Charlie Stramel @KFAN1003

0:00You found the Minnesota Wild Podcast, presented by Acresher. Minnesota Wild proudly select from the University of Wisconsin, Charlie Strammell. Scores Michigan State Charlie Strammell! What a way to not-chihat Trick-Out Door! Rammell, two on one! Scores! Charlie Strammell! That shot score! You can start stenciling the name on the MVP trophy. Charlie Strammell with another one. Charlie Strammell, the 21st overall pick by the Wild in 2023. This week's signed his three-year entry-level contract. That'll start in XC real soon here. And we hope it's sooner rather than later. Charlie Strammell joins us on the line now on KFA. And Charlie Kevin Falness here in Minnesota. Thanks for taking some time. Congratulations. Now that it's official, you're a pro, bud. Yeah, thank you. No, it's an exciting time.

1:00You know, felt unreal to sign that contract. And looking forward to moving up to play pro hockey next year. We'll talk about the future. And now, in a second, let's go back a couple of weeks ago. The Frozen Four going on. It starts tonight in Las Vegas. Takes us through the weekend. A couple of weeks ago, you were playing for Michigan State in the regional final against Wisconsin. Unfortunately, you blocked a shot with your ankle. Did you know right away you were in trouble? I mean, if I take a puck to the ankle, I know right away I'm in trouble. It sounds like you actually tried to play on it at one point. Yeah, yeah. I kind of just went to block a shot. I don't know. Her pretty body got to the bench and then took another shift. And right away, I kind of just knew in that next shift that something was pretty wrong. And yeah, I ended up going in and checked out. And they said it was broke. So unfortunate. But at the end of the day, it's part of the game. And all you can do is move forward. And yeah. That was an early part of the hockey game. So you're forced to sit there and watch the rest of the events unfold.

2:02I know that it's an obvious question. But how helpless of a feeling is that? All you want to do more than anything is be out there, be a part of the team, help your teammates. And you're stuck in a boot, probably. Yeah, no. Yeah, it's unfortunate. Especially early in the game. You know, I'm falling up there and not being able to help the guys. Like you said, it's a very helpless feeling. But at the end of the day, that's the risk you take playing this game is, you know, to get injuries here and there. So, you know, I'm proud of the way the boys fought, you know, throughout the season. And even in that last game, but, you know, anything can happen. It's a good eye hockey game. So unfortunate loss. But, you know, I'm sure the boys will be back next season. What's the timeline for you as you try to make your way back to the ice and continue your progress towards stepping on a... professional sheet of ice? Yeah, so right now, I'll kind of just focus on rehab. Should have about just around six, six and a half weeks until I should be a hundred percent back on the ice. So, during this time, just rehab and regain and strengthen mobility and finishing up the degree here in Michigan State.

3:07Awesome stuff. I'm excited to hear more about that. Have you ever dealt with an injury like this of any kind where you've had to deal with the rehab process? Yeah, I've had some injuries early on in my career. I had surgery on my hip four or five years ago. So, I've been through rehab processes on different things. So, I think it's kind of just about, you know, staying with it, making sure you're getting the stuff done and recovering. It's a double whammy because not only your season ends and your career ends on the college level, but there was a real chance you could have made your NHL debut here in the final few games of the wild regular season. Hard to say, I'm sure, but it just wasn't meant to be at this time. Your time will come, you know that. But how disappointing is it that you were this close and now you have to wait a little longer? Yeah, pretty disappointing, you know, like said, there are not great timing, you know, on the front of not being able to help the team, you know, keep the season going and then obviously not being able to make a pro debut.

4:10But, you know, there's not much you can do about it. What's happened has happened and now it's just folks that I'm moving forward. Moving forward, indeed, it was a couple of good years there at Michigan State. Of course, we're following the golfers here in the big 10 and we see your name flash up all the time with Sparty. What are those two years in East Lansing, Mindy Hill? Yeah, it was unbelievable. This, this staff, this school, you know, my teammates really helped me, you know, find my game again. I was kind of at a low point. I was constant, you know, hockey-wise and for Coach Nightingale to take me in and, you know, really helped me, you know, become a better hockey player and find my game again, also just become a better person. You know, I've learned so much over these two years, you know, at this university and I can't thank this staff, the teammates and, you know, the university enough for how much they've helped me. Am I being dramatic if I say your time with Michigan State and at East Lansing saved your career? Am I going over the top there? I don't know, that's kind of, I mean, I didn't do it.

5:13I don't hate that take, you know, it's an interesting way to put it. But, yeah, I wasn't playing great hockey. I was really struggling at Wisconsin, you know, finding my game, being able to produce or help the team. And, you know, I knew to switch up at the end of the day. And, like I said, you know, Coach Nightingale, the staff here, you know, really helps me find my game again. And, you know, figure out how to play to my strengths and, you know, figure out how to, you know, help my team win at the college level. And I'm so thankful for that. Talking to Wild Prospect, Charlie Stremel, 21st overall picked by the Wild in 2023. Earlier this week, signed that three-year entry-level contract. Well, you mentioned Nightingale a couple of times. And, for fans that don't know, what's your history with him? Not only there in East Lansing, but you had a history with him before landing with Michigan State. What was it? Yeah, so when I ended up going to the National Development Program at 15, 16 years old there, he was a head coach. And, you know, I just, I loved him there, you know, he's one of my favorite coaches ever. And, he taught me a lot over those young years in my career.

6:14And, when it was time to kind of enter the portal and, you know, rethink the college route, he was, it was a no-brainer for me. You know, he reached out and it was, if I'm going to leave this school, you know, I got to go to someone I can trust and someone I know that, you know, does a job right. And, like I said, he's been a phenomenal help and, you know, one beer without him. Yeah, be good to see him leading the way for Team USA and the world juniors. As for you, taking me back to 2023, I have played the clip of Bill Garren announcing your name. I think it was there in Nashville 21st overall by the wild. What was that moment I like for you as a Minnesota kid grew up in Rosemond? What does it mean to be drafted by the hometown team? Yeah, just a real feeling, you know, growing up a wild fan, my whole life. And then to hear your name, you know, caught in the draft by them, it was just amazing. And it was so, so blessed to be picked by them. And, you know, now hopefully having the opportunity to throw the jersey on and, you know, play in the organization. It's just a real feeling and something I'm really looking forward to this next season.

7:17As a young lad and you're still a young lad, but as an even younger lad, would you make your way down to then Excel Energy Center taking the games? How big of a wild rub were you at the time? Yeah, I know. It was a big fan for sure. I saw plenty of games at the Excel, whether that's regular season, some playoffs. Yeah, I kind of just grew up a fan my whole life and, you know, still end today. So I'll hopefully be able to be a part of the organization. It's exciting. I love the history of the Minnesota wild and some of the names that you can throw out there. So again, we're not talking about the year 2000, but when you grew up, who were some of those names that you were following? Yeah, I was a huge, that for easy fan growing up. I feel like that's right when I started kind of paying attention to it. Miko Koivu, a big centerman, love watching his game and trying to take things from him. Grandland, when he was here. Yeah, those are kind of names that pop into my head, but I remember kind of watching off the night tonight.

8:20I love it. Folks that follow college hockey much closer than me compare you to Zoolerik Sinek. I've heard that comparison thrown around. That's a lofty comparison. One of the best 200 foot players in league, a pain in the neck. He's tough to play against, but that's a lot of the things that I'm hearing about Charlie Stremel. Do you say your game is comparable to a Zoolerik Sinek? Yeah, I mean, that's definitely something I'm striving to be. You know, he's a heck of a occupier and definitely something when I turn on the wild games that, you know, I can learn a thing or two from. For sure, you know, he's like you said, he's one of the best 200 foot centers in the league and, you know, brings it every night, brings that mean toughness, 200 foot game, and that's something I try and pride myself in. Yeah. All right. Just a couple more for you. I know you had an opportunity to talk to John Heinz at some point during this season. What was that conversation like? And what do you think about the future of playing for him, playing for Bill Garen, and putting on this wild uniform? Yeah, no, he was great. I had a conversation with him and he was kind of stunned up front.

9:23Like, keep playing your game, you know, stick to your strengths and what makes you great at the college level. And then whenever the time is, whenever it's time to turn pro and hopefully throw the sweater on, you know, be ready to go. Because, you know, it's not easy. Sometimes you're going to get thrown into the fire and just be ready to go. Who's your pick for the Frozen Four? Is the wound too fresh to tell me who you think has the best opportunity to lift a hardware this year? Or, or, yeah, what do you think? Yeah, I don't know. I don't know if I can have a Jake on that. I, you know, all tune in, but I can't say I'm really rooting for anyone to be honest. I get it. Charlie, thanks for doing this, man. Good luck and rehab in the ankle. We look forward to seeing you on the ice here very soon. I can't wait to see in that wild uniform sometime in the very near future. Yeah. Thank you guys. I appreciate you having me on. There you go. Charlie Stremel. Again, first round pick back in 2023. You think about the trajectory for that young man. They're bred over the last couple of years.

10:24I can't hang up on them. I think my computer's frozen again. You think about the trajectory for that young man over the last couple of years coming out of Wisconsin. He was buried. And like I said, I don't think it's too dramatic to say that his time in East Lansing did resurrect his career. Because a lot of people were saying, first round bust all this. Even though he's very young at the time, he goes to East Lansing and he develops into one of the premier players in college hockey. You've heard Pat talk about him on Beyond the Pond and his respect level for, for, uh... And that means everything. Well, it means something because he's following the game a lot closer than I am. And his respect level for Charlie Stremel is, is rather high. So it feels like what Adam Nightingale and Michigan State did for him put him back on the map. And I think a lot of people are very excited for, to see him in a wild uniform, which could be next year. I don't know how training camp's going to go. I don't know what he's going to do over the summer. But he's got the opportunity to really make a splash here. And you know, we talk all the time about the need for help at center A's.

11:25He's one of them. Yeah, 100%. I leave it to you to look ahead the next season. You know, and look ahead to the future. That's a special thing. Exactly. No, I think people are throwing around the B word a little... A little too early on him. And yeah, it was... That's a good reason that he's in Wisconsin, right? Yeah. Because of the change. And to no fault of his own, my casings didn't recruit him. He wasn't my casings guy. And he ended up getting buried. And the transfer portal played directly... This is why it's there. Now, it's abused through many different ways in many different sports. But this is the one example I can think of off top in my head, where the transfer portal was used the absolute right way. He was getting buried after a coaching change. And he got an opportunity to find new life in Michigan state. And it worked for him. Yeah. Perfect example of why the transfer portal exists, even though it's getting abused by many folks on many different levels. Why don't we squeeze in a break? Maybe we can do some bread Blakemore's break. You want to know that?

12:25I love it. I've got a lot of good stuff prepared for you. I know you're going to love it. You have to hear that. And we got Kevin Gorg coming up at the bottom of the hour. But the best place to go for all your Minnesota Wild Reckonies is the official Minnesota Wild podcast presented by Acresure. Everything Minnesota Wild related, including highlights, press conferences, players, coaches, general managers, and more, it's available on the official Minnesota Wild podcast presented by Acresure. It's all just a click away at wild.com slash podcast. www.acresure.com