Gunderson Gets Rewarded

SIOUX CITY, Iowa — Describing a young Landen Gunderson as a hockey fan would be a massive understatement.

The Plymouth native grew up glued to NHL Network and could rattle off any player’s stats or tell you where each team sat in the standings at the drop of a hat. He’s always had a passion for the sport and it started as a young kid skating on his outdoor backyard rink.

It’s a sport he’s found some success in too, whether that be in high school or now, as Gunderson has been one of the USHL’s top performers with the Sioux City Musketeers.

“I would just say the coaches have really believed in me and given me the opportunity to do well this year, and I’ve really just tried to take advantage of it,” Gunderson said. “Last year I obviously didn’t have the same opportunity and had to play a different role on our team, but I had a really good summer and changed a lot of habits, and I just wanted to make sure I could be at my best coming into this season.”

Gunderson is currently tied for the USHL point lead (44) through 37 games and his 15 goals are tied for ninth. The right-shot center has points in five of his last six and 13 multi-point games on the season, and he’s anchoring Sioux City’s top line between Giacomo Martino and Tate Pritchard.

It hasn’t exactly been a smooth road up to this point, as Gunderson put up 80 points during the 2021-22 season at Maple Grove, only to suffer an injury in November of 2022 – which limited him to 33 USHL games and forced him to miss the 2022-23 high school campaign.

Gunderson’s also been traded twice in the USHL, going from Madison to Green Bay in June of 2023 and Green Bay to Sioux City coming out of the Christmas break last season. Along with changing his college commitment multiple times from Western Michigan to Notre Dame and now Ohio State.

He struggled to contribute offensively in both Madison and Green Bay, or find a consistent spot in either lineup. Although he wasn’t a big point producer, he played a key role down the stretch for the Musketeers – who advanced to the Western Conference Finals last spring.

“When I got to Sioux City last year I hadn’t been playing a ton, so I really used that time to get into the gym and work on practice habits, but also focus on my eating and my nutrition so I could change my body around. And I think that’s been a big thing for me this season,” Gunderson said. “I carried that into this summer and the USHL is a really tough league, so you have to be at your best every night and I’ve just tried to put myself into the best position to be successful.”

Landen Gunderson made his USHL debut with Madison on March 30, 2022. He’s now played 120 regular-season games in his USHL career, including 65 with Sioux City. “I thought I’d be able to come into the USHL and play the same offensive game that I did in high school right away, which didn’t happen, but I think (playing in the USHL) has really broadened my horizons and made me a better overall player,” Gunderson said. “It’s a talented league and you learn to be versatile and embrace different roles, and I think it teaches you what it takes to be successful.” (Photo courtesy of Sioux City Musketeers)

A good change of scenery
Gunderson was someone that Sioux City head coach Jason Kersner and GM Sean Clark both targeted, especially as they geared up for a potential playoff run – which came to fruition.

Gunderson played 28 regular-season games for the Musketeers and another eight in the playoffs. He scored three times and added eight assists over those 28, and he finished a plus-2.

However, his value went well beyond the scoresheet, whether it was through faceoffs, his penalty-killing ability or simply his USHL experience.

“He had been on our radar for a while and we had a pretty good team last year, but we felt he could add some good depth to our lineup and he proved to be really valuable,” Kersner said. “Don’t get me wrong, we liked him a lot as a player and he’d previously shown he can score, but he was going to be a depth player and he did a lot of the little things well. But he just kept playing himself into more opportunities.

“So once the season ended and we had our exit meeting and knew he was coming back, he let us know he was ready for a top-six role and top minutes, and he believed he was ready to take a step. So give Landen a ton of credit because he had a big-time summer and he’s been unbelievable this season.”

That off-season work especially impressed the Sioux City brass, as Kersner said Gunderson looked like a “different player” at their main camp.

He came in leaner, faster and stronger, and the Sioux City staff could tell in June that he was poised for a big year – which has been huge for a team that lost its top eight point producers from a year ago. He got off to a quick start too, recording points in his first 13 games, and his confidence has only continued to grow.

Gunderson has continued to fill whatever role the Musketeers need, while once again showing his offensive ability and putting the puck in the net.

“I think the most impressive part about Landen is that he’s shown through his development that he can be such a versatile player in our league and now he’s putting up the points too,” Kersner said. “So when he goes off to school he has several different tools in his toolbelt and can potentially play whatever role (Ohio State) needs him to and then work his way up the lineup.”

Landen Gunderson came in as a ninth grader and racked up 147 points (45-102-147) over 78 career games at Maple Grove High School, including 80 (21-59-80) over 30 games in 2021-22. “He’s just always been an absolute competitor and doesn’t accept any mediocrity,” said head coach Todd Bergland. “He wants to perform at the highest level in everything he does and Landen’s just a gifted play-maker, and it’s been fun to see him progress to where he is now.” (Photo courtesy of Sioux City Musketeers)

Stronger through adversity
While any player would welcome Gunderson’s start to the season, perhaps his success is a little sweeter, especially with what he’s gone through the past two-plus years.

Although he spent time with Madison at the end of the 2021-22 season and played those 33 games in 2022-23, Gunderson considers this his second full season in the USHL.

He was still dealing with the lingering effects of a nagging injury at the start of last season and admits he probably rushed back from his ankle, but he’s back to 100% and it’s showing.

That doesn’t even include the mental hurdle that comes with playing in the USHL and managing the day-to-day ups and downs, which Gunderson has experienced his share of. This has been his first time since high school having the same coach coming into a season too.

Yet those around Gunderson aren’t surprised to see him power through it all and are happy he’s being rewarded.

“It’s outstanding to see but knowing the type of person Landen is, I’m also not surprised,” said Todd Bergland, who coached Gunderson at Maple Grove. “To think of where he was with Madison and the injury, and then last year was a little bit of an up-and-down season, things weren’t going perfect for him and it’s been a long road. But he’s battled through all the adversity and he’s doing a lot of the same things offensively that he did for us. So it’s been awesome to see how much he’s blossomed this year and the season he’s having.”

While he’s wearing a different jersey and a few years older, he’s showing many of those same traits and the type of player he can be, and he’s looking to continue doing so.

“I’ve went through a lot and it was a really tough two years, honestly, and I think that’s made this season even more enjoyable,” Gunderson said. “I broke my ankle and missed out on that senior year, then I got traded twice, so I was coming into this season and just really wanted to make the most of it.

“I think all the adversity I’ve gone through and some of that frustration only pushes you to be better and teaches you a lot of good lessons too, but I also wanted to prove to myself that I’m still a good player and can play at a high level. So I think the start to this year has been pretty rewarding and hopefully I can keep it going.”