University of Vermont ice hockey commit Alex Bump is focused on the NHL Draft
Editor’s note: The Philadelphia Flyers selected LW Alex Bump with the No. 133 pick in the fifth round of the 2022 NHL Draft on July 8. Bump is committed to play for the University of Vermont.
SAVAGE, Minn. (BVM) – As the summer quickly approaches, Prior Lake High School’s star forward, Alex Bump, is focused on just one thing, hearing his name called during the 2022 NHL Draft.
“The goal right now is to get drafted so that’s what I’m focused on,” Bump said.
The University of Vermont commit is considered one of the top high school prospects in the country and has a good chance of being drafted when the NHL Draft begins on July 7. To maximize his chances of being selected, Bump has been spending his days working out, getting time on the ice and talking with NHL teams.
He has talked to basically every team and what he tells them every time is if they draft him, they’re getting a guy who isn’t going to shy away from the spotlight.
“They’re going to get an offensive player that can score big goals and play in big moments and be a big time player for them,” Bump said.
One does not have to go that far back into Bump’s career to see that he is telling the truth. The 6-foot forward stepped up for the Prior Lake Lakers on the biggest stage in Minnesota high school hockey. During the quarterfinals of the MSHSL Class AA hockey state tournament at the Xcel Energy Center, Bump led the Lakers to an upset win over Cretin-Derham Hall.
“The puck just kept finding my stick,” Bump said.
Prior Lake won 6-0 and Bump scored five goals to get the Lakers to the state semifinals. It was a historic outing and Bump was only two goals away from tying the state tournament record for most goals in a single game. Bump actually got to take a picture with Minnesota hockey legend John Mayasich, who set the record at seven goals in 1951.
TOURNEY LEGENDS … 71 YEARS APART
After Prior Lake's Alex Bump scored 5 goals in today's #mshsl state hockey semifinals, he was congratulated by the legend, John Mayasich, who set the tourney single-game record of 7 goals in 1951 … 71 years ago.
*Photo by John's son Dan. pic.twitter.com/KspGvAKIze
— John Millea (@MSHSLjohn) March 10, 2022
Bump’s outing made him an instant sensation after the game and even got him trending on Twitter following the game. It was a well deserved 15 minutes of fame.
“It was overwhelming but it was fun to have that experience,” Bump said.
The upset over Cretin-Derham Hall and Bump’s incredible game was made even more special because there was a chance Bump wasn’t going to play high school. Before the high school season began, he was playing for the Omaha Lancers in the USHL but chose to come back to Minnesota to play for Prior Lake.
The Lakers then overcame some early struggles to bounce back and make a run to the state tournament for the first time in school history. They even beat powerhouse Eden Prairie in the Section 2AA semifinals before winning the Section 2AA championship against Chaska.
“I thought we kind of just came together as a team really,” Bump said. “The first half of the season we weren’t really clicking as a team but we had like 12 seniors on that squad so we all knew what we had to do.”
Prior Lake turned its season around, Bump became a star and also broke Prior Lake’s single-season scoring record and single-season assist record. He finished with 48 goals and 35 assists while being named Associated Press’ Minnesota player of the year.
It was a season that will be remembered. Bump leaves Prior Lake as a high school hockey star in Minnesota which is not a small feat. He knows that he has gotten the attention of people around him and there are kids who come to the rink, see him play and try to emulate what he has done.
“It’s cool to see a bunch of guys look up to me and to know that I did something like that means a lot,” Bump said.
That will continue for Bump as he heads back to Omaha for a season with the Lancers before he joins the Catamounts. Bump signed his letter of intent back in November completing a recruiting process that began when he was a sophomore.
“It’s super cool to realize that you are good enough to be able to play at a high level,” Bump said about receiving college interest early in high school. “With coaches reaching out to you, it runs into real life because it doesn’t seem real at first.”
Vermont was the first to show interest in Bump and he will be joined out in Vermont with Minnesota’s Mr. Hockey, Max Strand. That will happen in 2023 but for now, Alex Bump is still putting all his focus on the NHL Draft.
“I think about it almost everyday,” Bump said about the NHL Draft.
