The Prince George Spruce Kings are excited to announce that graduating forward and captain Nolan Welsh has committed to the newest NCAA Division 1 hockey program at Long Island University.
“I just wanted to say thank you to everyone in the Spruce Kings organization. I couldn’t say enough good things about how this program supported and treated me the last three years,” says Welsh. “That being said, I am very excited about this opportunity at LIU and I can’t wait to get the next chapter of my life started.”
The 20-year-old from Whistler, BC played 199 BCHL regular season games, 143 of them played in Spruce Kings colours. Welsh also sits sixth all time in playoff assists in team history.
“I am incredibly happy for Nolan that he has secured this NCAA Division 1 Scholarship. There isn’t a more deserving player,” says GM Mike Hawes. “Nolan was with us for three seasons and he epitomizes what it means to be a Spruce King. He played hard every shift in every game and was a huge part of our organization’s accomplishments in recent years. I wish him nothing but success in this next chapter.”
The Fred Page Cup and Doyle Cup champion capped off his 20-year-old season with his best numbers in his career, tallying 14 goals, 25 assists, good for 39 points in 46 games.
On a league level, Welsh played 61 playoff games which is 5th in BCHL history.
“Nolan has been a huge part of the Spruce Kings success over the past three seasons. He leaves Prince George as an outstanding teammate, leader, hockey player, and person,” says Head Coach Alex Evin. “It is very rewarding to see our players reach their goals of playing college hockey and getting an opportunity to further their education. We are very proud of Nolan and look forward to tracking his success at LIU.”
The Spruce Kings would like to congratulate Nolan on his commitment and would also like to thank #17 for three memorable seasons in Spruce Kings colours!