Getting closer to the dream, one skate stroke at a time

Life is good for the Senators' prospects spending the fall of 2025 in Wisconsin.

Logan Hensler went viral earlier last week when he scored a spectacular goal after skating the length of the ice with the puck.

Blake Montgomery finished the week strong on Friday with three points in two games on the road against the Michigan State Spartans.

The Wisconsin Badgers, collectively, have suffered only two losses in regulation time in their first 14 games of the regular season. This weekend, they defeated the formidable Spartans twice. Those who follow the weekly polls know that they are clearly the team to beat in the NCAA this season.

We would be remiss in this story if we forgot to mention Bruno Idžan.

Idžan wasn't drafted in the first round like Hensler. He didn't get the chance to shine in the spotlight like Montgomery, in a season where he won the Memorial Cup. Down in Madison, Idžan is still progressing at an interesting pace.

In his ninth NCAA game, on November 15, the young Croatian forward scored his first goal. It was a nice reward for someone who is going through a learning year in every sense of the word.

“The most important thing for me is to improve my skating. That's definitely what I've been most concerned about since I got here,” he acknowledged in a recent interview with Sens360.

“You know, since I'm not from a typical hockey country, my training hasn't been perfect. The gaps in my training are a little more obvious now that I'm playing in an environment where I'm surrounded by players who have only experienced elite programs.”

Idžan's story was told at the end of June. In the sixth round, 181st overall, he became the first Croatian-born hockey player to be selected in the NHL Entry Draft.

Idžan fell in love with the sport while following a professional club in his corner of the country, Medvescak Zagreb, during the short period when it played in the KHL.

Ironically, despite not enjoying much success, the club fielded several former members of the Senators organization during that period. This allowed the young Idžan to cheer on Geoff Kinrade, Alexandre Giroux, Martin St. Pierre, Jonathan Cheechoo, and Bobby Butler.

To follow in their footsteps, however, Idžan was forced to move abroad. After spending two seasons in Sweden, a country known for its hockey tradition, he found himself on a completely different continent. One can imagine that the adjustment period in the United States could be difficult, but the young athlete is certainly not complaining.

He arrived on a new continent halfway through the 2024-25 season. By joining the Lincoln Stars, a United States Hockey League (USHL) team, success was instantaneous. His 44 points in 36 games in this junior league certainly put him on the radar of several NHL organizations.

The goal was clear. The USHL was a great stepping stone to the NCAA, where the level of play is higher and the opponents are clearly more experienced.

“There are differences. The rinks are small and the players are fast, so there's less room to maneuver on the ice,” says Idžan. “My teammates and opponents may be better than last year, but I can handle it.”

“First of all, I've never heard a single person say anything bad about college hockey,” he says. “Before I arrived, I was told that it was an ideal place for people like me who want to learn and develop. There are several practices during the week. We spend time almost every day in the gym, and there's certainly no shortage of ice time. It's really the ideal environment for a guy like me.”

“I experienced a bit of culture shock when I arrived. I quickly realized that everything is bigger here. Sports are a big deal here. The university campus is huge. It's crazy how many people study here in Wisconsin. There are always a lot of people around the team,” Idžan continues, before concluding with the short sentence that makes everything easier. “Everyone is really nice here.”

Closer to the NHL

Madison, the small town where the University of Wisconsin campus is located, is not exactly close to any major cities. If the Badgers players wanted to take a day off to attend an NHL game in person, they would have to travel nearly 250 kilometers to Chicago. Or 400 kilometers to reach St. Paul, Minnesota.

Yet, in recent months, Bruno Idžan has felt strangely closer to his pro dream.

“I was no different from other kids who play hockey. Like everyone else on the ice, I dreamed of one day making it to the NHL. I also dreamed of making a living in European hockey. That was probably a more achievable dream. The KHL was a prestigious league in my eyes. I also liked DEL in Germany. Before moving to North America, I didn't really think my dream of playing in the NHL was achievable. That's changing,” he says.

At the very least, this year Idžan can spend his nights off watching games from the world's best league on television. It used to be more difficult. “In Europe, NHL games are broadcast live in the early hours of the morning. And we don't have access to ESPN, the NHL Network, or anything like that,” he says.

Idžan keeps an eye on the Senators' games and likes what he sees from the team. He is convinced that his Badgers teammates, members of the WiscoSens affiliate, do the same.

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