- Blackhawks first-rounder Mason West won a Minnesota state football title before going all-in on hockey
- The 6-foot-6 forward heads to Michigan State this fall after a late-starting USHL season
- Read below for what West said about leaving the quarterback job behind
Mason West had one more thing to finish before hockey got all of him.
The Chicago Blackhawks first-rounder spent his senior fall playing quarterback at Edina High School instead of chasing pucks, and he walked away with a Minnesota Class 6A state title. That chapter is closed now.
Closing out the football side came up at the World Junior Summer Showcase in Windsor, Ontario, where West talked with NHL.com’s Tracey Myers.
“I’ll always have football in hand, but I’m all hockey now and I kind of love it because I can dedicate my time to hockey and focus on things I need to get better at.”
Edina beat Moorhead 42-35 on Nov. 21 for the Class 6A crown, with West throwing a pair of touchdown passes. Here’s how the Hornets closed it out, via Chicago Sports Network’s Charlie Roumeliotis:
Playing football into late November meant West showed up to Fargo of the USHL about three months behind everyone else. He still put up 25 points (10 goals, 15 assists) in 38 games.
Force coach Brett Skinner was asked how a kid pulls that off.
“He started three months late, never mind just missing training camp. But I give him a ton of credit. It speaks to his talent level and what he’s capable of that he can come into that time of year and be able to do what he did the second half of the year.”
Next stop is Michigan State, where West joins a roster carrying five first-round picks from the 2026 draft. Spartans coach Adam Nightingale also ran the U.S. bench in Windsor this week, so the two already have a head start:
Nightingale laid out what he wants from a forward that size.
“Every time you move up you’re playing against bigger, stronger guys and for him, it’s using his frame to both protect the puck, kick the puck to the net and then also when he doesn’t have it, using his size and reach and physicality to end plays.”
Windsor has gone fine so far. West scored in USA Blue’s 6-4 win over Sweden and set up Nick Bogas in a later meeting with the Swedes.
Alberta hosts the 2027 World Junior Championship from Dec. 26 through Jan. 5, and West said the roster push is already living in his head.
“Whenever I’m in the workout room, whenever I’m on the ice, I’m thinking, ‘What can I do to get better, what can I do to help make that team and help them win a gold medal?’ I’m super excited and hungry to make that team.”
Catch West talking through the move at Blackhawks development camp:
West turns 19 on Monday, and Michigan State gets him a few weeks after that.
