NCAA Hockey Make Their Pitch To Local Players

College Hockey Inc. Host a NCAA Hockey Information Session in Winnipeg –

A “College Hockey Summit” was held in Winnipeg on Thursday at the MTS IcePlex. Mike Snee and Kyle Lawson from College Hockey Inc. were coordinating the event with Mike acting as the host and moderator for the information session attended by seventy Manitoba hockey players and their parents. 

There were 17 Manitobans that played NCAA hockey in Division I in 2013-14 and the NCCA would like to increase those totals.  One of those 17 players was Winnipeg’s Mat Bodie, who led the Union College Dutchmen to the 2013-14 NCAA D1 National Championship as their captain.  Mat was one of the featured guests at the info session.  He was joined by ex-Atlanta Thrasher, J.P. Vigier from Notre Dame de Lourdes in rural Manitoba.  J.P. attended Northern Michigan University for four years before turning pro with Atlanta.  Bodie and Vigier answered questions from Mike Snee as well as questions from the parents in the audience.  

It was a very informative give and take combined with a touch of humor that answered many important questions and misconceptions about NCAA hockey. The event also featured appearances by Division I coaches from the University of North Dakota and the University of Minnesota-Duluth.  It was designed to introduce talented young players and their families to NCAA hockey and outline for them the eligibility requirements to get there.

NCAA hockey player Matt Bodie

Union College captain Mathew Bodie

Winnipeg native, Mathew Bodie, had a four year career at Union College culminating in a national championship where he scored a goal in all four of Union’s NCAA  Tournament games.  He will me moving on to the New York Ranger training camp in the next few weeks.  Both J.P. and Mat are examples of players that took a different route to professional hockey with a different time line. 

One of the most important messages that came out of this hockey summit was –

“Do not rush yourself trying to make it to the next level”.

All in all, it was a very informative session that helped to let the young hockey players in attendance know that every player develops at a different rate and that there are options for the elite player as well as the late bloomer.

For more information on the NCAA

1.  NCAA men’s hockey

2.  College Hockey Inc.

3.  NCAA eligibility

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