Trail Smoke Eaters defenceman Trevor Zins is heading home next year. He is currently enjoying a breakout season for the Smokies, putting up career bests in goals, assists and points, and it has resulted in his commitment to St. Cloud State University, located less than an hour away from his hometown of St. Michael, Minn.
The 20-year-old finished fourth in scoring among BCHL defencemen with 46 points (12 goals, 34 assists) in 58 games. Over his two seasons in Trail, he put up 56 points in 99 regular-season games.
With the campus being so close to home, Zins already has a familiarity with what to expect when he joins the Huskies next year.
“I know a lot of the boys there on the team and with the campus being only 30 minutes from my hometown, it made my decision of St. Cloud that much easier,” he said in a release from the Smoke Eaters. “I grew up playing there in tournaments and practices and watching them turn into the program they are today.”
Smoke Eaters head coach Jeff Tambellini is excited for his number-one defenceman and knows he will be joining an already elite program at St. Cloud State.
“Today is a great day for Trevor and his family,” said Tambellini. “He has had an outstanding season leading our defensive group. As an organization, we are very proud to help a 20-year-old player commit to the number one ranked team in the NCAA. We know that [he] will have a great college career and we’re excited for him moving forward.”
St. Cloud State is located in St. Cloud, Minn. and plays in the National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC). They sit in first place in the conference with a record of 15-2-3 and are currently the number-one ranked team in the NCAA.
The Huskies 2018-19 roster features former Powell River Kings goaltender Jeff Smith and former Penticton Vees forward Patrick Newell.
Merritt Centennials defenceman Brady Ziemer is the only other BCHLer committed to St. Cloud State.
