LUKE SALAZAR

Denver

So. | F | Thornton, Colo.

Luke Salazar

Key Statistics: Fulfilling a childhood dream of wearing the Pioneers’ sweater, Salazar went right to work with the puck. He tied for the team lead with 15 goals as a freshman and finished second in the WCHA in game-winning goals with five. He was named the WCHA Rookie of the Week twice.

What He Does: As a newcomer to college hockey, Salazar said he was just hoping to crack the lineup of the team he followed growing up. Then, with an almost embarrassed tone in his voice, Salazar says, “I ended up doing a little better than that.” How about two goals and an assist in his first collegiate game, as the Pioneers upended Notre Dame in their 2008-09 debut? Playing alongside star forward Tyler Bozak much of the year, the 5-foot-7, 150-pound Salazar was able to use his hockey sense to get open in the offensive zone and be in the right place at the right time when loose pucks appeared near the blue paint.

The Bigger Picture: As recently as two decades ago, it was a rarity to see a kid from Denver, or anywhere in the Rocky Mountain region, on a Division I roster. Pioneers coach George Gwozdecky credits the 1995 arrival of the Quebec Nordiques (now known as the NHL’s Colorado Avalanche) as the catalyst for a youth hockey boom in the region that can be seen today in the form of locally-grown DU standouts like Salazar (Thornton), J.P. Testwuide (Vail) and Tyler Ruegsegger (Lakewood), along with highly-touted incoming freshman Drew Shore (Cherry Hills). Salazar had a proven track record of putting the puck in the net while playing junior hockey in Texas and had D-I offers elsewhere, but decided to put his abilities to the test and attempt to crack the DU lineup. His gamble has paid off handsomely for the Pioneers thus far.

Pioneers coach George Gwozdecky on Salazar: “Luke was the most pleasant surprise of our freshman class last year. While other guys like (Patrick) Wiercioch and (Joe) Colborne got more notoriety, Luke played well and learned quite a bit about what he has to do to stay successful in college hockey.”