After Ben Strinden's gesture, a Hallock family battling cancer is inspired to give back
· Yahoo Sports
Mar. 6—GRAND FORKS — Ben Strinden wanted to know more about the Pollestad family.
He saw 16-year-old Avery and 11-year-old Finn standing with their parents, Jeremy and Erin, on UND's bench during warmups before a Halloween night game.
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It was Hockey Fights Cancer weekend in Ralph Engelstad Arena.
Jeremy, 45, was diagnosed with Glioblastoma in January 2025, and the One Day To Remember foundation set up the evening for the Pollestads, who are lifelong UND hockey fans from Hallock, Minn.
They met UND coach Dane Jackson before the game. Jackson took them on a tour of UND's locker room and player facilities. UND presented the family with two signed jerseys.
But it was a little more personal for Strinden when he found out that Jeremy had been diagnosed with Glioblastoma.
Strinden's father, Tom, passed away in July from the same brain cancer.
Strinden asked to meet with the family after the game.
"It was really impactful for the kids to see someone who has gone through it," Erin said. "It's a really crappy club to be a part of. To know other people are going through the same thing does help."
Strinden spent 10 or 15 minutes with the family. He talked with them, shared his experience and prayed with them.
"It meant a lot to us," Erin said. "We just felt so supported."
Jeremy has now entered hospice care.
He and his family have decided it's their turn to give back. They worked with Lindsey Gullickson and the Hallock Youth Hockey board to set up a Hockey Fights Cancer fundraiser. It will be part of Finn's squirt game against Grafton at 5:30 p.m. on March 13 at Hallock Ice Arena.
Jeremy will drop the ceremonial first puck before the game. There's also
an online fundraiser.
"By Ben stopping to visit us, it showed that giving back is where we can take the blessings from this crappy situation," Erin said.
The day after their conversation with Strinden, Erin checked to see if there were any tickets available for the series finale against Minnesota Duluth so she could take Finn.
"Two popped up, right behind the bench, for $25 each," she said. "The stars aligned."
Strinden broke his stick on one of his first shifts of the game. He spotted Erin and Finn behind the bench and gave them the stick. They have fixed it up and Finn has it as a keepsake.
Strinden went on to tally
a career-high four points
that night — one that started with a moment of silence for his father.
"For Finn, it was really impactful to see that," Erin said. "Here he was skating on a really hard day. He played insane on both days. It was like, 'Oh man, this is meant to be.'"