Recruiting season hits its peak for Moorhead defenseman Sam Laurila
Jul. 21—GRAND FORKS — Sam Laurila was on a bus after a hockey game when the clock struck midnight and Jan. 1, 2023 hit.
It marked an important moment for the defenseman from Moorhead. College hockey teams could begin contacting high school sophomores like him to begin the recruiting process.
Within 15 minutes, Laurila's phone lit up.
The first coach to send a text was University of Minnesota assistant Ben Gordon.
"It started off pretty hot right away," said Laurila, who played for the U.S. Under-17 Team last season. "Once teams got into their league playoffs (in March), it slowed down a little bit. This summer, it started picking back up a lot more."
Another important date is about to hit for Laurila — Aug. 1.
That's when college hockey programs can officially offer players going into their junior years, and that's when players can begin making their verbal commitments.
Three Fargo-Moorhead players are expected to be among the most coveted recruits in their age group — Laurila, Moorhead defenseman Garrett Lindberg and Fargo forward Andrew O'Neill.
Laurila will advance to the U.S. Under-18 Team this fall, while Lindberg and O'Neill will join the U.S. Under-17 Team. UND has showed interest in all three.
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Laurila's ascent has been fast.
In 2021-22, he was playing bantam hockey in Moorhead.
A few months later, he was playing against United States Hockey League opponents, some as old as 20, as a member of the Under-17 Team.
"It ended up being a good year," Laurila said. "At the start, it was tough going from bantam to the USHL. It's a little faster. Once I got my feet going, I would say by January or February, I was comfortable. I finally started getting up in the offense more and doing things I would usually do. The game slowed down for me, which is good."
Laurila, a 5-foot-11, 171-pound left-hander, finished last season with four goals and 15 assists in 54 games.
He's currently back in Moorhead preparing for the 2023-24 season.
"The most important thing for me is the weight room," Laurila said. "We had four weeks in the spring training. There was a lot of volume, a lot of lifting. It's big for me, especially for explosiveness, speed and strength overall."
Don't expect a decision from Laurila right away.
While he's already made unofficial visits to UND and Michigan State, he also plans to make a few more before coming to a final decision. Potential future trips include Wisconsin, Colorado College and Minnesota Duluth.
"The most important part is the visits," Laurila said. "You have to go everywhere. You have to see it all. That's the most important thing to me in my recruiting process."
Laurila said he'll likely make a decision sometime in the fall.
Then, Laurila will embark on a key season. He'll be one of the youngest players eligible for the 2024 NHL Draft next June. If his birthday fell two weeks later, he wouldn't be eligible until 2025.
"I think it's a huge year," Laurila said. "It's my draft year. Everyone wants to get drafted. I think going into it, I'll definitely be more physically ready, up to speed and more comfortable. The offensive side of my game will come out a little more."
