By Greg Bates
Correspondent
GREEN BAY – When Mason Lohrei was 16, he might have made a life-altering decision.
Already a solid hockey player, Lohrei decided to switch from being a forward to a defenseman.
It would allow him to receive more ice time as a sophomore at Culver Academies, a tradition-rich prep school in Culver, Indiana.
Once he was on the ice more frequently, Lohrei began showing his talent.
Four years later, he’s become one of the best defensemen in the United States Hockey League (USHL), as well in North America and a top NHL draft pick.
Lohrei is currently in his second season playing for the Green Bay Gamblers, where he leads the team in points (53) and assists (38) and fourth in goals (15) through 40 games.
“That’s where some of the offensive instincts come from because I grew up playing forward and always loved the offensive side of the game,” Lohrei said. “Being at Culver, I learned lots from my coaches about the defensive side of the game – being back, playing the rush and then picking and choosing spots to join the play. That continued when I got to Green Bay where it’s all about moving the puck and playing defense first. Then, once you get a puck, you can make a play – that’s where the fun starts.”
Gamblers coach Pat Mikesch said he loves having an offensive defenseman like Lohrei.
“He thinks it differently than some kids can,” he said. “For a 6-foot-4 defenseman to skate and have the hands and the vision he has is unique.”
According to Mikesch, the best part of Lohrei’s game is how he can jump into a play and beat opponents one-on-one.
The 20-year-old has elevated his game in the last year.
Before COVID-19 shut down the Gamblers’ season in March 2020, Mikesch said he saw Lohrei’s game improving.
He finished second on the team for the 2019-20 season with 37 points (eight goals, 29 assists).
“You could see where the development had gone,” said Mikesch. “He was getting stronger physically and more confident. We knew we had a great player coming in, but he continued to develop. It’s been a fun progression.”
Lohrei said during his first year in the USHL, he learned from the older players and coaches.
“It carried into this year,” he said. “Working hard every day to try and improve my game. There’s not a better spot to do it than in Green Bay.”
Lohrei, playing in his home state, played his freshman season at Middleton High School before transferring for the final three years to Culver Academies.
He collected 49 points in 88 games at the prep school.
As a senior, he was traded from the USHL squad Waterloo to the Gamblers, a move he said he loved.
“Being from Madison where it’s 2 1/2 hours away, my parents can come to see me play,” Lohrei said. “If we have an off day, I get to see my family, which is nice. Being at a prep school, I didn’t get a lot of that.”
With the Gamblers, Lohrei has been able to show off his potential.
That potential – along with his 6-foot-4, 205-pound frame – is what lured NHL scouts.
The Boston Bruins selected Lohrei in the second round, 58th overall, in the 2020 draft.
“Boston liked he wasn’t in a rush,” Mikesch said. “They knew he was playing here – the draft was during the season, so they knew he was here. They also knew he had the proper timeline for going through the college route. There’s not a rush to focus him to be a pro. He’s got his time at Ohio State to develop and get ready to be an NHL player, hopefully, at one point.”
Lohrei – whose dad, David, was a longtime minor-league scout and USHL coach – will play at Ohio State University next season to improve his game.
He uses getting drafted so high to push him every time he’s on the ice or in the weight room, he said.
“The recognition fuels me to prove to everyone I deserve to be that pick, and I deserve what I’ve done,” Lohrei said. “I wasn’t drafted my first year of eligibility, then last year I was taken and lots of people thought I would be a bust – I saw it on social media. I want to prove to people I’m worthy of being a second-round draft pick, and I’m going to play in the NHL one day.”
Lohrei has been hitting the weight room hard and wants to fill out his body and become physically stronger and tougher in the defensive zone.
Mikesch said Lohrei is an open-ended book on what he can do in the future.
“The way he’s developed in the last couple of years, if he can continue to take those steps, he’s going to be that everyday NHL player who will have the ability to be an offensive guy,” he said. “Right now, there are lots of guys like Mason in the hockey world when you start talking about the Europeans, the Canadians and the top Americans. Now, it’s how that development continues to progress over the next few years.”
With the regular season of the USHL schedule wrapping up at the end of April followed by the Clark Cup playoffs, Lohrei said he has some areas of his game he wants to work on before heading off to college in the fall.
“I want to get stronger,” he said. “Every day, I show up to the rink and try and get better in some way. Ultimately, this last stretch of the season, it’s about being a leader and helping this team win a championship.”