given a great platform to showcase themselves on a nightly basis .” While the MJHL , like all Junior A leagues in Canada , works hand in hand with the Canadian Junior Hockey League when it comes to player development , the league also offers those players who don ’ t get to the WHL , the OHL or the QMJHL an opportunity to take a different road to professional hockey . And make no mistake , the NCAA offers a longer , but just as rewarding option to players who weren ’ t stars at 14 , but might become stars at 18 . “ At all elite levels of hockey from the MJHL through to the NHL the proficiency of skills displayed by the players is exceptional and continues to improve yearly ,” said MJHL Commissioner Kim Davis . “ The MJHL is proud to have an extremely competitive league , night after night , that allows its players to hone their talent and skills in an environment that fosters growth and excellence .” This year , the MJHL will send four players directly to NCAA Division 1 schools and three other players who went to the United States junior leagues for their final pre-university preparations . As well , the B . C , Junior League will send one Manitoba player to NCAA Division 1 competition next season . This year , there were 15 Manitoba men playing at NCAA Division 1 schools – 12 played in the MJHL . Let ’ s meet the 10 young men who will be NCAA freshmen next season ( Note : One or more of these players might choose to enter college in September of 2018 , but all have committed to NCAA Division 1 schools . These are the players who have committed at press time ).
TYLER ANDERSON , Niverville , Lake Superior State : This 6-foot-4 , 215-pound defenseman has a bright future thanks to a terrific season with the Prince George Spruce Kings . Not that things weren ’ t going well with the West Kelowna Warriors last year . After all , he did win a national championship there and earned a reputation as a rugged D-man who is extremely tough to play against . However , an early-season move north to the Spruce Kings seems to have awakened a part of his game not many people saw coming . A tough , hard-nosed player , he had three goals and six assists West Kelowna last season . This season , he has exploded for 18 goals and 29 assists . His 47 points is fourth in the league among blueliners and his 18 goals is the most of anyone from the back end . That kind of production earned Anderson an NCAA scholarship to Lake Superior State University . “ All I wanted to do was just have a good year and see if any schools noticed ,” he told Game On . “ I talked to four or five schools and all of them came to watch . I put in my work every day and knew things would turn out well . Lake Superior State just seemed to be the best fit for me and I ’ m excited about going . I learned that if you put in the work and take care of your body , good things will happen .”
COLIN BURSTON , WENATCHEE WILD
ZACH COURT , MERRITT CENTENNIALS
COLIN BURSTON , Winnipeg , Brown : One of the best players ever to lace on the skates for the Manitoba Aboriginal provincial team that competed in the National Aboriginal Hockey Championship , Burston has taken a long road to his NCAA Scholarship . He left Winnipeg in 2011 to play Bantam and then Midget Triple A at Athol Murray College of Notre Dame in Wilcox , Sask . He then went to the Wenatchee Wild of the North American Hockey League in 2014 , spent 23 games with the USHL ’ s Fargo Force in 2015 and then re-joined Wenatchee when they transferred to the BC Junior League in 2015 . This year , Burston has 25 goals and 68 points in 56 games in Wenatchee and has developed into one of the top forwards in the BCJHL . He ’ ll enter Brown University next fall .
ZACH COURT , Winnipeg , Nebraska-Omaha : After not being selected in the 2012 WHL bantam draft , Court went searching for other options to forge a professional hockey career and , on his own , he found the
TYLER JUBINVILL , WINKLER FLYERS
2017 PLAYOFF EDITION GAME ON 117