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Johnson commits to Yale

KyleJohnsonThe Prince George Spruce Kings are excited to announce that 18-year-old forward Kyle Johnson has committed to play NCAA Div. I hockey at Yale University for the 2018-19 season.

“We are very happy for Kyle; he is a terrific player and a great young man who is very deserving of this commitment,” said Spruce Kings General Manager Mike Hawes. “He joined our team at the start of last season and immediately showed that he has the commitment and skill to be a high level player. We are very proud that Kyle has not only the hockey ability but the tremendous grades and commitment to his education that allow him to secure this prestigious commitment. We are also excited that Kyle will still be with our program for the next two seasons as he continues his development before joining the Yale program.”

Yale University is an Ivy League school located in New Haven, Conn. The Bulldogs play in the very competitive ECAC conference along with Quinnipiac, Harvard, Princeton, St. Lawrence, Clarkson, Brown, Cornell, RPI, Union, Dartmouth and Colgate.

“We are very excited for Kyle and his family,” said Spruce Kings Head Coach Chad van Diemen. “Yale is a world class university with a great hockey program.  Kyle has worked very hard on the ice, off the ice and in the classroom to earn this opportunity.  Our goal is to help Kyle prepare to be a student-athlete when he arrives on campus in the Fall of 2018.”

Johnson posted 12 goals and 29 assists while playing all 58 games for the Spruce Kings last season. The 5-foot-11, 180-pound forward’s production put him second in team scoring.

“I am excited and honoured to be joining such an amazing university and hockey program,” said Johnson. “I completely fell in love with everything about Yale after seeing campus. The way they approach the process of helping young players develop both on the ice and off seems like a perfect fit for me. I feel it’s completely the right spot for me to further my hockey and academic career.

“They have a recent track record of being a top team and when I get there I want to be a part of continuing that success. It’s a great opportunity for me to join an elite hockey team in a great league. Having this commitment already in place will only help me focus on winning hockey games for the next two seasons with the Spruce Kings. I appreciate and would like to thank everyone who has helped me get to this point including family, friends and coaches whether with their belief in me or from the things I’ve learned from them.”

This past season, Yale featured two BCHL alums in Charles Orzetti and Dan O’Keefe. Nanaimo Clippers forward Nolan Aibel is also committed to Yale and will start there this coming fall.