Bergsland Using Positive Mindset to Excel in Texas
By Dylan Pescatore
Jan 7, 2026Growing up in Minnesota, playing hockey is not a choice; it’s a lifestyle. Tommy Bergsland, from Wayzata, Minnesota, had a head start on the rest of his neighborhood. The Bergsland family had a pond behind their house, which Tommy skated on since he was three years old, when it froze over from November to March.
“It gave me the opportunity to skate every day, which was probably one of my favorite things to do as a kid,” he said.
Although his parents never played hockey, Tommy’s love for the game had him hooked. As he grew up, dreams formed around how far he could take his hockey career. Tommy attended the public high school closest to him, Wayzata High. He took great pride in representing the town where he grew up.
There is nothing comparable to the Minnesota High School State Hockey Tournament. It’s a celebration of the sport in the state known as "The State of Hockey," held every year in March. It takes place at Grand Casino Arena, home of the NHL’s Minnesota Wild, which is packed to its capacity of over 18,000 people for every game of the tournament. Bergsland and his team made the state tournament during his sophomore year, an experience that he will never forget.
“It’s something about being in Minnesota and playing for your hometown that is super fun,” he said. “It was something that I really cherished while I was there.”
After his high school career was over, and with the next step of playing in college on his mind, Bersgland went to play for the Fargo Force of the United States Hockey League, a tier-one junior league that players who hope to play professionally in the future go to.
When trying out his second year in Fargo, the COVID-19 pandemic hit, and there weren’t enough spots on the team for Bersgland. After getting the bad news from the Force, there was no hesitation; he drove three hours west to play for the Bismarck Bobcats of the North American Hockey League, a tier-two junior league.
What transpired that summer did not follow the exact script of Bersgland’s dream, but he did not allow it to deter him on his way to playing college hockey.
“I just needed to go there with a good mindset, and I think it's helped me every year since,” he said. “Understanding that stuff is not always going to go the way you want it to, but you just kind of have to learn how to deal with it, put it to the side, and then keep working hard.”
After having a successful year in Bismarck, Bersgland was set to achieve his first dream. He had a Zoom call with Colgate University, a place he never got the chance to visit, but that did not change how quickly he reacted to their offer.
“I ended up committing five minutes after the Zoom call,” he said. “It's kind of a funny story to tell. I called my parents and said I want to do it. It sounds awesome.”
Bersgland truly enjoyed his time in upstate New York playing for the Raiders, and his dream evolved from playing in college to playing professionally.
After his junior season at Colgate, he received an offer to attend Dallas Stars Development Camp. It’s an event where young prospects and undrafted college free agents are invited to for the professional organization to get a better look at players during the summer. At the camp, Bersgland met some future teammates for the first time, such as current Texas Stars defensemen Gavin White and Luke Krys.
Bersgland returned to Colgate for his senior year, knowing that if he performed well, he would have a chance to play professionally once the Raiders' season concluded. Bersgland signed an amateur tryout with Texas on March 21, 2025, and played six regular-season and five playoff games for Texas, earning his first professional assist in Game One of the Central Division Semifinals against the Grand Rapids Griffins.
Following this past summer, Bersgland hoped to make the Texas Stars roster again, but due to the defensive depth in the Stars organization, he was assigned to the Idaho Steelheads, the Stars' ECHL affiliate. However, once again, he did not let a setback define him.
“I just kind of think every day it's much easier to come in here and enjoy it, and you're kind of living the dream at the end of the day,” he said. “You're doing what you’ve wanted to do for your entire life.”
After excelling in six games in Idaho, Bergsland got the call to join Texas on Oct. 31st, earning an assist in his second game back in the AHL, the Stars’ 3-0 win on Nov. 3 at Manitoba.
From skating on his backyard pond to earning a professional contract, Bersgland’s dreams were made a reality, with his pearly white teeth gleaming every step of the way.