FAIRBANKS, Alaska – Alaska Nanooks head coach
Dallas Ferguson and his staff announced the men's ice hockey program has signed its first two-incoming freshmen to National Letters of Intent and both will join the team this fall for the 2012-13 regular season.
The initial signees included
Nolan Huysmans (Ponoka, Alberta/Spruce Grove (AJHL)) and
Colton Parayko (St Albert, Alberta/Fort McMurray (AJHL)).
“I like the fact that Nolan and Colton come from programs with a history of success,” Ferguson said. “They have played lots of hockey and in important situations for their teams and we will look for them to compete for quality minutes next season.”
Huysmans, a 6-1 right winger, turned in back-to-back 30-goal seasons while playing for the Okotoks Oilers and Spruce Grove Saints, both of the Alberta Junior Hockey League. This year, he finished with 38 goals, which tied for second in the league, and 63 points, which was good for 10th in the AJHL. He posted eight multi-goal games this season, including a three-goal game in February and a four-goal outing back in January.
In three years playing at the junior level, Huysmans amassed 132 points (71-61-132) in 157 games played between the Grand Prairie Storm, Okotoks and Spruce Grove. After being involved in a transaction earlier this season that brought him to Spruce Grove, he tallied 30 goals and 14 assists in 46 contests.
“Nolan has the size and strength to make an immediate impact in his freshman year,” Ferguson said. “He is a forward who is not afraid to play in the traffic areas and this is why he was able to score the way he did this past season.”
“Nolan is a high-octane power forward who has tremendous offensive abilities,” Spruce Grove head coach
Jason Mckee said. “He has the ability to change the outcome of a game in a variety of ways. Nolan is a hardworking, dedicated student-athlete who is very deserving of the opportunity to join the Nanooks in Fairbanks.”
Parayko, a 6-4 right defenseman, was one of the AJHL's leading scorers for defenders this season. He notched nine goals and 33 assists for 42 points for the Fort McMurray Oil Barons. His assist total ranked tied for 12th in the league.
He appeared in 95 games over the last two seasons at Fort McMurray and totaled 54 points (12-42-54). In addition, Parayko was a 2011-12 member of Team Canada West that won the gold medal at the World Junior A Challenge (WJAC), an annual under-20 international tournament.
“The first thing you will notice about Colton will be his size,” Ferguson said. “He uses his size effectively by breaking up plays and defending very well. His ability to move the puck efficiently will be a big asset to our D core and our transition game. We are looking for Colton to eat up the large amount of minutes left vacant with the departure of our three seniors.”
“Colton's maturity and his continued improvement throughout the year was a direct result of his determination on and off the ice,” Fort McMurray head coach
Gord Thibodeau said. “He is a player that is consistently striving to better himself. The University of Alaska Fairbanks is not only getting a great player, but an even better person. We know that he will be an impact player at the NCAA level.”
