Having already bettered his offensive totals of a season ago, Salmon Arn Silverbacks forward Rhett Kingston has attracted the attention of the NCAA and will play for the Broncos at Western Michigan University starting next season.
The native of Okotoks, Alta. has posted 21 goals and 20 assists in 44 games this season and he leads the ‘Backs in both categories. This after he recorded 16 goals and 14 assists last season while a member of the Cowichan Valley Capitals.
The connection to Western Michigan was strengthened by the fact that Silverbacks assistant coach David Killip played for the Broncos and was a graduate assistant coach with the team as well before returning to the fold in Salmon Arm this season. The Broncos’ head coach is former NHL bench boss Andy Murray who was once also part-owner of the Salmon Arm franchise.
Kingston, a 6-foot, 200-pound forward, has recorded multiple-point games on 12 occasions this season.
At Western Michigan, he will join a Broncos program that competes in the NCAA’s National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) along with North Dakota, Denver, Miami-Ohio, Nebraska-Omaha, Colorado College, Minnesota-Duluth and St. Cloud State.
Former BCHL players on the Western Michigan roster this season are Paul Stoykewych and Kale Bennett. Dave Shyiak, who was the Merritt Centennials head coach in the 1994-95 season, is the Broncos associate head coach.
