Carter Bradley will look to lead the Norsemen on a cup run this season. The veteran defenseman has had a lot of experience playing junior hockey beginning in AAA and then playing with the Springfield Jr. Blues for his first season in the North American Hockey League (NAHL).
“I started out in Springfield, getting used to the league was the biggest adjustment. The pace and style of play picks up a lot when you are with AAA guys and then are trying to break in playing with guys that are bigger and older than you,” said Bradley.
Bradley is in his second season in St. Cloud and has been happy with the strides they have made from last year to this year.
“It is different this year with being a veteran. I feel that my defensive play has been my biggest strength. I have been breaking pucks out very cleanly as of recent” said Bradley.
The Missouri native began his hockey journey in his hometown playing for the Springfield Jr. Blues. He learned that the NAHL is a more physical brand of hockey compared to other junior leagues.
“It was difficult to adjust, this is one of the toughest divisions in the NAHL. When I got 20 games under my belt I felt more comfortable and played more freely,” said Bradley.
Bradley believes that the team is a very tight knit group. There are a lot of good teams in the Central Division. The team has been on a stretch of playing divisional opponents.
This will continue when the Norsemen begin a series on the road against the Aberdeen Wings on Dec 8-9 at home. The team will then travel to play rival Bismarck at VFW Sports Center on Dec 15-16.
The Veteran defenseman believes that the key to success down the line will be to play the St. Cloud brand of hockey and continue to push each other.
“ The team is a lot younger. We need to play the same way and work together. Our record is a lot better than last year and our veterans have stepped up. My favorite place to play is Bismarck. But, I’d say the toughest team to play against is Austin because they are older than many other teams in our league,” said Bradley.
Dain Solberg, Freelance Writer