Kenai River defenseman McDonald makes NCAA DI commitment

September 18, 2018

The Kenai River Brown Bears of the North American Hockey League (NAHL) are pleased to announce that defenseman Cam McDonald has committed to play NCAA Division I hockey for Providence College, who are members of Hockey East and won the NCAA Championship in 2015.

 

“We’re 2-0, we’ve got our first Division I commitment in three years, and we’ve got the Player of the week headed into the Showcase. What more can we do?” said Kenai River head coach Josh Petrich.

 

McDonald, 17, played 59 games for the Brown Bears in 2017-18 and had two goals and 37 assists. He earned NAHL All-Rookie 2nd Team honors and NAHL Midwest Division All-Rookie honors. The 5’9/165 lbs. native of Eagle River, Alaska, was also selected to and played in the 2018 NAHL Top Prospects Tournament for one of two NAHL Selects Teams

 

He joins Alaska products like Brad Duwe, Alex Jackstadt, Alec Butcher and Kris Oldham in being moved to the next level with the help of the Brown Bears.

 

Petrich said McDonald talked to 75 to 90 percent of the Division I schools in the country last season and was very deliberate and mature about making his decision.

 

Petrich said that McDonald’s ceiling is very high. “Cam has high-end brain capacity,” Petrich said. “He can skate as good or better than anyone I’ve probably ever coached. His compete level is the difference-maker in his game. That’s undervalued when people look at him. He’s a good puck mover and a good skater, but the thing I love about him is his compete level — his desire to win and do anything to win.”