Okotoks, AB (October 16, 2025) – Edina, Minnesota, the home of America’s oldest mall, former President of the Calgary Flames Brian Burke, captain of the New York Islanders Anders Lee, and the Okotoks Oilers’ own Michael Mikan.
The 2007-born forward from the North Star State has already made an instant impact as he is tied for the team lead in points with seven (4G, 3A) in the early parts of the 2025-2026 BCHL season.
Mikan’s hometown of Edina has just under 54,000 people according to the 2020 census, but has been featured in pop culture, including the famous Mighty Ducks series. Adam Banks, who is featured in the trilogy, mentions that he is from Edina, Minnesota, in D2: The Mighty Ducks.
“It’s a pretty cool suburb. They win at a lot of sports, big hockey town. So it’s pretty fun to grow up there and play hockey for sure,” Mikan said about growing up in Edina.
His home state is known for its beautiful forests, but they are also known for the game played on ice, as one of the nicknames given to the state is the “State of Hockey”.
“Yeah, I think it’s because we have to play high school (hockey) out there. The atmosphere out there for high school, where I played in the state tournament, it’s pretty cool. You go out there and it’s a packed, playing in the Xcel Energy Centre (same arena the Minnesota Wild play in). I just think everyone wants to play for their community, wherever you go to private school, everyone wants to play for that community, and well, on the biggest stage you can play at, so it’s pretty fun,” he explained about where the love of hockey starts for the youth of Minnesota.
The Minnesota State Hockey Tournament is known across the hockey community, especially after Pulltab Hockey created yearly videos on the “All Hockey Hair Teams”. Mikan joked, saying that he couldn’t show off his lettuce while playing in the tournament, as he went to a military school, and the Cadets had no flow.
“No, no. I got my flow now, so we are good,” Mikan joked when asked if he wished he could have had wacky hair during the tournament.
Mikan added that some of his buddies were featured on the “All Hockey Hair Team” by Pulltab Hockey.
Edina is a quick 20-minute trip to the Twin Cities (St. Paul and Minneapolis), so it only makes sense that Mikan would grow up a fan of the Wild.
“Yeah, of course,” he responded when asked if he’s a Wild fan. “We have Kirill Kaprizov, he’s pretty cool. We don’t win in the playoffs a lot, but we have a fun atmosphere to watch. We have some good players and some good players coming up.”
Kaprizov was the talk of the hockey world recently when he signed an extension with the Wild for the largest contract in NHL history, with an eight-year deal worth $17 million per year. Mikan believes Kaprizov is worth every dollar.
“I think it’s awesome, pay that guy,” Mikan joked. “He’s just so fast. He’s not very big, but he’s strong on the puck. He’s got a nasty release, scores goals, he’s fun to watch.”
While many come to the BCHL in search of a commitment to post-secondary hockey, Mikan came to the team already committed to NCAA Div 1 hockey at Harvard University. Harvard has produced NHL talent in Adam Fox, Don Sweeney, Alexander Kerfoot, Alex Killorn, Ted and Ryan Donato, amongst many others.
“It came to be my senior year in high school. Started talking a little bit before that, then I went out the summer before my senior year, and I loved it,” he added.
Mikan would say he has a near 4.0 GPA and is interested in taking finance or accounting, as he feels both are great base points.
“My dad always told me he wanted me to go somewhere (for post-secondary). It was a sweet spot, education-wise. So going there is pretty cool, obviously, the best school to go for education, so that’s cool, and they got a sweet hockey team too,” Mikan said about Harvard University.
The sport of hockey continues to grow in America, which can be seen in leagues across North America, and the nation continues to be a threat to any country during international play.
“Well, I’ve mostly played in Minnesota, but I’d say outside of Minnesota, it’s growing a lot,” he said about hockey growing in America. “You see a lot of guys get drafted that aren’t from Minnesota, like Michigan’s obviously super big, New York is getting better. Even guys from California come to Minnesota to play there. It’s definitely a growing sport in the country.”
Mikan added that he’s certain everyone in Minnesota had the Canada vs USA games on during the Four Nations last year and mentioned that when the Tkachuk’s dropped the gloves, America was on their feet.
This isn’t the first time the Mikan name has made its way north to play hockey in the BCHL, as his brother Nick suited up for the Vernon Vipers 35 times during the 2023-2024 BCHL season. Mikan would visit his brother during his time in Vernon and made sure to ask Nick about the BCHL before joining the Oilers. Nick told Mikan that the league is filled with offence and is a fun league to play in.
“Yeah, he started in the USHL, and it’s a hard league to play in. It’s my first year in junior, so iI figured I’d come to somewhere I was familiar with. I knew I could find a spot, and I was comfortable with Okotoks because I talked to them and came to the camp. I knew it was a good spot, so even after my senior year ended, I kind of knew I was going to come up here,” Mikan said about making his decision to play for the Oilers.
Mikan said that one of his first thoughts when attending camp in the spring was how awesome the junior rinks in the BCHL are.
On top of playing hockey in the area, Mikan enjoys what Okotoks and the surrounding communities have to offer. He said he has already been to a Calgary Flames game, as he went to see them play the Vancouver Canucks. He said he won’t be able to see the Wild as his schedule conflicts with when they are in Calgary, but he’s going to make sure to go to more games.
“It’s crazy, I don’t think I have ever seen a mountain before. We went on a hike in Canmore, and I was like ‘Oh my gosh, this is crazy. Like if I fell right there, that’s a long drop down. On our 10-hour bus ride, there are just straight mountain after mountain. I’m like, ‘this is unbelievable, I’m right in the Rocky Mountains,” he explained about his excitement in being near the mountains.
Mikan added that he finds it unique that when he wakes up in the morning, there is normally a deer standing out in front of his car. He also mentioned that he got to see a wolf in the wild during his time in Okotoks. He said that he hopes to see a bear and cougar during his time with the Oilers and feels that seeing the amount of wildlife that roam the area is surreal.
Nick isn’t the only sibling of Mikan, as he has a sister, Madi, who is the oldest of the siblings, and a younger brother named Will, making Mikan the third-born child out of four. Madi currently lives in New York, Nick is currently playing hockey at Miami University in Ohio, and Will is back home in Edina.
“It’s good, it’s over hated. I like being the middle child. Stay out of trouble, not in the mess,” Mikan joked. “I’m pretty tight with all of them. My little brother and I are pretty tight because we were the only ones at home for the last couple of years. But, I still keep in touch with my older sister and older brother a lot.”
All four of the Mikan siblings are athletes, as the boys play hockey and Madi was a swimmer. While Mikan was never able to get his sister Madi to play net for the three brothers to take shots on, Madi made sure to use Mikan as a test subject for her outfits. Mikan joked, saying that some of the outfits she dressed him up in were embarrassing, but said she means a lot to him.
Mikan and his brothers are extremely competitive with each other when playing any type of game. He mentioned that sometimes that would leave his little brother Will upset, but Mikan teased by saying, “That’s how you know you are doing something right” in helping his brother Will build character.
“I guess time will tell,” he said about which brother is the better hockey player. “My older brother plays for Miami, Ohio, he’s Div 1, so that’s pretty good. (Will) is pretty good too, we’ll see.”
Mikan gives a ton of credit to his parents, Mike and Nikki, for helping him get the opportunity to play the sport of hockey and bringing him up the right way.
“My parents are my rock,” Mikan said. “They are obviously everything. My mom would drive me to Green Bay during COVID to play hockey, which is like four and a half hours away, every weekend, that’s just unbelievable. My dad has never missed one of my games. I don’t think he missed a high school game; he would always drive. We’d go four hours up north to Morehead, he’d be there,” Mikan praised his parents.
His parents are expected to make the trip to Okotoks soon, and he added that once Will’s season comes to an end in Edina, he will probably make the trip down as well.
Mikan explained that his brother Nick was the first one in the family to attempt hockey and credits him for getting him into the sport. While hockey wasn’t a big sport in the family, basketball was, as his great-grandfather, George Mikan, was an NBA star player as he holds a plethora of awards. Mikan’s great-grandfather played in the NBA from 1946-1956, suiting up for the Chicago American Gears and the Minneapolis Lakers. George Mikan would also hold a height of 6’10.
He died a couple of years before I was born. I talked to my dad about him. I did a project on him in history; it was pretty cool to learn about him. He was just such a humble guy, and he was so good, so dominant,” he said about his great-grandfather.
Mikan also added that his grandfather played college basketball and said his dad could have as well if he chose to. Mikan joked that basketball was never in the cards for him, as he doesn’t share the height of his great-grandfather.
The Oilers have their fair share of Americans on the team this season, including some returning players who are from south of the Canadian border. Mikan expressed how having other Americans on the team helped with the transition.
“Yeah, it’s a super tight group already, which is good. I think it helps. They have a lot of Americans coming in. We’ve got a couple from Minnesota, so they’re just making us feel comfortable right away. The vets are super welcoming, just really good guys you want to hang around. They’re easy to hang out with,” Mikan said about his teammates.
Mikan has been playing on a line with Brett Wilson (Calgary, AB) and Hunter Sawka (Cochrane, AB), both veterans on the team. He expressed how much both have meant to him early on, as they have shown him the ropes and helped him continue to grow.
“It’s been a lot of fun just playing with those guys. Obviously, they’ve been in the league for a while and they’re pretty good,” he added. “Just one, they’re so good at hockey, and two, they are very easy to read, so I know what they’re going to do, like I know when Sawka is going to make a play, and he’s so good at making plays. I know Willy (Wilson) is going to go in hard, he’s going to get the puck, and he’s going to find me. They finish they’re routes really well, they’re always going hard to the net. Super fun to play with.”
He describes his game as someone who likes the puck on his stick, drives a line, makes plays, and has a knack for finishing by putting the puck in the back of the net. Mikan is excited to showcase his skill this season in front of the Green Army and has already felt the love of the fans, including the youth who look up to the Oilers.
“I was already dishing out a few pucks out at practice to little kids watching us. They were banging on the glass, but it’s fun. The kids are great and super funny,” Mikan said about the young fans. “Yeah, 100 per cent, I have been one of those guys, being a fan, it’s cool.”
For fans who want to run into Mikan around town, a good chance you can find him at Freedy’s, as it’s already been a hit spot for him and his teammates this season.
10 Questions with Michael Mikan:
What is your go-to cheat meal?
“My go-to cheat meal, right now, it’s been Freddy’s. We go quite a bit, and it’s been pretty good. I get a double bacon cheeseburger, and then I get their orange frosty and sometimes a lemon too. In America, pizza. Just pepperoni, keep it simple.
What is your favourite sport other than hockey?
“Basketball, my great-grandpa was an NBA legend, so playing basketball is always pretty fun. I get pretty competitive.”
Favourite team and player growing up?
“Kirill Kaprizov and the Minnesota Wild. He came over a couple of years ago or five years ago. He’s been electric ever since, so super fun to watch.”
How many times have you been to Tim Hortons since arriving in Canada?
“I would say I go almost every day. I love the white hot chocolate there. The doughnuts there it’s awesome. I got to tone it down, honestly. I like the Boston Cream, but also the strawberry with the white powder on it.”
Favourite movie and TV show?
“Favourite TV show, me and my buddy from Minnesota are watching Stranger Things. My favourite movie as a kid was Free Willy.”
What is your guilty pleasure song?
“Somewhere with You by Kenny Chesney. A lot of the boys are playing it now, too. I put a lot of guys on it.”
Best advice you’ve ever got from your parents?
“Just work hard, keep your head down, and just keep pushing through. No matter what happens, and I’ve gone through not playing too, it sucks, but you just got to keep your head up, keep working hard, and just know that you have God.”
What is your secret talent?
“My hidden talent, I would probably have to say ping pong. I’m probably the best ping pong player on the team. That or like video games, I’m cooking everyone right now, so it feels good. I play a lot of Fortnite right now.”
If you could relive any day of your life, what day would you choose?
“When we made the state tournament, we got to go to the Xcel Energy Centre. So it was our second final game and a packed Braemar Arena (in Edina), we won in double overtime to go to the Xcel Energy Centre against our rival. We lost both years that I had been on the team earlier. On our senior year, we beat them in double overtime. We were way better, but we got the win. It was just awesome. We’d jump on the ice, I’m falling, we jump on the glass. We have a huge student section, so a lot of cadets. It was awesome, best day ever.”
Would you rather travel to the past or the future?
“Future, can’t wait to play college hockey.”
Bonus questions:
Best chirp you have ever heard or said?
“Every time I walk into the locker someone calls me “Cowgirl” or something, even though it’s “Cowboy” and everyone knows that. A couple of the boys know I’m Uncle Westy. If you know, you know. Uncle Westy gave me “Cowboy.”
If you could meet anyone in the world, alive or dead, who would it be?
“Jesus Christ.”
If you could go anywhere in the world right now, where would you go?
“Maybe Switzerland to ski. I used to ski a lot. I don’t do it a lot now, but I think that would be pretty cool. Maybe Sweden. Maybe catch a ride with (Markus Jakobsen) to go (to Denmark).”
The Okotoks Oilers are a not-for-profit, community-run junior hockey franchise competing in the BCHL and operating out of Viking Rentals Centre. For more information, visit okotoksoilers.com or follow the Oilers on X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, and Instagram.
