As skilled as he is on the ice, Denver forward Henrik Borgstrom is even nicer off of it.  The sophomore, who is among the NCAA’s leaders in goals and points this season, took some time recently to fire a few one-timers.

Did you have people in your family who played?

My dad has worked around hockey for a long time and he played. We used to always be at the rink with my younger brothers, just playing around. My dad did a lot of coaching. He wanted us to have fun so he never forced us to do anything. We just loved the game, especially with Linus, who’s only a year younger than me.

Are your brothers still playing?

Not competitively. Just with friends. It’s not that serious for them anymore.

If I were to visit your hometown, is there something I’d have to see?

There’s a lot of places you should go. Generally, during the summer you should go to downtown Helsinki. There are lots of people out. There are old buildings and old churches that are nice. And you can get Finnish food. … I don’t know if I can mention only once place.

Is there a Finnish meal you would recommend?

There are these pies my mom makes that are so go good. … You put eggs and butter on top of it. It’s really tastey. I don’t know the name of it (in English). There’s rice inside of it.

What is the breakfast of champions?

When I remember to eat one, sometimes I’ll have four eggs, sometimes scrambled. Sometimes I’ll have them overeasy. Coffee and lots of water. Sometimes I’ll have oatmeal. It’s pretty simple. I feel like that’s a lot of guys’ answer.

Liam Finlay told me he likes to make eggs benedict. Has he ever made you any?

I think he only does that at home, he hasn’t done that out here.

What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever gotten?

That’s a hard one. I can’t remember one thing, but my dad – it didn’t matter how well I played or how bad I played – he was always supportive. Even when I was in a bad mood after a bad game. He would always tell me I played well, or that he loved me. He was always trying to bring me up. He was never mad at me because I played a bad game. He was always supportive. I might say mad words back to him sometimes if I was upset about a bad game, but he’d always have calm words for me and try to make me feel better. … I don’t have special advice I’ve received, but that’s one of those things I’ve always remembered. The atmosphere at home was positive. … After a while I stopped thinking too seriously about games and the sport all around. I’d try to find something positive even with all the bad stuff I did in the game. My dad has taught me a lot.

Shifting to your current team, who’s the team comedian?

Fins (Finlay) has to be one of those guys. Blake Hillman, you would not think that he’s the guy who is the comedian, but he cracks me up every day at the rink. He’s just a goofball sometimes. Blake Hillman, let’s go with that.

Are you particular about any of your gear?

Not really. I used to be when I was younger, but I got over it. The only thing I try to do, nothing superstitious, is I always put my left side on first, like left skate first, left shin pad first.

Did you have a favorite player growing up?

I watched a lot of players growing up. I didn’t have one specific one. I liked to watch (Pavel) Datsyuk, (Sidney) Crosby. Players who played for Jokerit, like Ville Leino. He was one of my favorite players growing up, he was so skilled. Mainly skilled players.

Is there a road trip you’ve enjoyed going on at DU?

I love going to North Dakota. My second favorite place is Miami. That’s a cool college town. North Dakota is a cool place to play. The people are so hostile. We flew out there, and this woman was telling us how Denver’s going to go down this weekend. It was an hour away from the rink. It means a lot to the people out there. It’s a cool atmosphere and a huge rivalry, which makes it so special. All you think about the whole weekend is winning.

What are you thankful for?

There’s so much. For the chance to grow up in a good environment and come from a great family. I have great relatives. I’ve had lots of good friends. I’m happy with all the things that have brought me here. … I try not to forget about home, where I came from.

If Monty was a super hero, which one would he be?

Probably a bald one. … Maybe Batman just because of his voice. It can get a little low at times. The way he laughs. He could be a good Batman. … He’s not afraid of getting in fights either.

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