More than 4,500 fans turned out last month to see the top prospects in the St. Louis Blues organization play a glorified scrimmage.

One of the reasons for all the excitement was the presence of former University of North Dakota star T.J. Oshie.

Oshie, who is turning pro after three seasons with the Sioux, was the Blues' first-round pick in 2005, and is expected to be one of the top rookies in the NHL next year.

Oshie, who was in town Tuesday to work with youth hockey players in conjunction with the Bismarck Hockey Boosters, is eager to get his shot at making the Blues.

"They've so far had a lot of faith in me and a lot of support, so I'm going to come in and hope I don't disappoint them," he said.

Oshie lived up to every expectation and then some during his college career. After leading Warroad, Minn., High School to two state titles, he made an immediate impact at UND, helping the Sioux advance to three straight Frozen Fours.

With the likes of Jonathan Toews - a first-round draft choice of the Chicago Blackhawks in 2006 - and Ryan Duncan, who won the Hobey Baker award in 2007, Oshie treated UND fans to countless highlights.

"That line was a fun line to play on," Oshie said. "We definitely had a lot of chemistry. It wasn't only on the ice, but off the ice as well. We were really pretty close. It was a great experience for me and good friendships as well."

Invidually, Oshie was the nation's top goal-scorer as a freshman, lighting the lamp 24 times. His junior year he was a first-team All-American and Hobey Baker nominee. But Oshie says what he enjoyed most about his time at UND.

"The highlights are not really what people would think, you know? Obviously the sweep at Minnesota when I was a sophomore - that was fun," he said. "Going farther than Minnesota (in the postseason) every year was nice, just because we're rivals. Getting to the Frozen Four was fun. But the best times for me was when it was just the guys hanging out."

The Blues tried to persuade Oshie to turn pro after his sophomore year, but he wanted to take another crack at winning a national title. But as much as he would have liked to return for his senior year, Oshie felt he was ready for the next level.

"It was a very tough decision," Oshie said. "When (former UND teammate) Taylor Chorney signed, he said right away that college is the time of your life. If I could play at North Dakota the rest of my life, I definitely would. But I feel it's time for me to move on and pursue my dream of playing in the NHL."

Last season Toews took the NHL by storm as a rookie, helping pump life into the once-moribund Blackhawks. Oshie watched his former teammate with great interest.

"I talked to Jonny just a little bit, and he said that I'm going to love the offense and love especially the shootouts," Oshie said. "He said I'm going to have a lot of fun, and I'm looking forward to it."

Oshie is hoping to be part of a similar youth movement in St. Louis. The Web site http://www.hockeys future.com rates the Blues' young players as the best in the NHL, one spot better than Chicago's. Though he is not projected to be a franchise player like Toews, Oshie is ranked as St. Louis' No. 1 prospect.

But Oshie knows there is still work to do to earn a spot with the Blues.

"We already had a rookie camp, and that went very well," Oshie said. "My on-ice was pretty good. Off ice, I can improve, which I've been working at.

"I have to work on my skating quite a bit, just being able to adjust to the speed of the game. It's a lot quicker up there. You don't have as much time to make decisions, so I hope I can adapt to that."