Calvin College professor will study hockey as Fulbright scholar

Ever since he was a young boy, hockey has been a defining factor in Bruce Berlund's life. Growing up in Duluth, Minnesota, skating was practically second nature to him.

Now, the Calvin College professor has received a Fulbright Award to research the history of hockey as a global sport.

Berlund learned how to skate when he was just 3 years old, and still remembers how he and the other neighborhood kids would frequent a local ice rink in their spare time.

"When I was playing as a kid, there were still a lot of old arenas in Duluth," Berglund said. "That was a real connection to the games past, to play on arenas with small rinks and old-fashioned Zambonis."

Berglund played youth hockey and continued playing the sport well into high school. He'd always had an interest in the sport's history, even as a young child.

As an adult, Berglund studied history and now holds a doctorate degree in East European and Russian history. ...