The Powell River Kings are pleased to announce that forward Tristan Mullin has committed to Cornell University for the 2017/18 season.
The 6-foot-1, 185-pound left winger is in his first year with Powell River, and spent two years previously in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League with Dauphin and Swan River. Through 34 games this season, Mullin leads the team in scoring with 18 goals and 13 assists. The decision to commit to Cornell was a simple one.
“I’ve been talking with them (Cornell) for most of the season,” said Mullin. “It began to get serious over the last few weeks and after talking it over with my parents, Cornell’s offer was too good to pass up.”
The commitment to Cornell is the second one of its kind for the Kings, as Mullin is due to head to the NCAA alongside his friend and linemate Kyle Betts.
“I tried not to let Kyle factor in, but obviously it does a little bit,” added Mullin when asked about how much Betts’ future played a role in his decision. “You’ve just got to make the best decision on your own and hopefully it works out. You’ll always meet new guys through hockey, but it’s good to be going with such a good friend.”
The pair have played every game together this season, outside of Betts’ absence for the recent World Junior A Challenge.
“Tristan has come into this program and done extremely well,” said Kings Head Coach and GM Kent Lewis. “He’s a guy who delivers consistently, works hard every shift and logs some important minutes for us up front. He’ll do very well at the college level and we’re excited for him.”
With the planned arrival to Cornell in 2017, Mullin has time to ready himself for the next level.
“I definitely need to work on my skating, it’s something I’ve discussed with the coaches here and Cornell,” said Mullin. “I also just need to get bigger and stronger and work on everything…it’s all got to get better at the next level.”
Mullin plans to study Agriculture at Cornell, and cited that as another big reason why he chose this path for his collegiate career.