Victoria Grizzlies defenceman Hoyt Stanley capped a big early season personally in the B.C. Hockey League by committing this week to NCAA Div. 1 Cornell Big Red.
“It’s a great school academically with a rich hockey history,” he said.
“That’s a great combination,” added Stanley, who sports a perfect 4.0 GPA, and plans to study finance and business.
The 17-year-old from West Vancouver was also ranked for the fourth-through-sixth rounds of the 2023 NHL draft in the initial assessments released by Central Scouting. This is after missing much of last season to a concussion and limited to 13 games.
“Last season was a setback but I worked hard over the summer to prepare for this season and it has paid off,” said the six-foot-two, 200-pound blue-liner.
Stanley has a goal and 13 assists in 22 games this season.
“I feel I’m a two-way player who can move the puck offensively with good size for the back end in our zone,” he said.
Stanley was taken 81st overall in the fourth round of the 2020 WHL prospects draft by the Everett Silvertips but instead chose the U.S. university NCAA Div. 1 route through the BCHL. It’s a decision that looks to have paid off nicely now with an athletic scholarship.
He comes from a sporting background. Stanley’s dad, Graham Stanley, played pro hockey in the AHL, ECHL and IHL. Sister Kaiden Stanley plays field hockey in the NCAA Pac-12 for the University of California-Berkeley and is on the NextGen Canadian junior national team. Mom Kyra Stanley was internationally ranked in trampoline.
The Grizzlies (9-10-3), fresh off a pair of wins over the Cowichan Valley Capitals last weekend, are in Port Alberni tonight to play the Bulldogs (9-10-2) and then host the Salmon Arm Silverbacks (12-8-2) on Saturday night at The Q Centre for the annual Teddy Bear Toss game.
LOOSE PUCKS: Cornell has had a Victoria connection in recent years as former Grizzlies goaltender Matthew Galajda spent four seasons (2017-2021) with the Big Red. Galajda is now playing pro in Sweden. And current Canadian national women’s team defender and Saanichton product Micah Zandee-Hart spent four seasons in Cornell red, including being captain for the 2019-2020 season.
cdheensaw@timescolonist.com
