Jimmy Snuggerud has size, the all-around game, and a flair for the game. Not every hockey player has that. He’s not a superstar, but he is working himself into a potential NHL All-Star down the line.
The Blues got him in a great spot, 23rd overall in the 2023 NHL Draft. It was a safe pick that came with a lot of upside. Now 6’2” and just under 190 pounds, he’s showing that upside at the University of Minnesota and in the 2024 World Junior Championship, where he scored the team’s first goal in tournament play against Norway.
“We had seven or eight guys returning this year. We have the group to do it and are processing the information from last year to know what it will take to win gold. It will take a lot of discipline and motivation, and we have that coming back,” Snuggerud stated.
Getting to pucks is something a guy like Snuggerud does well but could do it better. With his improved edge work, he is much more dangerous in scoring areas and will continue to get open more than he used to.
“This summer was a bigger part of my game that I worked on,” Snuggerud revealed. “I thought I took a stride in that. It’s not where I want it to be, and I worked on it a lot.”
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Snuggerud has played on the same line as Cutter Gauthier in the past, and that’s the plan in the early going for this tournament too, with captain, Rutger McGroarty on the left wing.
“To be back with him, and be back on the ice with him and have the plays he makes is fun,” Sunggerud noted.
Wanting to win the gold at all costs is their mission. They had no problem talking about that and essentially dreaming about that leading up to this tournament.
“I’ve been talking to the others about this, that it’s our last shot at gold. We know that as a group, and the younger guys won the U18 Worlds,” Snuggerud reminded us all. “We are going to come in and do our best like every other team, but this means a lot more to us. We lost to Sweden at the U18 Worlds, and Canada last year. We are more than ready for this.”
Jimmy Snuggerud is a player coaches want on the ice in close games. He has their confidence, and after one more college season, I can see him turning pro.
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