Before forward Luke Kunin led the Badgers in goals in his freshman season, he received news from a doctor that changed his life.
In sixth grade around Christmas time, Kunin was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. Even back then, he had hockey on his mind.
“It was a big shock to me, to be honest. The first question I asked the doctor was, ‘Can I still play hockey?’ because I didn’t really know much about it and he said, ‘Absolutely,’ so then I kind of cooled down a little bit,” Kunin said.
Seven years later, Kunin became the focal point of the Wisconsin offense, netting 15 goals in 29 games. He has been on a tear as of late, scoring five times in his last five games, including a two-goal night against No. 6 Michigan.
Kunin’s diabetes diagnosis changed his daily life, as he has to count carbs, take insulin shots and check his blood sugar regularly, sometimes even on the bench during games. Outside of this, though, Kunin said it has never really affected hockey and he has refused to let the disease affect him negatively.
“It’s just a little hiccup that I have to deal with and I just think to myself: It could be a lot worse, so it’s nothing too hard,” Kunin said. “I think it’s helped me mature a little bit faster than most kids my age; like I said it’s nothing that’s going to keep me down or away from what I want to do.”
This attitude could certainly be a factor behind Kunin’s success this year. His numbers have been impressive enough that he’s garnered several looks from NHL scouts. In fact, NHL.com analysts Mike G. Morreale and Adam Kimelman both have Kunin as a first-round draft pick in their 2016 mock drafts, as pick No. 21 and No. 24, respectively.
“He’s a great player. He can pretty much do everything out there. He can shoot, pass, skate,” junior forward and linemate Grant Besse said. “He’s got all the skills and that’s why he’s a projected first rounder this year. It’s been really easy playing with him because he does everything really well.”
This top line of Kunin, Besse and sophomore forward Cameron Hughes has been electric over the past few weeks for the Badgers. Over the last five games, they have combined for a total of 23 points and have kept Wisconsin alive in several contests, the best example coming in its tie against Michigan. With just 27 seconds to go, Kunin lit the lamp to even the score, and both Besse and Hughes were credited with an assist. Besse also assisted on Kunin’s earlier goal and added a goal of his own, which was assisted by none other than Hughes.
The following weekend, this line combined for two of the three goals in a 4-3 loss to Michigan State. Then, in a 6-5 loss to Ohio State the following weekend, the three teamed up for three of the five Badger goals.
Without the play of these three, Wisconsin’s losses would most likely be a lot uglier than they are now. This can be attributed to the chemistry that Besse and Kunin have built over the year. Besse said this didn’t take too long, despite not playing on the same line until the Ferris State series three weeks into the season.
Although he’s having a relatively down year in the goal-scoring department, Besse continues to lead the team in points, an obvious consequence of the emergence of Kunin.
“Anytime I have an opportunity, I want to score to help this team and I probably haven’t done that as much as I would have hoped,” Besse said. “But I’d say with him having such a good year putting the puck in the net has maybe, in a way, kind of made up for me, not necessarily struggling, but I just haven’t put up what I expected at the beginning of the year.”
“When they play together they’re very dynamic, they’re both really great goal scorers,” Schulze said. “Ya know sometimes in hockey you don’t score and Grant is almost snake-bitten this year, but Kunin and him work well together.”
Both Besse and Schulze also praised Kunin’s work ethic and attitude.
“He’s a really quiet guy. Real humble and goes about his work and puts his hard hat on every day and works hard, whether it’s on the ice or in the weight room,” Besse said. “He wants to get better and that’s a pretty big trait if you want to make it to the next level and for him to develop that at such a young age, that’s pretty special for him.”
“He’s competitive and that’s the best thing you can have in a teammate,” Schulze said.
Despite his quiet nature, Kunin is making some noise on the ice for Wisconsin this year and has been one of the few bright spots in an otherwise abysmal season. Schulze also added that even though Kunin’s a quiet guy, once he got to know him, Kunin opened up and showed his comedic side. As if on cue, Kunin walked by and gave Schulze a shoulder bump mid-answer in an effort to throw off his concentration, drawing an ear-to-ear smile and a chuckle from Schulze.
Now, as they head into a series with No. 15 Penn State, this top line will be of vital importance if Wisconsin wants to salvage any dignity within the Big Ten.
The last time they met, the Nittany Lions swept the Badgers out of Happy Valley, winning two close games that epitomized Wisconsin’s season of frustrating losses.
To earn their second Big Ten win, the Badgers will rely on this top line to find twine, and Kunin will need to continue his strong play that has attracted the attention of professional teams. Regardless of the potential of being a first-round pick, Kunin has tried to remain focused on doing what he can do, a testament to the attitude that his teammates described.
“I just worry about what I can control. Playing on the ice I try not to think about it too much,” Kunin said.
That mature approach should serve him well as he continues his career. Soon enough, he may be skating for an NHL team.
