Von Ruden does extra work to get extra time

CEDAR RAPIDS – If you hang around long enough after a game at the Cedar Rapids Ice Arena, you're bound to see Logan Von Ruden.

He'll be the one jogging the concourse in shorts and a T-shirt. Or the guy in the Arena weight room, doing some leg work.

Most of the time, he'll be both guys.

The 18-year-old defenseman is the only Cedar Rapids RoughRider not to have made a college commitment, yet. He'll eventually get there, if desire means anything.

'I want to think of myself as being one of the hardest workers and always putting in a little more time,” said Von Ruden, whose team lost at home to Dubuque on Friday night, 2-1.

'That's what it takes to get an extra step on somebody. Coach always says that if you don't do that, there's always somebody else out there that is doing it, and he is going to get ahead of you. I always want to do that extra work and try and put myself in a position to get extra minutes on the ice. Get myself closer to playing college hockey.”

To be fully accurate, Czech forward Jiri Fronk hasn't made a college commitment, yet, either, and won't. He's in Cedar Rapids to aid what most anticipate will be a North American professional hockey career beginning next season.

You rarely see USHL teams, even this late in a season, without multiple uncommitted players. That speaks to the talent level in the RoughRiders locker room.

It's also a reason Von Ruden hasn't gotten quite the ice time of his teammates. Most games he is a seventh defenseman, a guy who doesn't take a regular shift or have a regular defense partner.

A shoulder injury in preseason also set him back. Yet he remains undeterred.

'He's what this league is all about,” said RoughRiders Coach Mark Carlson. 'He's working, trying to improve, trying to get a scholarship. He's a great, team-first guy, does what he's asked. He's getting better all the time. He's a great kid, a great teammate, has a lot of potential.”

'It's difficult, but I try not to focus on that,” Von Ruden said. 'I'm just focusing on whenever I get out there, just do my thing, do what I can do to help. Do something positive. If I'm dwelling on stuff like (a college scholarship or ice time), it's not going to help me, it's not going to help the team. I'm just playing my role, and whatever comes, comes.”

Von Ruden joined the RoughRiders after the holiday break last season from the Minnesota Magicians of the lower-level North American Hockey League. Carlson was looking for size and grit for his then floundering club and found the 6-foot-3 Von Ruden intriguing.

He played in 19 games a season ago and has an assist in 24 games this season. His plus-minus rating is a solid plus-three.

The Northfield, Minn., resident is a defense-first player right now.

'My coach with the Magicians called me and asked me if this was something I wanted to do,” Von Ruden said. 'It was an opportunity that was on the table. Obviously, it was the USHL, and I knew it would help me get closer to progress along the timeline I have for myself. You know, where I want to be with hockey. It was a pretty easy answer. It's a big step, but it was the right decision. I've been really happy here, I think it has really helped my game.”

'He just needs to work on his overall game,” Carlson said. '(Try) to be a first-pass, breakout guy. Be a little bit more physical. If he can keep improving his overall skill level, he has a chance to be a really good player. He's helping his teammates wins games right now, that's for sure.”

Seamus Malone scored with 8:48 left to give Dubuque the victory and help it close within six points of the Riders in the USHL's Eastern Conference. The teams play again Saturday night at Dubuque.

Cedar Rapids (28-11-0, 56 points) won the shots on goal edge by a 42-24 margin, but only Dylan McLaughlin could beat Fighting Saints goalie Jacob Niehama. Malone had his game winner two minutes later.

l Comments: (319) 398-8259; jeff.johnson@thegazette.com