Ryan Orgel took a long and winding road to arrive at Denver, which was his college destination of choice for as long as he can remember.

The defenseman grew up in the Los Angeles area, then played juniors in the Central Canada Hockey League and for two teams in the North American Hockey League before the Pioneers asked him to enroll for the second quarter last season.

In matter of days in mid-November of 2017, Orgel moved from Texas and registered for classes at Denver, then hit the ice and played shortly after after Thanksgiving. Ironically, he made his NCAA debut at Minnesota Duluth, which happens to be this weekend’s opponent.

Magness Mayhem fed him some sweet passes, which he promptly hammered in this edition of One-timers.

You mentioned coming to Denver was a dream come true, do you have other favorite hockey memories?

My last full season of junior hockey in Wichita Falls (Texas) was good. I had a good experience playing there. I learned a lot from (Wichita Falls coach) Josh Nelson and developed a lot there. I was able to take the next step. … But No. 1 was coming to Denver.

Who are some of your big hockey influences?

I like watching a lot of defensemen in the NHL, but I’d say my favorite players are John Carlson of the Capitals and Erik Karlsson of the Sharks. As for coaches, I’d say Dave Carle, Jim Montgomery and Josh Nelson are the biggest influences.

Breakfast clearly is the most important meal of the day, at least for Magness Mayhem, so what is the breakfast of champions?

Honey Nut Cheerios, PB&J, orange juice, maybe some oatmeal.

We learned recently that DU goalie Devin Cooley has a pet bird, are there other team pets we should know about?

Not that I can think of. Petry might be the one and only.

DU has a good-natured group, but is there a clear-cut team comedian?

I think Oly (Kohen Olischefski) is pretty funny. (Ryan) Barrow. The Canadians. They have some pretty good jokes. … They’re genuinely light-hearted guys.

The Pioneers had a bye two weeks ago, what did you do on your weekend off?

We had some team bonding, taking our mind off school a little bit. Other than that I caught up on some homework, tried to get ahead a little. And just rested.

What do you do to unplug during hockey season?

I usually watch football or Netflix, something to try to take your mind off hockey. Days off don’t come often, so you try to rest as much as you can.

Are you particular about any of your hockey gear?

I’d say I’m pretty superstitious. I like everything a certain way. I try to keep it simple, but yeah, I am.

But you won’t tell us more?

No.

Is there one road trip you’ve gone on with DU that stands out as a favorite?

I’d say going to the Xcel Center in Saint Paul, Minn., last season for the Frozen Face-off. Winning the NCHC championship was a really great experience, and that is an amazing rink.

Speaking of weekend road trips, what are some essential items to take on them?

I pack pretty light. My noise-cancelling headphones and an eye mask to keep it dark while I sleep are important. I need my laptop to do homework and watch movies.

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