Palm is the first Bulldog to hail from USA Hockey's
National Team Development Program. |
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Key Statistics: After
recording just one point in 32 games as a rookie, Palm's
second season of college hockey got off to a nice start,
when he scored the Bulldogs' first goal of the season
in a 2-2 tie with Lake Superior State. He ended up with
10 points, playing in 34 of the team's 36 games.
What He Does: There was
a defensive hole to be filled in Duluth when Matt Niskanen
abruptly left the Twin Ports for a career with the Dallas
Stars a year ago, and Palm was thrust into that mix.
Praised by his coaches for his positioning and his smarts,
Palm's upside has been hampered just a bit by a nagging
hip injury that limited his effectiveness as a sophomore.
Palm says he's 100 percent heading into this season,
but is still working closely with the sports medicine
folks at UMD, who aren't taking any chances.
The Bigger Picture: Off-season
ice time is rarely a problem for Palm when he's home
in the Minneapolis suburbs. His father (along with Wisconsin
defenseman Jamie McBain's father) is part-owner of an
arena complex in Edina, and Trent literally has a key
to the rink and his own locker. Summertime pick-up games
there routinely involve NHLers like Erik Johnson and
Kyle Okposo, as well as current collegians like McBain,
Mike Carman and Ryan Flynn. Palm is the first product
of USA Hockey's National Team Development Program to
skate for the Bulldogs, and admits that his first two
seasons have been filled with ups and downs. As a junior,
he's aiming for good health, more consistent play, and
a trip to the NCAA playoffs.
UMD head coach Scott Sandelin
on Palm: “At the development program
they play eight defensemen and obviously there are some
pretty good players there, so Trent fit more into a
defensive role, playing in the shadow of guys like Erik
Johnson and Jack Johnson. When he got here, I reminded
him that he's not in that shadow any more, and he can
go be Trent Palm."
—
Jess Myers |
