When Mason West was taken 29th overall by the Chicago Blackhawks [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/chicago-blackhawks] last June, he made it clear that he was returning to high school to play football and try to win a state championship with his friends before he would start seriously concentrating on hockey. And West did just that, leading his Edina High School to a 6A state championship in football [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/chicago-blackhawks/latest-news/blackhawks-prospect-mason-west-completes-goal-of-winning-state-football-title] over the weekend. He'll shortly join the Fargo Force of the USHL [https://thehockeynews.com/ushl] and turn his attention to hockey. There's something pure and refreshing about all this. And, more importantly, it debunks the theory that you have to get your kid on skates shortly after he or she is toilet trained and have them singularly devote themselves to the sport 12 months a year in order to become an elite player. Here's hoping Mason West stars in the NHL someday. Watch today's video column up above for the full story. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Image [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/3f474e00-6841-479c-bb64-0e92766f63b0.png] For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free [https://thehockeynews.store/products/print-subscription]. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here [http://eepurl.com/i7OC4I]. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
