November 13, 2023
Bemidji Freshman Pohlkamp Quickly Honing His Game as Scouts Look On
by Tim Rappleye/CHN Reporter
Less than 20 seconds into overtime between Bemidji State and Lake State, a blocked shot led to a startling foot race, and fans at Taffy Abel Arena were jolted out of their seats. Bemidji freshman Eric Pohlkamp conceded 10 feet to Lakers junior Nate Schweitzer, yet Pohlkamp shot off and caught him at the red line, passing him at the blue. Only a desperation foray by Lakers goalie Ethan Langenegger, who came out 40 feet from his net to clear the puck, prevented Pohlkamp from getting his well-deserved breakaway, a sprint that started at the top of his own crease.
One man standing alone in the far shadows of the rink smiled, nodded, and made a mark in his notes. “I’ve been really impressed with his explosiveness,” said San Jose Sharks development coach Luca Sbisa, who’s had Pohlkamp on his radar since the Sharks drafted Pohlkamp in the fifth round in June. “He’s really agile out there.”
Explosive and agile, nice praise for the 19-year-old freshman, a World Junior candidate whose skill set needs a legal pad to sort and describe. First off is his body, inherited from his father Joe, a football player at St. Cloud State. “Thick,” says Bemidji assistant Travis Winter. “Strong,” says Tom Serratore. “He’s a truck,” says Sbisa.
How this 5-foot-11, 205-pound man-child molded himself into an elite skater with his fullback body is a story of nurture not nature. It’s more than tireless work on the frozen lake behind his house, jumping over objects in his skates before landing in tight turns, it’s his willingness to learn that has transformed Pohlkamp into the prospect he is today. He has four other hockey siblings, including older brothers Matt and Chris, who had nice careers at Bowling Green, but none of them had NHL and USA Hockey personnel commuting to the far reaches of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula to track his progress. The youngest Pohlkamp brother is a study in maximizing potential.
Two hours before game time in the Soo, Pohlkamp is in deep focus, contorting his hips in what yogis refer to as “supine spinal twists.” Seeing that much muscle mass cross the spinal meridian and back looked like a parlor trick. But it’s the mental work Pohlkamp puts in that has the Sharks so enthusiastic about their prospect.
“I saw him…
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