Proponents of Michigan high school hockey have a saying: “If you’re good enough, they will find you.”
The message is intended for players with college aspirations who are waffling between playing AAA or for their high school.
Nobody had to give the hard sell to Adam Pietila when he was attending Hartland High School. He saw the success being achieved by the program and its alumni and wanted that for himself.
It helped that his brother, Owen, was also on board after watching from the stands at USA Hockey Arena while Hartland won its first state championship in 2018.
“Just the culture I’d seen of it growing up and seeing the guys the years before me,” Pietila said. “They won a state championship the year before. I thought it looked like a lot of fun. My brother was a senior. I figured I might as well. It ended up being one of my favorite years of hockey the year we won the state championship.”
Pietila got in on the fun as a sophomore in 2018-19, helping the Eagles repeat as state Division 2 champions.
He went on to become Hartland’s leading scorer the next two seasons, earning first-team all-state as a senior in the COVID-shortened 2021 season.
Pietila’s story didn’t stop there. In fact, he was just getting started.
He has proven that a player can go from Michigan high school hockey to the highest level of college hockey, playing for Wisconsin in the NCAA championship game on Saturday, April 11 in Las Vegas. The Badgers lost to Denver, 2-1.
Two of Pietila’s Hartland teammates also played major college hockey: Joey Larson and John Druskinis.
“I had a ton of fun in high school,” said Pietila, who played three seasons of junior hockey before heading to Madison. “I wouldn’t trade it for the world, even if it meant not coming to college sooner. I couldn’t be happier playing for Hartland High School. (Rick) Gadwa, (Kevin) Carlile and (John) McCullough were important to my development to get me to where I am.”
Pietila played a key role on a checking line for Wisconsin, which reached the championship game after finishing fourth in the Big Ten Conference. He had seven goals and five assists in 31 games, but his impact went beyond statistics.
His line is often tasked with containing players who are first-round NHL draft picks, giving Pietila a measuring stick on many of his shifts.
“My role increased this year,” he said. “We have a pretty good line this year with me and two other freshmen. We had a productive line, especially in the second half. We played against a lot of other teams’ top lines. I’m kind of a shutdown guy. It really helped us to get where we got this year.
“Obviously, it’s tough to play against those types of players. If that’s what it takes to keep them off the scoreboard for a game or two and let our top line go against their lesser players, that’s advantageous for us. It’s been fun and obviously challenging. You have to be sharp.”
Pietila helped Wisconsin, one of the blue bloods in the sport, reach the national championship game for the first time since 2010. He will return next season, trying to win the Badgers’ seventh national title and first since 2006.
As someone who grew up in an area in which hockey is a huge part of the sports landscape, Pietila has cherished playing in front of fans who love the sport.
“It’s obviously upsetting,” Pietila said of the loss to Denver. “We have a lot to be proud of for what we built here this year, kind of getting the program back where it needs to be. They used to be there all the time. It’s been a while since we’ve been back. It meant a lot for the city and a bunch of people care around here.
“Our place is about 15,000 seats. It’s the best place to play in college hockey. It’s loud. Our fans are passionate. The hockey culture goes way back, and they love to see us win. When we win, the city’s awesome. It’s really a hockey city around here.”
Contact Bill Khan at wkhan@livingstondaily.com. Follow him on X @BillKhan
This article originally appeared on Livingston Daily: Adam Pietila’s hockey path at Hartland led to NCAA championship game
Reporting by Bill Khan, Livingston Daily / Livingston Daily
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
