Brooks, AB – The Brooks Bandits of the Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL) are proud to announce that 2000-born forward Orca Wiesblatt (Calgary, AB) has committed to attend and play for the University of Vermont.
Located in Burlington, Vermont, the Catamounts play in the NCAA’s Division I Hockey East conference, under 14th-year head coach Kevin Sneddon.
“Orca plays the game with tenacity and is a gifted playmaker,” said Bandits head coach and general manager Ryan Papaioannou. “He has an ability to slow the game down and make plays along with being physical. His overall development is something we are excited to be a part of and a process of which we are already seeing the benefits.”
Wiesblatt, 16, is the first 2000-born player to suit up for the Bandits, and has recorded 1 assist in 4 regular season games so far in 2016-17. Last season, in 34 games playing for the SISEC Prep Selects of the Canadian Sport School Hockey League (CSSHL), he scored 18 points (7 goals, 11 assists) in 34 games.
Prior to that, the 5’11”, 165lb forward scored 24 points (14 goals, 10 assists) in 29 games for the Calgary Bisons of the Alberta Major Bantam Hockey League.
He joins his brother, 1999-born Bandit forward Ocean Wiesblatt (Calgary, AB), current Vermont alternate captains Chris Muscoby (Airdrie, AB) and Anthony Petruzzelli (Federal Way, WA), as well as former Bandit captain Derek Lodermeier (Brooklyn Center, MN), as Bandit players to have committed to the Catamounts.
He is the 8th player on the current Bandits roster committed to an NCAA Division I institution, joining:
• Cale Makar (University of Massachusetts)
• Josh McKechney (Colgate University)
• Parker Foo (Union College)
• Charlie Marchand (Bentley University)
• Dennis Cesana (Army)
• Devon Daniels (Mercyhurst University)
• Ocean Wiesblatt (University of Vermont)
