"It's definitely different, not really the senior year any of us really imagined but you just have to take it one day at a time and appreciate it because there are a lot of teams in college hockey that aren't able to play right now," Kruse said. "I'm pretty grateful and fortunate to have a season and every game is a blessing".
Preparing for a season in a pandemic is a daunting task with different restrictions varying from state to state. The ability to stay focused and figure things out this offseason was a tall task for Kruse.
"I was still able to work out during the week," he said. "Obviously there were less activities like going out to get food and stuff like that but the biggest obstacle was skating because a lot of the rinks in Michigan were shut down so I had to drive down to Ohio to skate but it wasn't too bad".
Kruse began his senior season by being highlighted in Sports Illustrated top 100 NCAA players to watch for the 2020-21 season. A ranking of 25th overall comes from continued progress Kruse puts into his game every offseason which has led him to 118 points in 129 games thus far into his college career.
"I wanted to continue to get stronger and work on my shot this offseason," Kruse said. "Those are the two biggest factors that I need to improve to be able to play at the professional level. There are big strong men in the league, and everyone's shot gets better as they get older. So, those two things I want to keep working on as I get older and I already feel stronger on the ice and my shot has been a lot better so far this season".
A young prospect in love with the game, Kruse continues to push his game forward and aims to model some of his hockey characteristics after some current NHL stars.
"I'm not sure, I would say my game resembles a Johnny Gaudreau type player," said Kruse. "I don't really want to say Patrick Kane because he's an All-Star but just someone that has pretty good hockey awareness, pushes the pace, likes to play in the offensive zone but is also good defensively. I think I have a pretty good hockey IQ, I can make good passes, and I kind of think ahead of where the play is going to be so, I like the characteristics of those players".
From congratulating friends for being drafted while at a Buffalo Wild Wings to moments later being an NHL draft pick himself, Kruse has appreciated each step of the process of being part of an NHL organization.
"It's unbelievable," Kruse said. "I didn't really know what to expect going to Vegas because I have never been there before but it's first class. I think everyone around the league is noticing that. They are one of the top teams now, everyone wants to play there and play against them. It was honestly serial from the coaching staff, to management, to the players and just everyone is treated great there. Everyone is pretty humble, not many egos and everyone shows up to work and does their job. That's why they are so successful."
As he finishes his senior season in college, Kruse said he hopes to continue his path in hockey and work his way up through the Vegas Golden Knights organization.
