Wednesday, October 16, 2013
Tourney Brings NCAA to B.C.
North Dakota, Princeton to face off in 2014 Great Northwest Showcase.
When North Dakota and Princeton travel to Vancouver, British Columbia, just after the New Year for the 2014 Great Northwest Showcase, it promises to be a unique experience for those players and the fans in that area.
While exhibition games against Canadian universities are commonplace, they almost always take place on campus in the U.S. These games against Simon Fraser University and the University of British Columbia will be held Jan. 3-4 at the Bill Copeland Sports Centre in Burnaby, B.C.
That gives young players and parents in Western Canada a rare opportunity for an up-close look at the level of play NCAA Division I hockey offers.
“They’ll notice the speed, how fast our game is and how little space there is out there,” Princeton head coach Bob Prier said. “They’ll see the tremendous quality of our game. All the see out there is major junior hockey, and hopefully this helps some more understand that there’s another developmental path to the NHL.”
First Visit Since ’99
How rare is NCAA hockey exposure in Western Canada? While North Dakota faced Clarkson as recently as 2012 in Winnipeg, no NCAA team has visited B.C. since Yale did so in 1999.
British Columbia and the BCHL have long been outstanding sources of talent for the NCAA ranks. In 2013-14, 108 B.C. natives are playing in Division I, roughly the same number as Massachusetts natives (111). The BCHL sent 214 players directly to college, second only to the USHL among junior leagues.
Despite that popularity, NCAA hockey still lacks exposure in Western Canada, as Prier said. College Hockey Inc. held two summits for high-end players age 13-16 in Surrey, B.C., last June to help introduce those players to college hockey. Other than a trip South, however, the best introduction is to watch NCAA teams first-hand.
“Players and parents in British Columbia have always shown great interest in combining the pursuit of their hockey career with their educational goals,” College Hockey Inc. Executive Director Mike Snee said. “We hope the chance to see the talent level and commitment of our teams in person will only heighten the interest of local players in NCAA hockey.”
Home Ice
It’s also a rare opportunity for players on the NCAA teams to play close to home. Seven of North Dakota and Princeton’s players hail from B.C., while 11 played in the BCHL immediately prior to college.
“Our players are excited, whether it’s their family, billet families or friends watching, there are some roots out there for our team,” Prier said. “At the same time, there are a lot of guys on our team who have never been to British Columbia, and it’s a beautiful place to visit.”
Princeton will head to B.C. from about 3,500 miles away at the Florida College Classic. Since the games fall during winter break for both Princeton and North Dakota, they can be counted as part of a foreign tour, and the teams can add the additional games to their schedules.
The Great Northwest Showcase is hosted by Simon Fraser, whose head coach, Mark Coletta, played college hockey at Plattsburgh State. This marks the third year of the event but the first featuring NCAA teams, something Coletta hopes to continue in the future.
Given the proliferation of B.C. natives on Division I rosters and the potential recruits in the stands, he should have little trouble attracting future participants.