CLOQUET, Minn. – Brendan Studioso made his Minnesota Wilderness debut Oct. 18 against the Austin Bruins, finishing +1 on a one-night call-up as Tim Madsen’s team lost in a shootout.
Clearly, Madsen liked what he saw from the Mukilteo, Washington native.
Studioso signed a North American Hockey League tender with the Wilderness over the weekend, giving them the first chance to put him on the ice in the NAHL for the 2018-19 season.
“Brendan has proven himself in the NA3HL as a consistently productive player,” said North Iowa head coach Todd Sanden. “He has proven himself in call-up stints with the Wilderness as a potential player for them. We appreciate the opportunity the Wilderness are providing in tendering Brendan.”
It’s not the first time Studioso has put on an NAHL uniform – last season, his destination was a two-day shot with the Fairbanks Ice Dogs. At the time, though, the NAHL club from Alaska was about as far from home as they could have been, on an east-coast swing in Johnstown, Pennsylvania and Aston, New Jersey.
This year, Studioso has been on a tear in Mason City, scoring 10 goals in his second season as a North Iowa forward. More than half of his 14 appearances this year have been multi-point showings, and his Oct. 20 hat trick against Wisconsin was his second as a member of the Bulls. He finished last season with 33 points, including 18 goals, and added 10 points in leading the Bulls to their fifth straight Silver Cup tournament appearance.
“Brendan is a smart, two-way forward that can make plays,” said Madsen. “He has been well-coached in North Iowa, so we know he will be ready for next season.”
Studioso is one of three North Iowa players to see time in the NAHL already this season. In all, more than two dozen North Iowa Bulls have gone on to appear in the Tier II ranks, either on brief call-ups or on a more permanent basis. The Bulls congratulate Brendan Studioso on his commitment to the Minnesota Wilderness as he takes this important next step in his hockey career.