Riese Gaber becomes first UND-bound player to win USHL Player of the Year in more than a decade

Oliver David had just finished a long walk Monday morning.

The Dubuque Fighting Saints head coach was back at home, preparing for the United States Hockey League draft amid the coronavirus pandemic, when he was asked a question that he just wasn't sure how to answer.

When college hockey starts up again, what can UND fans expect from Riese Gaber?

The USHL's coach of the year paused for a few seconds. He started an answer, but stopped right away. The right words were just too hard to find.

So, David started from the beginning.

Gaber showed up in Dubuque, Iowa, in August 2018 for the team's fall camp. It was going to be his first season in the United States Hockey League.

The UND-bound forward drove 16 hours from his home of Gilbert Plains, Man., with his father, Mike, to get to Dubuque. The first thing they did upon arrival was meet with David at the arena.

The coach distinctly remembers it.

"Riese was on my left," David said. "His dad was on my right."

They shook hands. They sat down. And Gaber started talking.

"Within 25 seconds of our first handshake, after a 16-hour car ride to town, he laid out everything he wanted to do," David recalled. "He had a confidence in himself that he would be able to do the work to control what he could in creating those opportunities for himself.

"From that moment he arrived, he started showing signs that he would be the standard for what we look for in players."

Gaber fulfilled everything he set out to do in that initial meeting.

He played two seasons for the Fighting Saints. By the end of the second one, he led the league in goals, set Dubuque's all-time goal record, had a commitment to his dream school, UND, and had NHL scouts calling David asking if they missed on him.

Last week, Gaber was named the USHL's Player of the Year, the league's highest honor.

He is the first UND-bound player to win the award in more than a decade. The last was Jason Gregoire in 2007-08.

Other UND-bound players to win it were Chris Fournier (2000-01), first-team All-American and NCAA national champion Karl Goehring (1996-97), first-team All-American and NCAA national champion Jeff Panzer (1995-96) and first-team All-American and NCAA national champion Jason Blake (1993-94).

Gaber also was named USHL Forward of the Year.

Besides Fournier, Panzer and Blake, the only two other UND-bound players to win that award were second-team All-American and NCAA national champion David Hoogsteen (1994-95) and three-time Hobey Baker Award finalist Greg Johnson (1988-89), the school's all-time leading scorer.

Those are some decorated names and careers to try to follow. But David says Gaber won't shy away from it.

"He's built so mentally tough that no challenge is insurmountable for him," David said. "He relishes in the fact that it's a long process. He enjoys the work, if you will. What better place to be headed -- for the environment and culture -- than the University of North Dakota? That's a place that's very serious about the business of developing hockey players and playing the game of hockey. He's a wonderful fit for their program.

"They're getting a self-motivated, gifted player who will endear himself to all his teammates, your community, and ultimately, as he continues playing hockey, has the type of game and attitude and personality to become a fan favorite, wherever he plays and whenever he plays. Even on the road, in opposing buildings, fans will appreciate the way he acts and interacts with everybody."

Gaber has often been overlooked because of his size.

He's still not big, standing at 5-foot-8, 164 pounds. But the game is changing and so is the way coaches and scouts are thinking. Gaber is no longer eligible to be picked in the NHL Draft -- he's too old -- but scouts are already pegging him as a guy to sign as a free agent down the road.

Gaber can do a little bit of everything.

It starts with his work ethic. Last summer, he set out to improve his shot and goal-scoring ability. He came back and tallied 34 goals in 47 games to lead the USHL.

His ratio of .72 goals per game is impressive considering that former UND star Brock Boeser averaged .61 goals per game when leading the USHL a year before starring on UND's 2016 NCAA national championship team.

"He wanted to get better at shooting," David said. "He wanted to capitalize on his opportunities and be a guy who could be relied upon. He makes a decision based on a very real self-reflection and he's able to come up with a plan. He doesn't need me. He doesn't need anyone outside of himself to motivate himself or even make suggestions. He just needs an opportunity. We gave him an opportunity. That's all we did. His goal-scoring was based on a self-reflection for him, knowing what his role would be coming back into our team as a final-year player."

Gaber also is a strong skater who can create scoring opportunities for himself.

"His edges are the biggest strength of his skating," David said. "He has the ability to hold speed and to cut and dart in-and-out of very tight spaces. He can turn on a dime. He's much more of a Formula One car than an 18-wheeler. He's very powerful and has a quick stride. He has the ability to separate with straight-away speed."

Although Gaber isn't big, David said he's hard to knock off the puck.

"He's super strong," David said. "He's a bulldog. He's battled all of the archaic, medieval hockey people out there with his size thing. That shouldn't be his story and it's not his story in my mind. Maybe it's part of his very early story, but Riese never comes off or walks around like he has a chip on his shoulder. He does what he does because he loves playing hockey. He'll do anything to score, to go get the puck and to be the teammate you can rely on and win a hockey game out of his love for the game."

David also said Gaber has a unique attitude.

"Zero ego," he said. "He doesn't know where he's going to play on the power play, and he never even asks the question. A lot of players want to know that even before they're drafted. Players and agents call and want promises and absolutes. Riese has never even breathed a word of concern or ask for anything -- not one time from our process of recruiting him, drafting him, all the way to his final game.

"He never knew who his linemates were going to be. He never knew if he would be on the power play or where he'd play on the power play. He succeeded in every possible scenario and never said a word. I don't know what that is, but it's obviously extraordinary. Unfortunately, in this day, he's a rarity. That's why he's the standard. He'll be the example we use all next season. We call him our Signature Saint, because he is the benchmark."

Dubuque general manager Kalle Larsson, who drafted Gaber, will continue to search for players like him.

Now, it's UND's turn to have Gaber.

There are a lot of different way the Fighting Hawks could use the freshman forward next season.

Gaber, a right-handed shot, played left wing during his first USHL season. He played right wing during his second season. He played different positions on the power play, settling at the bumper spot in the high slot last season.

No matter what UND does with Gaber, David thinks he will succeed.

"By the time he leaves the University of North Dakota, he'll be one of the guys that everyone is talking about for many years to come in a positive way, because of the way he acts on campus, the way he acts on skates, the way he plays the game, the way he approaches the game," David said. "People there are going to love him. I'm a huge fan and I have no doubt everybody is going to be a huge fan. It will happen long before he leaves the school. Enjoy it while he's there, because he's awesome."

2019-20 -- Riese Gaber (UND), Dubuque

2018-19 -- Ronnie Attard (Western Michigan), Tri-City

2017-18 -- Anthony Del Gaizo (UMass), Muskegon

2016-17 -- Matiss Kivlenieks (no college), Sioux City

2015-16 -- Rem Pitlick (Minnesota), Muskegon

2014-15 -- Kyle Connor (Michigan), Youngstown

2013-14 -- Brandon Montour (UMass), Waterloo

2012-13 -- Taylor Cammarata (Minnesota), Waterloo

2011-12 -- Kevin Roy (Northeastern), Lincoln

2010-11 -- Blake Coleman (Miami), Indiana

2009-10 -- Matt White (Omaha), Omaha

2008-09 -- Andrew Miller (Yale), Chicago

2007-08 -- Jason Gregoire (UND), Lincoln

2006-07 -- Phil DeSimone (New Hampshire), Sioux City

2005-06 -- Trevor Lewis (no college), Des Moines

2004-05 -- Jeff Lerg (Michigan State), Omaha

2003-04 -- Mike Howe (Minnesota), River City

2002-03 -- Ryan Potulny (Minnesota), Lincoln

2001-02 -- Bobby Goepfert (Providence-St. Cloud State), Cedar Rapids

2000-01 -- Chris Fournier (UND-Alaska Anchorage), Lincoln

1999-00 -- Dan Ellis (Omaha), Omaha

1998-99 -- Pete Fregoe (Providence), Des Moines

1997-98 -- Nate DiCasmirro (St. Cloud State), North Iowa

1996-97 -- Karl Goehring (UND), Fargo-Moorhead

1995-96 -- Jeff Panzer (UND), Fargo-Moorhead; Matt Noga (St. Cloud State), North Iowa

1994-95 -- Scott Swanson (Colorado College), Omaha

1993-94 -- Jason Blake (Ferris State-UND), Waterloo

1992-93 -- Eric Rud (Colorado College), Des Moines

1991-92 -- Peter Ferraro (Maine), Waterloo

1990-91 -- Gary Kitching (Ferris State), Thunder Bay

1989-90 -- Kurt Miller (Lake Superior State), Rochester

1988-89 -- Mark Karpen (no college), North Iowa

1987-88 -- Mike O'Hara (St. Cloud State), Rochester

1986-87 -- Terry Menard (no college), Thunder Bay

1985-86 -- Tim Ferguson (no college), Sioux City

1984-85 -- Scott Shoffstall (Illinois-Chicago), Sioux City

1983-84 -- Jay Cates (Minnesota), St. Paul

2019-20 -- Riese Gaber (UND), Dubuque

2018-19 -- Bobby Brink (Denver), Sioux City

2017-18 -- Jackson Cates (Minn. Duluth), Waterloo

2016-17 -- Zach Solow (Northeastern), Dubuque

2015-16 -- Rem Pitlick (Minnesota), Muskegon

2014-15 -- Kyle Connor (Michigan), Youngstown

2013-14 -- Jake Randolph (Omaha), Omaha

2012-13 -- Taylor Cammarata (Minnesota), Waterloo

2011-12 -- Kevin Roy (Northeastern), Lincoln

2010-11 -- Blake Coleman (Miami), Indiana

2009-10 -- Jaden Schwartz (Colorado College), Tri-City

2008-09 -- Andrew Miller (Yale), Chicago

2007-08 -- Jason Gregoire (UND), Lincoln

2006-07 -- Phil DeSimone (New Hampshire), Sioux City

2005-06 -- Trevor Lewis (no college), Des Moines

2004-05 -- Dan Riedel (Ferris State), Lincoln

2003-04 -- Mike Howe (Minnesota), River City

2002-03 -- Ryan Potulny (Minnesota), Lincoln

2001-02 -- Vince Bellissimo (Western Michigan), Topeka

2000-01 -- Chris Fournier (UND-Alaska Anchorage), Lincoln

1999-00 -- Peter Sejna (Colorado College), Des Moines

1998-99 -- Pete Fregoe (Providence), Des Moines

1997-98 -- Nate DiCasmirro (St. Cloud State), North Iowa

1996-97 -- Mike Lephart (Boston College), Omaha

1995-96 -- Jeff Panzer (UND), Fargo-Moorhead

1994-95 -- David Hoogsteen (UND), Thunder Bay

1993-94 -- Jason Blake (Ferris State-UND), Waterloo

1992-93 -- Neil Donovan (UMass Lowell), Omaha

1991-92 -- Peter Ferraro (Maine), Waterloo

1990-91 -- Chris Ferraro (Maine), Dubuque

1989-90 -- Kurt Miller (Lake Superior State), Rochester

1988-89 -- Greg Johnson (UND), Thunder Bay

1987-88 -- Bob Nardella (Ferris State), Des Moines

1986-87 -- Terry Menard (no college), Thunder Bay

1985-86 -- Tim Ferguson (no college), Sioux City

1984-85 -- Scott Shoffstall (Illinois-Chicago), Sioux City

1983-84 -- Jay Cates (Minnesota), St. Paul