Take a glance at the hockey resume of St. Thomas junior captain Lucas Wahlin and it’s easy to envision that tucked somewhere into a storage space at the family home in Woodbury is an old-fashioned steamer trunk plastered with stickers marking his travels:St. Thomas junior forward Lucas Wahlin.
(University of St. Thomas)Neepawa, ManitobaMason City, IowaJamestown, New YorkSoldotna, AlaskaBreezy Point, MinnesotaLincoln, NebraskaAfter all of those hours spent schlepping a few taped-together sticks and a hockey bag on and off coach busses, and into and out of stale visitors locker rooms across virtually every time zone in North America, Wahlin finds himself back home, studying business and playing a leadership role for a St. Thomas team locked in a battle for the final home ice slot when the CCHA playoffs begin in a few weeks.
While Tommies coach Rico Blasi puts the actual team transportation in the hands of trained professionals, in Wahlin he sees the consummate leader for an up-and-coming program.“In terms of how we’re building our culture and our identity, he’s one of those guys that drives the bus,” Blasi said the Tommies’ practice Monday at Saint Thomas Ice Arena in Mendota Heights.East Side rootsThe youngest of four children, Lucas was raised in Woodbury and played youth hockey there.
But his roots are firmly rooted within sight of the State Capitol dome.Lucas’ father Dewey scored an eye-popping 55 goals in 29 games for St. Paul Johnson’s 1984 state tournament.