The British Columbia Hockey League's Powell River Kings are pleased to announce that graduating forward Ben Schmidt has committed to the University of British Columbia and will suit up for the CIS Thunderbirds beginning this fall.
Schmidt spent three seasons with the Kings and helped the club to back-to-back Coastal Conference championships. Famous for being a grinder and always digging in the corners, Ben became a key player in the team's penalty kill. Well respected by his teammates and a fan favourite, Ben always went above and beyond as a young leader involved with various community programs.
Schmidt will be pursuing an Engineering degree at UBC and his scholarship has also given him a spot on UBC Thunderbirds Men's Hockey Team where he'll continue developing as a gritty and talented player.
“We would like to thank Ben for all of his contributions to the Powell River Kings organization and to the community as a whole,” says assistant coach Chad Van Diemen. “We are very proud that he is going to play CIS Hockey while earning a degree from the Engineering Department at UBC. We would like to wish Ben the best of luck as he begins the next chapter of his career.”
When asked about how his Kings' experience contributed to his success in receiving a scholarship to UBC, Ben says, “Spending three years in Powell River truly prepared me for school. After I had graduated I was admitted to UBC and I was considering going. I feel I am much more prepared now than I was three years ago and I am in a better position to do well.”
The Kings organization congratulates you Ben on this great acheivements and wishes you all the best in your journey at UBC!
