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UW men's hockey: Recruit Hartzog can't pass up offer

Todd D. Milewski  —  5/29/2008 5:31 pm

Not even running out of gas on the way home could ruin Gavin Hartzog's day.

Not long after leaving a campus visit with the University of Wisconsin men's hockey team Thursday, and not long after giving Badgers coaches a verbal commitment via cell phone on his way back to Delafield, the Hartzog car sputtered to a stop somewhere around Oconomowoc.

"That's all right," Hartzog, 17, said via cell phone from the side of the road. "This is a great day for me."

Hartzog, a 6-foot-3, 200-pound forward who was named the MVP of the highly scouted Chicago Showcase tournament last month, said he'll join the Badgers either in 2009 or 2010, depending on how he develops.

If it's 2010, he would join two other state players who recently gave verbal commitments. Defenseman Chase Drake of Mosinee committed on May 8, and center Jefferson Dahl of Eau Claire did on Tuesday.

Hartzog's commitment gave the Badgers a hat trick of successful players from Wisconsin in a short amount of time. And Hartzog really did take a short amount of time.

He heard that Drake waited until the next day after his visit to call the UW coaches back, and that Dahl made the call on his way back north.

Determined to beat them both, he said he called to accept the UW's scholarship offer about 10 minutes after leaving Thursday's visit.

"After going on the tour, I think Madison has everything to offer: great coaching staff, great facilities, the academics are second to none," Hartzog said. "It's just a great place to be, and I couldn't turn down any offer they (put) toward me."

Hartzog scored 23 goals in 21 games as a senior for Marquette University High School, then added seven goals and two assists in five games for Team Wisconsin at the Chicago Showcase.

He was a center at Marquette but moved to wing for Team Wisconsin, where he was on a line with Dahl.

"He's amazing out there with the puck," Hartzog said of Dahl. "He got it to me, and he made me look good, I'll give him that much. Everything just seemed to work as a team. I worked hard before that, but everything seemed to come together down there."

Was it a preview of things to come at Wisconsin in a couple of years?

"I hope so," Hartzog said. "That'd be great."

Drafted by the new Fargo Force of the United States Hockey League, Hartzog is going to Prior Lake, Minn., next weekend to try out for the team, which is led by former North Dakota coach Dean Blais.

Maine was considering giving Hartzog a spot for the coming season because of personnel losses, he said, but Black Bears coaches wanted to see him at the Fargo camp before deciding. Wisconsin got in ahead of time.

"It was my dream to go to Madison, and I can't pass up an offer," Hartzog said.

Having played in a few different roles, Hartzog said he'll be OK with whatever UW needs him to be.

"In high school, it was a little easier to score goals, I think, than it will be at the next level," he said. "I'll just have to see where I fit in as a team player. Down in Chicago, it seemed like I was a goalscorer. But if the Badgers need me to be a grinder, I'll be a grinder. Whatever fits."

Todd D. Milewski  —  5/29/2008 5:31 pm