Hall of Fame
A forward with blazing speed, Rick Hjelm raced up and down the ice for legendary Head Coach Don Roberts in the early 1980s. Hjelm, burst onto the scene as a freshman in the 1979-80 season and was a fixture in the Gustie lineup for the next four years playing in 109 of a possible 113 games and helping Gustavus compile a record of 76-37 overall and 46-18 in Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) play. Hjelm missed four games due to injury in his freshman and sophomore seasons and then played in 61 consecutive games his junior and senior seasons. His 109 games played ranks 10th all-time in program history. Hjelm finished his career ranked 13th on the all-time scoring list with 35 goals and 72 assists for 107 points.
His junior season proved to be his personal best as he tallied 15 goals and 31 assists for 46 points helping the Gusties to a record of 22-9 overall and a thrilling third place finish at the NCAA Championships in Merrimack, New York. At the end of the season he was named First Team All-America by the American Hockey Coaches Association (AHCA). Serving as captain his senior year, Hjelm tallied 10 goals and added 24 assists as Gustavus posted a mark of 21-9 overall and 12-4 in the MIAC. He earned All-Conference honors for the second consecutive season and directed the Gusties to the NCAA Tournament for the fourth consecutive year.
After graduating in 1983 with a degree in biology, Hjelm played professional hockey in Sweden for one year before going on to earn his master’s degree in physical therapy from the University of Indianapolis. He is a private practice owner at MultiCenter Physical Therapy and is currently employed at NovaCare Rehabilitation. Hjelm and his wife Melanie have two children, Lindsey, a 2013 Gustavus grad, and Sam, a 2015 Gustavus graduate.
