It’s almost always Peanut Butter Hjelle time

Brady Hjelle was one of the last Cedar Rapids RoughRiders off the ice after practice Wednesday. Kind of figures.

The 20-year-old from International Falls, Minn., has played more than any other goaltender in the United States Hockey League this season, taking a 38-second lead over Chicago‘s Connor Wilson with a three-game-in-three-day stint last weekend.

Hjelle has spent a grand total of 2,251 minutes and 56 seconds between the pipes. He has played in 37 of his team's 42 games, starting nine in a row and 22 of 23.

Iron man doesn't even begin to describe him.

“The only think I can say is it's fun,” he said. “I love to play. That's what we work for all week. Playing in the games is reward for practicing (hard) all week.”

All this playing time wasn't the plan going into the season. The RoughRiders also had returnee Cody Campbell, but he got into Coach Mark Carlson‘s doghouse during training camp and ended up leaving the team before Christmas for Niagara University.

With no experience behind him, Hjelle has carried the load in net and then some. Not once has he begged for a game off, despite a month-long battle with a sinus infection.

He said that has to do with his freshman season at the University of Minnesota-Duluth (2008-09) when he played all of two games and 80 minutes. Hjelle spent the 2007-08 season with the RoughRiders, coming back to town this season while serving a transfer year.

He will play at Ohio State next season.

“I mean, I was on the bench my whole freshman year,” Hjelle said. ”So every time I'm on the bench (now), I just feel like I want to get right back in the net. All I want to do is be in the net.

“I don't know how many games I'm going to get from here on out or for any team I might ever play for. So I want to take advantage of every game I get.”

Carlson bristled when asked if he worries about Hjelle wearing down.

“I'm not concerned. I have zero concern about anything. Why would we have any?” he said. “He's 20 years old, had two years of Division I college hockey. He should be able to play 90 games.”

That won't happen because it's only a 60-game regular season, with playoffs following. But 50 regular-season games certainly isn't out of the question.

Considering his USHL-best 26 wins and five shutouts, not to mention a sparkling .922 save percentage and 2.21 goals against average, why shouldn't it continue to be Peanut Butter Hjelle Time?

“I think it's all pretty simple. Just stick to your routine,” Hjelle said. ”I do the same thing before every game, though I learned this year, with our bus breaking down a couple of times, that you've just got to be ready to go, no matter what. You've got to find a way to do it.”