Courtesy StingraysHockey.com

For young hockey players, many dream of playing professional hockey, with the ultimate goal of making it to the National Hockey League.

Growing up in Minnesota, “The State of Hockey”,  Stingrays forward Kaden Bohlsen thought no differently.

Bohlsen was set on pursuing hockey from a very young age, a path that presented him with a major decision when he was only 12 years old. After playing youth hockey in his hometown of Willmar, Minnesota, Bohlsen made the decision to leave home to pursue his dream.

“I moved out of the house when I was 12,” Bohlsen said. “I went to Wayzata, played there for a couple years, and then went on to play at Shattuck-Saint Mary’s. That was kind of my route through high school.”

Making that decision at such a young age paid off for Bohlsen. Following two seasons in Wayzata, Minnesota, he attended Shattuck-Saint Mary’s School in Faribault, Minnesota, one of the premier powerhouses in Minnesota hockey. The school has produced several top NHL stars including Zach Parise, Jonathan Toews, Sidney Crosby and Macklin Celebrini.

While at Shattuck-Saint Mary’s, Bohlsen continued to develop his game with his ultimate goal in mind. In his pursuit of one day playing in the NHL, he left Shattuck during his junior year to go play in the United States Hockey League.

“I went and played at Des Moines for about a year and then got traded to Fargo,” Bohlsen said. “I couldn't say anything better about Fargo. It was close to home, and I loved my time there for sure.”

Bohlsen joined Fargo midway through the season and helped the Force reach the Clark Cup Playoffs. Across his nearly two seasons with Fargo, he also became teammates with two players he shares a locker room with now on the Stingrays, Lynden Breen and Connor Mayer.

“It's crazy,” Bohlsen said. “I got to play with Connor Mayer there in Fargo, and then [Lynden] was actually my linemate in Fargo. It's crazy that we ended up in the same spot eight years later.”

Breen and Bohlsen combined for 80 points during Bohlsen’s final season of junior hockey, and the forward garnered the attention of Division I programs. Following his success at the junior level, Bohlsen committed to the University of Nebraska-Omaha, where he played his first three seasons of college hockey before transferring to Minnesota State-Mankato, a decision that he is forever thankful for.

“I ended up transferring to Minnesota State for my last two years and couldn't thank them enough for everything that they did for me,” Bohlsen said. “That was close to home and the coaches and my teammates were amazing. Minnesota State will forever be my home. The coaching staff there was amazing. Luke Strand, Troy Ward, Keith Paulson, Cory McCracken, everyone there is amazing and really brought my family in.”

In his first season with Minnesota State, Bohlsen put up a career year, finishing sixth on the Mavericks with 21 points and third in goals with 11. In his final season of college hockey, Bohlsen helped lead the Mavericks to a CCHA Regular Season and Mason Cup Championship, scoring a career high 12 goals, which ranked fourth on the team. In Minnesota State’s first round matchup in the NCAA Tournament, Bohlsen scored the lone goal for the Mavericks in their 2-1 loss to eventual champion Western Michigan.

With his college career over, Bohlsen looked to continue his dream of playing in the NHL. His first taste of professional hockey came in Calgary, Alberta, signing with the Calgary Wranglers, the American Hockey League affiliate of the Calgary Flames. Bohlsen appeared in four games for Calgary, notching his first professional point on April 18, 2025 with an assist against the San Jose Barracuda.

“I think it was great for me to get my feet wet in the AHL,” Bohlsen said. “I think it helped me go into the summer knowing what I needed to work on and ultimately come into this year ready to go.”

After the season ended, the forward continued searching for opportunities in professional hockey, which ultimately led him to signing with the Stingrays’ AHL affiliate, the Hershey Bears.

“I went through the process throughout the summer, talking to some teams, and in the end, I thought Hershey was a great spot,” Bohlsen said. “I couldn't be more excited to be signed with Hershey and a part of the Stingrays.”

When Stingrays Head Coach Dave Warsofsky was looking to fill his roster, Bohlsen was a player that was on his radar. At Hershey’s training camp, Bohlsen stood out to the first year head coach.

“He was a guy that this summer that I had watched a lot of and talked to a lot of people about,” Warsofsky said. “I thought right away when I saw him, he’s a big kid, he can skate, he can shoot the puck. Those are tangible aspects of his game. As you start watching him more, you see the other things that he can do.”

Now in his first full season of professional hockey, Bohlsen has continued to develop as a player, learning the professional game and Warsofsky has noticed his growth.

“He's put up goals, but I think more importantly, his all around game has started to come together,” Warsofsky said. “He's better in the defensive zone, so I definitely feel more comfortable putting him out there in all situations. I don't think he can let that stray away from his game. He does have a really good shot, and when he gets it off, it's usually pretty positive.”

Bohlsen has 12 goals this season with South Carolina, including three game-winning goals, and five assists in his first 30 games with the Stingrays. He believes that South Carolina has been the best place to help him continue his journey toward realizing his dream.

"I’ve been fortunate enough to play with some good players,” Bohlsen said. “I have a lot of confidence right now so I think that's been a big thing for me. I think the coaching staff and my teammates push me every day and I think it's a great spot to get to the next level.”

“I think we've talked a lot about using his body a lot more,” Warsofsky said. “He's done a better job of using his body, protecting the puck and understanding he has a little bit more time and space than he thinks. That all comes with experience, and the more games you play in pro hockey. It's a different game than college hockey. I think the more games he plays, the more experience he gets at this level will help incorporate his game a little bit more into the AHL and hopefully the NHL.”