Chicago Blackhawks prospect Mason West completed his goal of winning a state championship in high school football.
The Chicago Blackhawks made a bold move when they traded up to select Mason West 29th overall in the 2025 NHL Draft. He was the third of three first-round picks made by Chicago in 2025.
West had a unique story because he was dead set on finishing his senior year football season at Edina High School in Minnesota. He felt a deep commitment to his community, teammates, and himself to finish the job of winning a state title in football. He did so in hockey last season, and wanted to complete the job on the gridiron.
On Friday night in the big game, Edina High School held on for the 42-35 victory over Moorhead for the state championship. West threw two touchdown passes in the win.
West set out to get this done. He took the risk, made it clear what his intentions were, and did it. At this point, it's hard to argue against his will to be great. That attitude will play in the sport of hockey.
This win will be enjoyed by West, his teammates, and the community for a little while, but his high school football career is now over.
A fun side note for hockey fans is West's running back, Chase Bjorgaard. He is also the goalie for their hockey team. In the championship game, Bjorgaard ran for 320 rushing yards and had six total touchdowns in the win. Hockey players totally took over this football game.
West will now make the switch back to hockey, where he is going to resume his time with the Fargo Force of the USHL. Next season, West is committed to Michigan State University. Once he is done there, regardless of how long he stays, the Blackhawks will look to turn him pro.
On the ice, West (a forward) is a project. He has a lot of work to do in order to become a high-end hockey player, but he has the raw skills to make it happen. Being a quarterback at a high level certainly helped him with his vision, reaction, and overall athleticism.
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