University of Maine junior winger Robin Hoglund knows exactly when he played his last game.
“It was February 7th, 2015,” said Hoglund, who will appear in his first game in nearly two years when the Black Bears host the United States National Team Development Program’s Under-18 squad on Friday at 7 p.m.
Hoglund’s last appearance was his fifth game for the University of Minnesota, which beat visiting Ohio State 6-2. He played left wing on the fourth line.
He didn’t register a point for the Golden Gophers and, after the first semester of the following season, he transferred to UMaine.
“It wasn’t a great fit. I wanted to move on from there,” explained Hoglund, who has been practicing with the Black Bears for a year.
Under NCAA guidelines, players who transfer from one Division I school to another must sit out a year.
Hoglund, who stands 6-foot-3 and weighs 218 pounds, said he is “really, really excited” to play in a game again.
“I’m having a hard time sleeping,” said the native of Molndal, Sweden. “This is going to be so much fun. I feel that I’m very ready. I’ve been training for a long time. It’s going to be great to put on a Maine jersey for the first time. I’m excited about the opportunity.”
“He is a big, strong physical kid who can skate,” said UMaine head coach Red Gendron.
Hoglund said there may be some butterflies in his stomach on Thursday night but doesn’t anticipate being nervous on game day.
“It’s nothing new to me. I’m happy about it. I feel well-prepared so there’s no reason to be nervous,” said Hoglund. “This is a great opportunity for me.”
He added that he likes the idea of playing an exhibition game first “so I can get the rust off.
“It’s important to not put too much pressure on myself. I’m going to have fun, make sure I work hard and keep it simple. I want to win the battles in the corner and be a force out there,” said Hoglund.
When Hoglund decided to transfer, he chose UMaine because he knew Gustav Nyquist had attended the school and heard nothing but good things about the coaching staff.
“They have a lot of experience. Coach Gendron and (associate head coach) Coach (Jay) Leach coached in the NHL and (associate head coach) Ben Guite played in the NHL,” said Hoglund.
He also said his hometown of Molndal is similar to Orono in that it has four seasons and is close to the ocean.
“I’m a big seafood guy and I was fortunate enough to have some lobster in Portland,” said Hoglund. “It was amazing.”
Freshman defenseman Oliver Herner from Hungary has also become eligible for the second semester. But if he plays in a game in the second half of the season, including the exhibition contest, he would forfeit a year of eligibility under NCAA rules and would have only three years left beginning next year.
If he doesn’t play this season, Herner would be a redshirt and would still have four years of eligibility remaining.