The Freshmen
12/18/2003 12:00:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
Dec. 18, 2003
While one was wearing a rental tuxedo and going to the senior prom, the other was passing notes in class and shooting spit wads through the halls of middle school.
Today, they're college freshmen, roommates and two of Michigan State's best defensemen.
On the ice, the Ethan Graham and A.J. Thelen excel in a similar fashion, but when the skates come off, it's a whole other story.
"I think they put us together (in the dorm) because of the whole 21- and 17-year-old thing," said Graham-pa, as his teammates refer.
"You know, because he's so mature," Thelen said mockingly.
Even though the two superstars-in-the-making enjoy their living situation, there has been a period of adjustment.
"He is a big rap fan," said Graham. "I'm not really into that kind of music. He's got a big sub in our dorm room and sometimes it needs to be turned down."
"I'm a big Eminem and 50 Cent guy," Thelen said. "He's more into Incubus and Collective Soul. He played someone called Cake the other night, and I had no idea what it was."
As different as their tastes in music are, their paths they each chose in getting to Spartan country were just as diverse.
Graham followed the more traditional route by playing multiple years in junior hockey after high school to help prepare him for the jump to the collegiate level. He spent two seasons (2001-03) with the Lincoln Stars of the United States Hockey League and the year prior with the St. Louis Sting of the North American Hockey League.
"I played at pretty popular junior programs and that really helped prepare me," Graham said. "But it's different playing in college. You are representing your school, not just the 20 guys in the lockerroom. You represent the 43,000 students that go here, you're representing the whole community."
Thelen chose the road less traveled by graduating from high school in three years in order to arrive on campus a year early. He played for the U.S. National Under-17 team last year, getting a taste of what life would be like away from home.
 A.J. Thelen is the second youngest player in NCAA-I with a March 11, 1986 birthdate.  | |
"When Coach Comley brought up coming in early with my parents and I, we all decided that it was the best decision," Thelen said. "Spending last year with the national team helped to ease the transition to college."
Even with the age disparity between the two players, both admire certain characteristics in the other.
"I wish I had his confidence sometimes," Graham said with the pride of an older brother. "He is a younger guy and he's going into the situation where he has to have a lot of confidence."
"He usually knows the right thing to do in most situations," Thelen responded. "He's always calm and never gets rattled, he makes the right choices on and off the ice. He's a great leader for the freshmen."
So now that they're roommates what do two guys four years apart in age do off the ice?
"We got to the movies or we'll grab a bite to it," Thelen said.
"What were we watching this weekend?" Graham interrupted. "We were watching 'Top Gun' and I said that I remembered when this came out back in about '86."
"I was like three months old," Thelen shouted as his roommate covered his face in disbelief.
The two freshmen play off each other like a well-traveled comedy duo and if they carry that same chemistry onto the ice with them, Michigan State could run off a few championships before their careers end.
Let's just hope Thelen doesn't need to help his "Graham-pa" to the finish line.
By Robbie Schlissberg, MSU Sports Information
