Like many who participate in sports, the life of a student-hockey player is more than just showing up to the rink and playing hockey. Players balance long travel times, academic demands and intense training schedules, while also managing stress. This is the reality for the Logan Lake Miners players during the hockey season and academic year.
The pressure to perform well both at hockey and academically weighs on the players’ minds. What keeps them motivated in their choices is the chance to continue playing the game they love while also being part of something bigger than themselves.
These efforts and sacrifices can be overlooked by the school they represent. Most at TRU have never heard about the Logan Lake Miners.
The Miners are one of five teams in the BC Intercollegiate Hockey League (BCIHL). The team comprises student-athletes with junior-level hockey experience who are pursuing full-time studies at TRU and NVIT.
The 2025/2026 season saw the Miners improve upon last year’s results, with eight wins, 10 regulation-play losses and two overtime losses. Showing a continued progression in their four years of existence.
Memorable moments included the opening night against Vancouver Island University (VIU), where, despite an overtime loss, the home crowd was so electric that it set the energy for the season.
In October, the team travelled to the United States to play the University of Oregon, winning the second of two games in front of a roaring crowd of 1700 people.
They ended their regular season with a shootout win against the Okanagan Lakers to claim third place in the league and give a send-off to their graduating goaltender, Matthew Ens.
General manager and head coach Grant Friesen notes that this past season felt like a shift for the Miners because the team had a legitimate opportunity to win every night and be a threat against all BCIHL teams.
“What motivated our guys is … it feels like we actually have an opportunity to not only just compete every night, but we have an opportunity to be one of the top teams within the BCIHL,” he said.
The four-year growth of the Miners is inspirational, but there is another side to that story that is often overlooked.
Personal time, a social life, and the stress of managing studies and work are among the sacrifices that student-athletes make to play hockey at the collegiate level. In addition to competing in as many as 20 games during the regular season, the student-athletes on the Miners practice three times a week and participate in Logan Lake community events throughout the season.
On top of that, players drive 45 minutes, each way, for each event. For just one of those practices, the players need to allocate a five-hour time slot to drive, warm up, get gear ready, practice and then return home.
“That’s time where you could be resting, recovering, sleeping, doing schoolwork,” Second-year assistant captain Everett Rasmussen said. “I think that’s the biggest piece that people don’t realize is that there isn’t a lot of downtime. When you finish your schoolwork, you’re most likely going straight to hockey, so there’s no time to relax.”
That choice to compete also comes with pressures of stress and anxiety from players throughout the season, whether it is the pressure to perform on the ice or prep for the exam season. All those commitments require attention.
“Those pressures definitely can take away from where you’re not necessarily focusing just on the ice. You‘re also focusing on everything else you got to do,” Third-year assistant captain Nathan Bohmer said.
“You’re constantly in this feeling of you need to perform. Sometimes it’s really hard to let your guard down and let people in,” Rassmussen added.
This level of commitment is normal for these players, not the exception. The players signed up for the team and pay to play for the Miners. They do understand they can’t commit to hockey full-time and every single day.
Friesen has made it clear that school comes first.
“You’re a student athlete, student first, athlete second,” he said.
As the season wraps up, the team is now prepping for next year. Players are taking a brief step back to focus on recovery, while coach Friesen is scouting and planning to secure the best resources to bring the team success.
On top of this growth of high-level competition, the team did not lose sight of being a community team for both Logan Lake and TRU. Bohmer shares a story about inviting a TRU international student to watch a Miners game this past season.
He says he met him in one of his classes and invited him out to experience a hockey game. He showed the student the facilities prior to game time, which was also the first time the student ever saw an ice rink.
“It was a cool experience just to witness that. You see him light up and be like, ‘Holy, this is so cool.’ Which we take for granted because it’s our everyday life, right?”, he said.
Bohmer added, “To be able to bring that opportunity to students is something I don’t think you can take for granted as a team or a school. I think that’s the most important part is having those experience for your campus students.”
The Logan Lake Miners remain unknown to many people at TRU.
“Next thing is we’re trying to advocate as much as we can to bring more students out, because I think it would be a great time to have students out there,” Bohmer said.
Rasmussen adds, “I think having that support from the students, from people our own age, would be amazing. It gives you a sense of pride for who you’re playing for. I’m playing for this school. I’m playing for those people in the stands. I want to do well.”