BEMIDJI - When Jay Dickman felt something tear in his leg while working out this summer, he was, understandably, worried.
The big forward had already taken a redshirt in his freshman season. And now this Achilles tear - after a normal run during a typical workout session - was threatening to further delay his debut in a Bemidji State men’s hockey uniform.
So the fact that the 6-foot, 6-inch St. Paul native has even taken the ice this season is something of a minor miracle after a major injury and surgery that happened in June.
“It was originally 9-12 months,” Dickman said. “Then this new surgery I had done, it was supposed to be six months. Seven weeks in, I went into see (the doctor) and he just told me, go have fun and play.”
The rehab was difficult.
“The surgeon told me, go as hard as you can and the minute you feel pain, stop. I pushed myself,” he said. “It was hard trying to get that leg back into full shape, but it’s working pretty well now and feeling good.”
He’s felt good this season, contributing important minutes - mostly on the fourth line - and scoring his first collegiate goal in the process. And the fact that he was even able to score it at all is a big coup for the Beavers, who weren’t expecting him to be back on the ice so soon this season, if at all.
“No way. Are you kidding?” BSU head coach Tom Serratore said when asked if the Beavers’ coaching staff expected him back. “With an Achilles injury, coming back that soon is amazing. I can’t believe he’s back and hasn’t missed any games. That’s a six-, seven-month injury. Sometimes it can be a year depending on how bad it is.
“Jay did that the middle of June and was ready to play the first week of October. It’s amazing, and he’s playing good. He’s getting quicker and quicker every game, and he’s adapting to the pace, which is important for a guy like him.”
Dickman was nervous when he first skated out for warmups in the Beavers’ exhibition game against Manitoba. But he said getting that exhibition out of the way - he had two assists in a game that doesn’t ultimately count toward the stats - was a big way to get his confidence back.
“Once you get into the game mode, adrenaline kicks in a little bit and you don’t feel it as much, but obviously it’s still in the back of my head when I’m sprinting or something like that. It’s just scary thinking it could pop again but you need to not worry about that too much,” he said. “But getting to play, especially that first exhibition game, was really nice to get confidence and know what it’s going to be like skating in a game, taking a hit, giving a hit.”
It was especially important for Dickman because at 6-foot-6 and 232 pounds, he doesn’t play like your prototypical big man. His goal in the Beavers’ 6-3 win Alaska, his only so far this season, showed that.
He forced a turnover at the red line and showed some impressive stickhandling ability and agility when he got a near breakaway, then tried to do a backhand toe drag before sneaking the puck under the five-hole of Nanooks’ goalie Davis Jones at the last possible second.
“I could see it going in the whole way,” Dickman said. “I tried to pull it to the backhand but the d-man was there, but the five-hole was wide open.”
Dickman’s goal was also something of a continuation of a family tradition. His cousins - identical twins Bryce and Bill Methven - played for the Beavers from 2000-04. And although their influence helped him choose BSU, their preferred styles aren’t exactly similar.
“They influenced me a lot, but they’re a little bit different style player than I am,” Dickman said. “They were more grinders, hitters. I play more of a skill-based game, but I looked up to them a lot growing up.”
Bryce was a team captain for two seasons for the Beavers and scored 55 career points at BSU, while Bill had 32.
Dickman has also been a consistent scorer throughout his career.
During his senior year at St. Paul Johnson High School, Dickman scored 42 goals - second in the state - and had 61 points.
In junior hockey, he played two seasons for the Austin Bruins of the North American Hockey League and became the franchise’s all-time leading scorer with 119 points.
He took a redshirt his first season in Bemidji in part to put more muscle on his big frame. He thinks that can help translate to even more goals at the college game.
“It helped me a lot, especially with my big body,” he said. “Being redshirted was probably the best thing that could have happened for me. For a big body for me, getting stronger is the biggest key.”
The Beavers hope Dickman can continue to grow.
“He’s kind of one of those players who we don’t have a lot of,” Serratore said. “He’s a big guy, good hands, makes a lot of plays and good in front of the net. He has had a history of scoring at every level he’s been to. We see him really developing into a big power forward. He could be very good in the offensive zone.”
