This was exactly what Tyden Bergeson envisioned when he left his junior hockey team in Madison, Wis., to return for his senior year at Moorhead.

Saturday night, March 7, the 6-foot, 180-pound forward helped Moorhead to its second consecutive Class 2A championship, rallying from a three-goal deficit in the third period to beat Minnetonka 5-4 in double overtime.

Less then 24 hours later, Bergeson was named the 42nd winner of the Minnesota Mr. Hockey Award at a banquet at the St. Paul RiverCentre. The award is given by the Minnesota All Sports Alliance.

Bergeson led Moorhead in scoring with 29 goals and 52 assists. He had two goals and three assists in the state tournament.

“It’s like kind of out of a storybook, you know,” Bergeson said when reflecting on his week in St. Paul. “It’s just an amazing feeling, something that I’ll never forget. I would have taken zero points if it meant a winning a championship with my best friends for life.”

He had just won the most valued individual award in Minnesota hockey, but Bergeson was still riding the high of the state championship the night before. A captain and the Spuds emotional leader, he made a point to give credit to his team for the award.

“Obviously, it’s an individual award, but I’ve got to give props to my teammates,” he said. “Without them, I’m not standing up on that stage.”

Bergeson left his junior hockey team, the United States Hockey League’s Madison Capitols, to rejoin Moorhead for his senior season. He plans on returning to play juniors before heading off the college, where he will play for Augustana in Sioux Falls.

Any regret about juniors?

“Nope. Now people can understand why I came back,” Bergeson said. “I never had a doubt. You can’t finish things off any better.”

Spuds teammate Brandon Mickelson won the Reed Larson Award for the state’s top senior defenseman, and Hermantown goalie Bryce Francisco was named the winner of the Frank Brimsek Award, given to the state’s top goalie.

Francisco, whose team was eliminated the section playoffs, was playing with his junior team, the Bismarck Bobcats of the NAHL, Saturday but made the trip to St. Paul for the awards ceremony.

“I left Bismarck at 3 a.m.,” Francisco said. “It’s a seven-hour drive. I have to drive back this afternoon.”