AAA Stars defenceman Reid commits to North Dakota

“[O’Brien] is such a knowledgeable guy. It’s mind blowing how much stuff he knows about the game and life in general. It just really helps – everything almost.”

Reid, a native of Warman, Sask., received the offer from UND on Jan. 1, and gave them a verbal commitment not long after games in Regina last weekend. That means it only took him a week to mull over the decision with his family.

It was also the only school he looked at.

“Everything was just perfect,” he said. “Great coaches, great facility, they’ve produced so many great players there – it’s amazing. And the leadership they have right now is good. They won the Frozen Four last year, which is great. Just a great fit.”

Some of the alumni the Fighting Hawks Division-1 program has produced include Chicago Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews, Minnesota forward Zach Parise, and Washington Capitals forward T.J. Oshie.

When he toured the campus a couple months ago, Reid got to speak with some of the current players and, of course, head coach Brad Berry.

“It’s just amazing,” Reid said, of the experience touring the campus in Grand Forks, North Dakota. “The coach is a really great guy. The campus is amazing. World-class. Great organization – got to meet some of the guys. Seems like a family.”

Reid was a second round pick of the Victoria Royals this past spring, who took him with the 26th overall pick in the WHL Bantam Draft.

But with the commitment, it means Reid won’t be joining the Royals or playing in the WHL at all, as the CHL prohibits its players from going on the play American college hockey.

At just 15, that fact made the decision a little bit harder to make, but he knew he would have to be go one way or the other eventually.

“The WHL is such a great league [and] the organization that I was in was amazing – they really treated me well,” Reid said. “But I just really think that UND is just a better fit for my style of play and I think it’ll be really good.

“So I kind of had to go either way and I had an offer on the way table – it was a great offer – and I took it.”

For the next few years, Reid will now either play in a Western Canada junior A league or the USHL. He didn’t rule out the SJHL – the Kindersley Klippers hold his rights after drafting him this summer – but the BCHL seems more likely.

“Everything is a possibility,” Reid said. “I want to keep my options open for everything.”

Nathan Kanter is battlefordsNOW’s sports reporter and voice of the Battlefords North Stars. He can be reached at Nathan.kanter@jpbg.ca or tweet him @NathanKanter11

by Nathan Kanter

AAA Stars defenceman Reid commits to North Dakota

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