Hogan Sinjem is in his first full season in the NAHL after getting called up for three games with the St. Cloud Norsemen towards the end of the 2021-22 season. Sinjem was born in Rogers, MN, and calls Brooklyn Park, MN his hometown; either of which is a short jaunt up St. Cloud. So, unlike a lot of NAHL players, he was already familiar with the area where he gets to play his home games.
“Since I grew up in Minnesota I obviously came to St. Cloud a lot,” Hinjem admits. “I’ve kind of known the area but it’s been good getting to know a lot of the new guys and playing with them has been super fun.”
Sinjem played his senior season last year at Rogers High School and had a prolific year, finishing second on the team in points with 44 (23-21-44 in 24 games played). Third on the team that season was Chase Cheslock, who would end up becoming a teammate of his with the Norsemen this season. Prior to his time at Rogers, Sinjem played two years of varsity hockey for Champlin Park High School where he scored 52 points in 40 games.
This season the points haven’t been as eye-catching for Sinjem, 2-7-9 in 34 games played, but St. Cloud Assistant Coach Brock Kautz says there are a lot of ways Hogan’s been contributing that don’t end up on the scoresheet. “He skates super well and that’s something that we don’t take lightly. He gets up and down the ice and he’s got the ability to make plays,” explains Kautz. “He’s got one of the best shots on the team in my opinion, just from watching him all the time. He brings a lot of elements; he’ll get into guys and he’s got some stick skill to go along with it. We just love his ability to move his feet and make plays when plays are there to be made.”
“I’d say I’m more of a fast forward, I like to use my legs to get into areas and open up the ice,” answers Sinjem when asked to describe his game. When pressed to answer if there’s a pro player he feels his style is comparable to or that he models his game after, his thoughts turn to a New York Islander. “Probably Matt Barzal since he’s a quick guy who can create space with his legs.”
Kautz points out that Sinjem is as good of a person off the ice as he is valuable on the ice. “I know he’s well liked by his teammates. He puts in a lot of work; he’s typically one of the last ones off the ice and he kind of is always fine-tuning his skills and finding ways to get pucks off quicker,” Kautz compliments. “He’ll take a lot of pride even on the defensive side and he spends a lot of time just making simple plays after practice. We’ll just chip pucks off the glass, pick pucks off the rail, work on catching pucks off his backhand and those things are great to see out of somebody who doesn’t just want to stickhandle or try to score goals. It’s making simple plays that go unnoticed in games but make a huge difference.”
While Sinjem is no longer on the Rogers Royals, who were ranked 5th in the latest Let’s Play Hockey Class 2A boys rankings with a current record of 15-6-3, he stills cheers them on. “Obviously since I played with them last year I have grown to know most of them. They’ve had a really good year so far and I wanna get down to more games but sometimes I just can’t,” admits Sinjem. “I’ll support them from afar.”
You can come out and support Hogan Sinjem and the St. Cloud Norsemen this weekend as they host the Minot Minotauros for a pair of games. Friday will be Charlie Boike Night; 50% of the money from tickets sold will go towards the Charlie Boike Scholarship Fund. Also on Friday the first 100 fans will receive a free Norsemen winter beanie provided by Franklin Graphics & Outdoor Advertising. You can get your tickets for that game and all games at tickets.stcloudnorsemen.com.
