Logan Hensler, already a world junior gold medalist, is top-ranked Minnesotan for the NHL draft

Logan Hensler was 5 years old when his dad, Joe, built their first backyard rink.

Joe Hensler never played hockey growing up in Appleton, Wis.; he was into football, basketball and track. But after he moved to Minnesota in 2000, he began dating his future wife Alicia, and she took Joe to a Wild game with her parents’ season tickets.

Years later, at a family gathering during the holidays, Joe noticed the outdoor rink Logan’s uncle and cousins had and thought, “That’s pretty cool. I wonder if I can do that.”

He could, and he did — for 13 years and counting.

“[Logan] wanted to be out there all the time, and he wanted somebody to be out there with him,” Joe Hensler recalled. “So, it was me, and that’s where I learned a lot in terms of skating and shooting pucks and such that he taught me from what he learned.

“Very Minnesota thing to do, right, to be on the backyard rink and the lights on and the kind of peaceful nights in winter. I really enjoyed that a lot.”

Logan stuck with hockey and not just at home in Woodbury.

The defenseman played for the Minnesota Blades and was a freshman at Hill-Murray before leaving for USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program in Michigan. Next season, he will be a sophomore at the University of Wisconsin, and the NHL is a possibility: Logan Hensler, 18, is projected to be picked in the first round of the draft on Friday in Los Angeles.

“I feel like I’m so close, and I think I can get there,” he said. “I believe I can get there. So, I think that’s a big driver. Just keep pushing every day.”

Getting drafted didn’t dawn on Hensler as a realistic opportunity until a few years ago.

His second and final season with the National Team Development Program was the turning point. Totaling 32 points in 61 games after competing against the best of the best shaped him into the defenseman he is today.

“Just his composure that he plays the game with, when the puck’s on his stick, it doesn’t look like his heart rate elevates at all,” said Nick Fohr, who coached Hensler at the NTDP. “He just stays composed and within himself and keeps things pretty simple.”

Then-teammate Max Plante, who also played with Hensler on the Blades, picked up on that, too.

“He never freaks out or overreacts to anything,” said Plante, a forward for Minnesota Duluth who was drafted last year in the second round by Detroit. “He just kind of goes with the flow.”

That means Hensler is comfortable all over the ice, a self-described two-way defenseman who passes and skates the puck away from his net; his stride, actually, is one of his strengths.

Factor in his 6-2 frame and coveted right-handed shot, and it makes sense why Hensler is one of the highest-rated defensemen in the draft.

“He pretty much checks all the boxes NHL scouts are looking for,” Plante said.

NHL Central Scouting ranked Hensler 12th among North American skaters, and Hensler interviewed with 24 teams at the combine in Buffalo earlier this month.

He will be in Los Angeles for the draft with his parents, grandparents and younger brothers Dylan and Dain alongside the other top prospects while NHL teams make their selections virtually.

“He’ll just have a big smile on his face if that time comes,” Joe Hensler said. “We’ll be excited for it. He’ll take it in stride, big smile. He doesn’t like to really be the center of attention, so I don’t think he’ll show too much emotion.”

Joe Hensler figures his son inherited his poised style from his mom.

“Not from me,” Joe Hensler said with a laugh. “She’s a very calm person and can handle a lot of pressure.”

Logan Hensler started skating when he was 4 years old, with Alicia bringing him to the “learn to skate” programs she taught.

Although he also had a knack for football and baseball, he prioritized hockey after fracturing his heel playing football in eighth grade. Zach Parise was his favorite player. Logan Hensler also “loved Brent Burns. But he was kind of before my time,” he explained, “so I watched a lot of YouTube of him when he was on the Wild.”

Winning gold with Team USA at the world junior championship in Ottawa earlier this year is the highlight of his hockey career; it’s a tournament Minneapolis and St. Paul will play host to in December.

“It’s been a dream of mine growing up,” Hensler said. “Every hockey kid is watching world juniors on Christmas. It was pretty cool to play in that environment, especially in Canada. So, I’m excited for it to come back home in Minnesota. It’s going to be fun.”

With Wisconsin, Hensler is expected to take on more responsibility after appearing in all situations as a freshman and getting named to All-Big Ten freshman team.

Through 32 games, Hensler had two goals and 10 assists to tie for second in points among team defensemen, a transition to college hockey that showed how accountable Hensler is as he navigated the ups and downs.

“He was OK looking in the mirror and saying, ‘I have to be better defensively,’” Badgers coach Mike Hastings said. “But I loved how he approached it because he didn’t run from it. He wasn’t pointing fingers. He was pointing thumbs if things didn’t go well, and you like having those guys in your locker room and on your bench.”

This self-awareness is another trademark of Hensler’s.

Fohr remembered Hensler taking the blame for losses with the NDTP, and Fohr would show him clips that illustrated how other mistakes impacted his decision making. The discussion helped Hensler move on, and he took off.

“I’m proud of where he’s at now,” Fohr said.

That’s also how Joe Hensler anticipates his son will feel to get drafted, a nod to his commitment and the support he received along the way.

“He’s going to be just very proud of his hard work,” he said, “and proud of the family for helping him get there.”

NHL Central Scouting ranks prospects for the draft. Here are Minnesotans listed among North American Skaters with their hometown, high school or junior team, and college or college commitment. The draft is Friday and Saturday in Los Angeles.

12. Logan Hensler, defenseman, Woodbury (Hill-Murray), U.S. National Development Team Program, Wisconsin

27. Mason West, center, Edina, uncommitted (will be a high school senior)

53. Mason Moe, center, Eden Prairie, Madison (USHL), Gophers

61. Maceo Phillips, defenseman, Wayzata (Benilde-St. Margaret’s), USNTDP, Gophers

65. Sam Laurila, defenseman, Moorhead, USNTDP, Fargo (USHL), North Dakota

74. Cooper Simpson, left winger, Shakopee, North Dakota

83. Ashton Schultz, right winger, Victoria (Minnetonka HS), Chicago (USHL), North Dakota

114. Brent Solomon, right winger, Champlin (Champlin Park HS), Wisconsin

117. William Belle, right winger, Minnetonka (Shattuck-St. Mary’s), USNTDP, Notre Dame

135. Nolan Roed, center, White Bear Lake, Tri-City (USHL), St. Cloud State

143. Bobby Cowan, right winger, Edina, Madison (USHL), Western Michigan

144. Brendan McMorrow, left winger, Lakeville (Benilde-St. Margaret’s), USNTDP, Waterloo (USHL), Denver

146. Blake Vanek, right winger, Stillwater, Wenatchee (Western Hockey League), uncommitted

152. Jacob Kvasnicka, right winger, Burnsville (Wayzata HS), USNTDP, Gophers

161. Poul Andersen, right winger, St. Louis Park, Edmonton (Western Hockey League), Maine

164. Brooks Cullen, center, Moorhead, Michigan State

169. Nolen Geerdes, defenseman, Rogers, Western Michigan