Trio of Seniors Join Professional Hockey Ranks

FAIRBANKS, AK – Three Alaska Nanook seniors have made the next step in their hockey careers, joining the professional ranks this week. Center Dion Knelsen (Three Hills, AB, Drumheller (AJHL)) signed on with the American Hockey League's Peoria Rivermen and was reassigned Tuesday to the Alaska Aces of the ECHL for the remainder of their season, while his brother Brandon Knelsen (Three Hills, AB, Drumheller (AJHL)) and former teammate Dustin Molle (Anchorage, AK, Waterloo (USHL)) have signed amateur tryout contracts (ATO) with the Idaho Steelheads.

The teams met last night at the Sullivan Arena in Anchorage for the first of two games, as the Steelheads blanked the Aces 2-0. Molle and Dion Knelsen both made their professional hockey debuts and recorded even plus-minus ratings in the contest.

The Aces, an affiliate of Peoria and the National Hockey League's St. Louis Blues, also roster former Nanook forward Curtis Fraser (2003-07), whose final season with the Blue and Gold (2006-07) was the Knelsen brothers rookie year.

Dion Knelsen capped off a stellar four-year stint with the Nanooks, leading the team with a single-season career high of 43 points and 19 goals and finished his Nanooks career with 120 points (45 goals, 75 assists) in 148 games played: good for 17th on the program's all-time career scoring list. The 2010 Central Collegiate Hockey Association's Scholar-Athlete and Humanitarian of the Year also led the team to the schools first ever appearance in the Division I NCAA Regional Tournament, ultimately falling to Boston College 3-1 in the semifinal round.

He is a finalist for the 2010 BNY Mellon Wealth Management Hockey Humanitarian and Lowe's Senior CLASS Awards and will graduate from the University of Alaska Fairbanks in May with a degree in business administration.

A native of Anchorage, Molle closed out a solid four-year run with the Nanooks as one of the team's top defensive defensmen. He saw quality minutes on the penalty-kill and was a key contributor for Alaska's stingy defensive corps, which was ranked in the upper echelon of Division I men's hockey all year. In 108 career games over three seasons, Molle tallied two goals and 10 points.

Right wing Brandon Knelsen finished the season with double-figures points for the third time in four years (3-8-11). His career with the Nanooks was highlighted by making the 2008 Kendall Hockey Classic All-Tournament team as a junior and then helping the Nanooks earn championship titles for the 2009 Kendall Classic, 2009 Brice Alaska Goal Rush and 2010 Alaska Airlines Governor's Cup this season. He amassed nine goals and 40 points in 131 career games.

The Alaska Hockey team will celebrates its four-member senior class and the individual and team accomplishments from the 2009-10 season at the annual awards banquet on Saturday, April 3 at the Princess Hotel. A social half-hour begins at 6 p.m., with the banquet program starting at 6:30 p.m. Reservations are still being accepted and can be made by calling Barb Miles, at 479-3391.

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