By the time Rhett Rakhshani finished his four-year career at Denver in 2010, the affable Californian had etched his name in the Pioneers’ record book in several places.

He finished tied for 18th in school history with 151 points (including 91 assists), and he and teammate Marc Cheverie were both selected as finalists for the Hobey Baker Award. Rakhshani, who also served as the Pioneers’ captain during the 2009-10 season, was an All-WCHA selection after a campaign in which he amassed 50 points – his college high-water mark.

A fourth-round draft pick of the New York Islanders in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft, Rakhshani played two seasons split between the AHL and NHL before heading to Europe in 2012.

He took time out before his sixth season in Sweden to talk about his growing family (wife, daughter and dog), the stylistic differences between NCAA, North American professional and European professional hockey and his time at DU. He still follows the Pioneers intently, something he made clear during our chat.