Mason Appleton grew up playing backyard hockey on a rink his father built, spending Green Bay winters bundled with hot chocolate and friends on the cold surface. Appleton was about three when years old his dad started him in the sport.

Situated a couple hours away from Madison and the University of Wisconsin campus, Appleton never grew up much of a Badgers fan. He was attached instead to the Green Bay Gamblers, spending his weekends watching the USHL team play and spending his youth practices listening to those players.

“I was always at the games with my dad and my buddies and then you'd hear about how those guys are committed to colleges and then they're going on full rides and getting their school paid for and things like that,” Appleton said. “And it really inspired me to be like one of them.”