Up North: Hibbing/Chisholm remembers those that helped them secure Section championship

The Hibbing/Chisholm boys hockey team had quite the week.

First, knocking off Hermantown on Saturday in the section 7A semifinals. It was the first time Hermantown wouldn’t appear in a section final since 2008, when the Hawks played in Section 5A. The Bluejackets carried that momentum to a Wednesday night matchup with Cloquet-Esko-Carlton, who they took down in overtime thanks to a goal from freshman Whitaker Rewertz.

“You can’t dream of this moment,” said Rewertz. “Scoring the goal, it’s just…anyone could have done that. It’s just an easy pass and team effort. It’s a great team.”

With the win, the Bluejackets punched their ticket to the state tourney for the first time since 2011.

A Hibbing staple may have given the Bluejackets the lift they needed though.

“There’s a great atmosphere, best I’ve ever played in,” said Tate Swanson, a junior forward. “I know Adam [Johnson] is smiling from above.”

“You know, we’ve done this before with pee-wee. We’re kind of used to it,” said Cole Swanson, a freshman forward. “We know [Johnson] is looking down on us. I think he gave us that little extra edge.”

Losing Adam Johnson last year was heartbreaking for the hockey community, especially those in Hibbing, who have his number hanging in their home arena. The Bluejackets used his memory to propel themselves, and the memory of a current teammate.

“That 2011 team was really good. Adam Johnson was on that team. Last year was tough. This year we did it for him, and Dylan Vesel, he couldn’t be here with us. He has some problems. But we did this for him,” said Jace Kampsula.

“This is for Dylan Vesel. He couldn’t be here. He’s a big part of the team,” said head coach Aaron Jamnick.

Vesel wasn’t with the team for health reasons, but the Bluejackets hung his jersey up on the bench. With the support of Besel and the memory of Johnson, the Bluejackets are ready to roll into the state tournament.