Jackson Jutting Reflects on a Breakout Pro Debut and a Memorable Galen Nagle Tournament

July 20 — BEMIDJI – Every summer the Bemidji Town and Country Club rolls out the green carpet for the Galen Nagle Memorial Golf Tournament, a quirky mix of charity, nostalgia and a bunch of former Beavers who still know how to swing a club. This year, the event felt a little different for Jackson Jutting. Two years ago he was the kid watching the older guys hand out tickets and man the sponsor booths; this summer he was the one signing up, lacing up his shoes, and bringing his dad and father‑in‑law along for the ride.

“I remember how cool it was to see the people that were here before me,” Jutting said with a grin, the kind of smile that comes from a memory that’s both proud and a tad surreal. “It’s a little surreal to be one of the people playing in it now.” The tournament, named for the late goalie Galen Nagle – a 1983‑84 national‑champion who tragically died of cancer in 1996 – pulls alumni from several generations together, and Jutting, a 2025 graduate and former team captain, was more than happy to be part of the crowd.

He hadn’t even booked his spot until two weeks before the event. “When I found out I could finally work it into the schedule – last year it just didn’t line up – I asked my dad and my father‑in‑law to play. They were like, ‘Hands down, yes. Let’s do it.’” The three of them spent the day wandering the fairways, chatting with old teammates, and posing for the inevitable photo‑ops that end up on the club’s bulletin board.

But the real story of Jutting’s summer isn’t about golf. It’s about a rookie season that few could have predicted. After graduating from Bemidji State, the “Savage” native headed straight to the ECHL, lacing up for the Kansas City Mavericks. The results? Simply impressive. He led every first‑year player in the league with 30 goals, 11 of which proved to be the decisive, game‑winning kind. In 66 regular‑season games he racked up 59 points, earning a well‑deserved spot on the All‑Rookie Team.

The Mavericks rode that momentum all the way to the 2026 Kelly Cup Finals, only to fall short to the Florida Everblades in a 4‑2 series. Jutting still managed eight goals and 16 points across 17 playoff games, a contribution that felt, in his own words, almost accidental. “I didn’t have expectations for that at all,” he admitted. “I went into last season with the same mentality I had in Bemidji – be a 200‑foot centerman, do my job on the penalty kill, maybe see some power‑play time. Then the goals started coming and I just rode that wave.”

His breakout caught the eye of the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins, who handed him a four‑game stint. That call came on a Thursday night – February 19 – and Jutting was on a plane the next morning, battling a series of flight delays that left him stepping onto the ice a mere 40 minutes before puck drop. “It was crazy, but I got there just in time,” he laughed. “Those guys in the locker room have played hundreds of AHL and NHL games. Watching how fast everything moves – decisions, passes, shots – you realize each step up is a whole new speed.”

Now, after a year that felt like a whirlwind, Jutting is packing his bags for a new adventure across the Atlantic. He’s signed a contract with MoDo in Sweden’s HockeyAllsvenskan, fulfilling a long‑standing personal goal. “I always kind of expected to go to Europe at some point,” he said. “It was something my wife and I were interested in early on. I didn’t want to wait until retirement to see the world.”

As he prepares to trade the Midwest’s chill for the Nordic air of Örnsköldsvik, Jutting says the lessons from Bemidji – that gritty, all‑out style of play – still guide him. “The style of play here set me up for the pro game and made the transition easy,” he reflects. “No matter where I end up, that Beavers’ work ethic is in my back pocket.”