How do you turn around a high school hockey program? 

How do you change the culture of a program that had won two of 26 games the year before you became the head coach?

For Moorhead's native son Ryan Kraft, the answer couldn't be found in Lee Iacocca's management book or on an inspirational poster. Turning around the Spuds came down to embracing a lost art. 

"At the end of the day, it's a game," Kraft said over the phone in late October. "And if we're not having any fun, why are we doing it?"

Could it be that simple? 

Could the key to unlocking a program's potential really come down to the slogan Ben and Jerry's has been using for over 40 years to sell ice cream?

For Kraft, the proof has come over the last two seasons, but he knew something had to change when he arrived prior to the 2019-2020 campaign. 

"I didn't feel like the girls were playing with any (sense of) fun," Kraft said. "There wasn't any fun involved in their game, and my number one goal that first year was just to bring the fun back and start building a culture around that word."

The Spuds went 2-20-3 during the 2018-2019 season, then were blanked 7-0 by Brainerd/Little Falls in the first round of the Class AA, Section 8 playoffs. 

Losing sucks the fun out of sports faster than anything. Practices lose what little appeal they have. Minor problems become big problems. Tempers flare. 

Kraft and his staff began the turnaround by restructuring practices.

"We worked on a lot of passing," Kraft said. "We worked a ton on flow drills, and we did battle quite a bit. Those were basically the three components we tried to utilize every day, just to start to build a higher-energy practice," Kraft continued. "I think that ended up translating to some pretty good results toward the end of the season that first year."

In Kraft's first season, the Spuds more than doubled their win total to eight, and gave Brainerd/Little Falls a more competitive playoff game. Their practices were disciplined and focused, zeroed in on improving just a little better than they were the day before.

Last year, Kraft's second as head coach, the Spuds improved to 11-8-1, advanced to the section semifinals, and hung tough with perennial northern power Roseau before falling 3-1.  

Along the way, Kraft stressed the importance of patience, a challenging concept for high school players in any era, but even more so due to the ever-growing culture of instant gratification exacerbated by technology. 

"We live in a world where we have everything at our fingertips with these phones," Kraft said. "The game of hockey, and the athletic world in general, and the professional world, it doesn't work that way. It takes time."

Kraft added that those pesky lessons of patience and practice serve players well once they move on from the program. 

"There's a process involved, and unless they understand that process, they'll never see the results," Kraft explained. "If we can get them to understand that (concept) as 16 and 17-year old kids, they'll be successful people."

Sometimes that process involves the most underrated aspect of high school athletics - the junior varsity. 

Somewhere along the line, JV teams went from the typical developmental landing pad for young players to a dealbreaker. Varsity became the only desired destination for talented underclassmen.

"They view it as a demotion," Kraft said. "It's tough to keep their mindset on 'this isn't a demotion, this is an opportunity to go down and play a little bit more.'"

"You're going to go down, and you're going to play in different situations, and you're going to get more puck touches." 

Kraft and newly hired junior varsity coach and former Spud standout Tyler Johnson are working to change the anti-JV narrative.

"He graduated with Ammerman, and Brian Lee, and Chris VandeVelde. He was in that class," Kraft said of Johnson. "He has an idea of winning, but he also has an idea of development, and that was a crucial piece for me to find this summer."

Crucial pieces seem to be a theme for the Spuds. 

Four of last year's six leading scorers are back, including overall leader junior Bria Holm, who recorded 19 goals last season. Goaltenders Taylor Kressin and Kylee Jankee also return. The duo combined for four shutouts last season, and as an eighth-grader, Kressin stopped 30 of 33 shots in the section semifinal loss to Roseau. 

Of the 29 players on the roster, 18 are underclassmen, including 11 freshmen.

"We feel like we're pretty deep in the net, we feel like we're really, really deep up front," Kraft said of his group. "I think our defenders have a lot of raw ability, it just needs to be (refined) a little bit."

The amount of young talent on the roster certainly isn't lost on Kraft, who emphasized that every player, regardless of age, will be called upon at some point to contribute. 

"There's a role for everybody on this team," Kraft said. "As long as somebody has a role and they're executing their role, they're going to play. Giving them that respect and that level of honesty, (telling them) that this is your role on this team, and we want you to do the best job, because it's what we need you to do."

Know your role and have fun. Those uncomplicated concepts have apparently rubbed off on the rapidly-improving Spuds. 

"I have so much fun coaching these girls, and I enjoy it so much, every day is a gift, and I try to treat it as such," Kraft said.

The enthusiasm seems to be mutual between the coaching staff and the players. 

"Coming out of last year and into this year, I can see the excitement in every single girl, and how jacked up they are for the season to start," Kraft said.