Arriving from the picturesque landscape of Graz, Austria to play hockey, Bernd Bruckler, stepped off the plane and was immediately greeted by the cold and unsightly December emptiness of Nebraska. Leaving his family behind, Bernd, barely 19 years old at the time, was here to pursue his dream of being a goalkeeper.
Bruckler, who tabs the Nebraska scenery ugly faster than his reflexes in the net, has gained experience from numerous sources, both good and bad.
Stating that he will do anything for the team to succeed, Bruckler roots his motivation for hockey from a devastating loss he suffered just before last year’s WCHA playoffs. The sudden passing of his father, who had never seen Bernd play hockey, showed Bruckler’s on-ice and personal resilience when he came out and sealed the first-round playoff series with a 7-3 victory, tabbing it as the most special of his career.
“I’ve matured, and it was a lesson for me,” said Bruckler, whose voice showed the magnitude of the loss. “I go out there everyday and think about it — it hasn’t even been a year — every day I wake up and I think what my dad would love for me to do.”
The loss, which followed a promising freshman campaign in which Bruckler led the WCHA in every major category for rookie goaltenders, has fueled his work ethic to become the most complete player he can be.
“I know [my father] is very proud,” said a somber Bruckler. “I know he definitely wants me to work hard and nothing more [for me] than to win.”
Playing in his first two games on American soil for the junior league’s Tri-City (Neb.) Storm, Bruckler, the first Austrian-born hockey player in the Wisconsin program, faced the under-18 U.S. National team then tutored by current UW head coach Mike Eaves. After dropping the first game, Bruckler bounced back the next night and beat Eaves in a shootout 3-2.
“At the beginning, we laughed about it, and it was a good joke,” the sophomore Bruckler said in his German accent.
Since, the pair has moved on to new things. Eaves, as confident as ever with Bruckler, tabbed him as the No. 1 netminder over senior Scott Kabotoff after the Feb. 7 series against Alaska-Anchorage. After starting and earning the victory in both games, the first time in his collegiate career, Bruckler has responded going 3-1-1 in his past five contests (9-8-3 this season).
“The big difference was when [Kabotoff] was healthy and I still got the chance to go back-to-back,” said Bruckler, who was drafted in 2001 by the NHL’s Philadelphia Flyers. “I think it’s given me extra confidence. Hopefully I can ride that throughout the rest of the season.”
The chief disparity in Bruckler’s game from that of last season has been an eclectic collection. Coupled with the loss of his father, Bruckler cites a familiarity that he didn’t have a year ago and says he has grown accustom to the other WCHA arenas, players and specific team tendencies. Goaltending coach Bill Howard, who has instructed Bruckler from day one at UW, has observed sound improvement in Bruckler’s ability to control the puck initially, limiting the number of rebounds left in front of the net.
“He’s made good strides,” said Howard, who has coached such UW goalie greats as Curtis Joesph and Mike Richter. “But he’s still got a lot to learn, and I think he knows that.”
Orchestrating his own goaltending school during the summer months, which includes a website, Bruckler works just as hard off the ice as he does on it. Fortunately, he has found time to forge friendships with his roommate, Wisconsin basketball player and fellow Austrian, Andreas Helmigk and his hockey blokes.
His hockey teammates, however, have played a larger role. Living in the same building, on the same floor, has drawn Bruckler and captain Brad Winchester closely together.
“We always hang out,” reported Bruckler with a slight grin as if there is something more to be said. “He’s been a really good friend through the tough times, and we’ve always given each other advice.”
Winchester, who has been puzzled at times with the amount of German spoken between Bruckler and Helmigk when he goes to pay a visit to his teammate, says their friendship is also based on their “passion for the game hockey.”
“I drive him all over campus, too,” added Winchester.
Bruckler, with all of his life experiences, has put himself in the best position to capture his dream: his love for hockey.
