and see what happens.
I want to say thank you to everyone who has helped me along the way these last four years. My coaches who have pushed me to become a better hockey player, as well as a student and person. My teachers and faculty at CSB/SJU, along with the entire athletic department at SJU. Without these people I wouldn’t have had the chance to be a student-athlete in college and live out my dream of playing college hockey.
