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Danny Kristo and Carter Rowney faced one of the biggest decisions of their lives in 2012.

Coming off their junior seasons at the University of North Dakota, Kristo and Rowney finished second and fourth on the team in scoring, respectively, and opened the door to leave college and turn pro.

But they both declined, choosing to stay in school and finish out their college careers with a senior season and a degree. The move also solidified the bond between Kristo and Rowney who are teammates yet again with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.

“It was probably the biggest decision of my life,” Kristo said. “Ever.”

Kristo was in a tough spot.

Four years earlier, he was drafted in the second round by the Montreal Canadiens, and if he left college a year early he likely could’ve joined Montreal’s AHL affiliate in Hamilton to begin his pro career.

But at North Dakota, Kristo had plenty of close friends, including the other five seniors on the team who he shared a house with. He was also a pivotal part of one of the most popular and successful college hockey programs in the nation. To leave it all a year early, even with the chance to play hockey as a pro, would be tough.

And that’s not all that Kristo had to consider.

The Canadiens had just fired their general manager and head coach. Kristo waited for nearly two months to see who would take over before making his decision, but the clock was ticking. North Dakota needed to know if they would have to recruit another player to take Kristo’s spot on the roster.

It was time to decide.

“I just thought if you’re good enough to make it to the NHL and you work hard enough, you’re going to get there no matter what path you take, so I decided to go back to school,” Kristo said. “It was a good decision for me. I matured a lot that last year.”

Unlike Kristo, Rowney wasn’t drafted, but he certainly opened doors to the pro ranks after scoring 18 goals and totalling 33 points in 42 games as a junior. The beginning of his pro hockey career was just a step away, but for Rowney completing his senior season and earning a degree was more important.

“I wanted to get my degree. I never even thought about leaving,” Rowney said.

The fact that only one of the junior players on the Fighting Hawks, current New York Islander Brock Nelson, chose to leave speaks volumes as to the amount of pride players like Kristo and Rowney had while playing for North Dakota.

Sure, the small town of Grand Forks where the university is located may not carry the appeal of playing in the pro ranks, but in many respects it was even better.

Located on the eastern edge of the state, Grand Forks has a population 57,000 and an average temperature of less than 20 degrees from December through February. In fact, the entire state has a population of less than 800,000, the 47th lowest in the nation.

But just about every one of the residents of North Dakota followed the Fighting Hawks with passion. Pulling on the green and white jersey meant you were carrying the weight not just the university or community on your back, but the entire state as well.

“That was the best part about playing there,” Kristo said. “In North Dakota, there aren’t any professional sports teams, so on Friday and Saturday nights in Grand Forks the whole state is watching.

“You feel special going to the rink for a 10 a.m. morning skate and you have 1,500 students out there in 0 degrees waiting so they can get glass seats.”

With an average attendance of more than 11,500 for every game, plus thousands more watching on television, Kristo and Rowney didn’t have to leave school early to experience life as a pro. They were already living it.

“It’s almost like an NHL squad there because it’s the only team in the state,” Rowney said. “I don’t think there’s anything quite like it.”

The support from the university, community and entire state not only motivated Fighting Hawks players to stick around as seniors, but it also helped bond them as a team.

That support is a big reason why the team made the national tournament every year Kristo and Rowney were on the roster.

“You want to be successful for your fans,” Rowney said. “When you have them come in on six-hour bus trips just to watch you play, the fanbase is unreal. You’re playing in a sold-out barn every day. I was grateful to play there.”

When the Penguins acquired Kristo in a trade last Monday, it marked the first time in Rowney’s four seasons as a pro that he was reunited with a former Fighting Hawks teammate. Rowney quickly made his old friend feel at home, showing him places to live, places to eat and helping Kristo adjust to the systems employed by the Penguins.

For Kristo, it feels like old times.

“Grand Forks was a small town and that was the best part about playing there,” he said, comparing it to Wilkes-Barre. “It’s nice when you’re in a small town. That’s when you usually have a tight-knit team.”

https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/web1_Rowney1.jpg.optimal.jpg

Danny Kristo rekindled his bond with Carter Rowney when he was traded to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. The duo were teammates at the University of North Dakota for four years.
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/web1_Kristo1.jpg.optimal.jpgDanny Kristo rekindled his bond with Carter Rowney when he was traded to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. The duo were teammates at the University of North Dakota for four years. Courtesy of the University of North Dakota

Carter Rowney said fan support and obtaining his college degree made his decision to stay at the University of North Dakota for his senior season an easy one.
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/web1_TTL030716Penguins1.jpg.optimal.jpgCarter Rowney said fan support and obtaining his college degree made his decision to stay at the University of North Dakota for his senior season an easy one. Sean McKeag file photo | Times Leader

By Tom Venesky

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Reach Tom Venesky at 570-991-6395 or on Twitter @TLTomVenesky