College Hockey Inc. is dipping its toes into Canadian waters.
The informational and marketing arm of college hockey is holding an invitation-only collegiate hockey summit for 1994- and 1995-born players in Toronto on Saturday.
Paul Kelly, the executive director of College Hockey Inc., said it’s the first such event the organization has staged in Canada.
Previously, there have been summits in Los Angeles, Dallas, Detroit and Rochester, N.Y., Kelly said.
The entry into the Canadian market is notable in that College Hockey Inc. is on the front lines of college hockey’s recruiting battle with the Canadian major junior system. Kelly said the plan is to hold summits in western Canada and eastern Canada later this season.
The events include six to eight college coaches and occasionally an NHL player who played college hockey on the ice with players, Kelly said.
“College hockey is elated with the support and interest we have received from the players and their families about this NCAA summit,” Kelly said in a statement. “It is clear that these talented players are eager to learn more about the hockey and lifetime opportunities that stem from playing NCAA hockey. As for the college coaches, I know I speak for each of them when I say they are anxious to evaluate these talented prospects and hope that a number of them will consider becoming part of their respective hockey programs.”
