UAF Nanooks head hockey coach Tavis MacMillan announced today that former Nanook Hockey player, Cam Keith, has signed a one-year NHL option contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
"I'm really excited as this is such a great opportunity," said Keith. "I feel privileged for the chance to play for an organization that is the pride of Canada."
Toronto's organization began talking with Keith back in June during the NHL Draft. They told him they were interested but they were awaiting other details before they could propose an official contract. That proposal became official a week ago. Keith said the month and a half spent waiting for the official proposal, seemed no less of time than the week it took for the actual contract to arrive for him to sign. "It was a month and a half of nail biting, and it felt like forever," Keith said.
Coach MacMillan commented on Keith's career at UAF, and the initial recruiting that brought Keith to Fairbanks. "Cam came from the talented British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL), but his size and power made him stand out. While at UAF Cam played on a line with Aaron Voros and Bobby Andrews and although he didn't get the press they did at the time, he carried his success from that year (2001-02) into his last two years at UAF, and that has brought him to where he is today."
Keith, a 6-foot-3, 214-pound wing from Nelson, British Columbia, had a strong career with the Nanooks and finished his four-year UAF livelihood with 42 goals and 58 assists for 100 points.
At the conference Keith admitted, "A good majority of those goals if not all of them were scored inside the crease. One goal I have is to establish myself and show I have the style of play to make it in the pros. I'm looking forward to the challenge."
Keith was picked up at the end of his senior season by the Hartford Wolfpack of the American Hockey League (AHL), where fellow UAF alum, Bobby Andrews plays. Keith played in four games for the Wolfpack, making his pro debut and learning the ropes. According to Keith, Andrews told him he had the size and the skills to play pro hockey, he just needed to show the coaches his ability to adjust from the college level.
"It's all about confidence and doing what it takes to build it up," Keith said. "I've got the size and strength, I just want the opportunity to show I'll do whatever it takes to play in the NHL and that I have that capability."
Reflecting upon his experience in Hartford as compared to his experiences in Fairbanks there was no question of the pride and appreciation Keith holds for the Fairbanks community. "In Hartford the arena we played in seated 18,000, but only four or five thousand would come to the games. In Fairbanks, there are rarely empty seats at the Carlson (Center) and you see familiar faces all throughout the stands. You can't find that anywhere else in hockey. I'm going to miss that."
Keith will fly to Toronto on September 5th for rookie camp with the Maple Leafs affiliate St. John's (AHL). The rookie camp includes a five-day mini tournament, which runs from September 10-14, where St. John's will face rookie squads from Montreal, Ottawa, and Florida. If the NHL doesn't come to terms, Keith will return to Fairbanks to practice with the UAF Nanooks for ten days, after which he will report to St. John's.
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