For the second time in a week, the Merritt Centennials have dipped south of the 49th Parallel in search of offense for the 2015-16 BCHL season.
The Cents an-nounced on Monday that they have committed to 18-year-old forward Ryan Finnegan from Tecumseh, Kansas.
The signing of Finnegan comes on the heels of last week’s acquisition of 17-year-old scoring threat Nick Jermain out of Norfolk, Connecticut.
The diminutive Finnegan, who measures five feet six inches tall and tips the scales at just 135 lbs., played the last two seasons with the Baltimore Skipjacks of the United States Premier Hockey League (USPHL), the same league that produced two Cents’ standouts last year, forward John Schiavo and netminder Anthony Pupplo.
In his rookie year with the U16 Skipjacks, Finnegan scored 28 goals and added 52 assists for 80 points in just 31 games, tops in the USPHL.
Last season, with Baltimore’s U18 squad, the native of the American Midwest tallied 45 points (21 goals, 24 assists) in 31 games –— good enough to be chosen to play in the league’s all-star game.
The two stellar seasons with the Skipjacks have earned Finnegan an NCAA Division 1 scholarship to Quinnipiac University, a member of the elite East Coast Athletic Conference (ECAC) that includes Ivy League schools Harvard, Brown, Cornell, Dartmouth and Princeton.
“I watched Ryan play online in his league’s all-star game last year, and in four of the five USHL games that he got called up to play in,” Centennials head coach and GM Joe Martin said. “I’m very comfortable with his level of play, and in his ability to step into our lineup and perform capably. He’s small, but he’ll be fine.
“I talked with the Quinnipiac coaching staff. They want Ryan to play there in two years, and are happy to have him here in the BCHL in the interim,” the Cents’ coach added.
For his part, Finnegan can’t wait to begin his Canadian experience.
“I’ve never been up to Canada at all, but I’ve heard the West is really beautiful,” Finnegan said over the phone from Kansas City, where he’s been helping out coaching at a hockey school. “And I’ve heard nothing but great things about the BCHL.”
Finnegan was drafted by Green Bay of the United States Hockey League and could have played with the Gamblers this coming season. He opted for the British Columbia Hockey League instead.
“I just think the BCHL is a better fit for me and the type of player I am. I’ve heard that the focus is on skill and there’s a lot of offence. I’m a smaller player and more of an offensive threat. I’d say I’m a playmaker, an always-looking-for-the-pass type player who can put the puck in the net when I need to.”
Unlike fellow American Jermain, who has numerous ties and connections to the BCHL, Finnegan doesn’t know anyone personally who has played or is playing in North America’s number one Junior A league. In fact, he’s not sure there’s ever been another player out of Kansas that has competed in the BCHL.
“There’s not a whole lot of hockey going on here, but it’s getting better as the years progress,” he said. “The youth programs are really coming along.”
Finnegan played his final bantam year with an elite AAA squad that was an all-star team of sorts from across the state of Kansas. His first year of midget was spent at Achiever Academy in Vadnais, Minnesota. He recorded 21 goals and 39 assists in just 23 games at the prep school.
It was from Achiever that Finnegan was recruited by the Skipjacks.
“I didn’t know really what to expect in Baltimore,” he said. “It was a phenomenal experience. The coaches showed a lot of confidence in me, which helped a lot with my development. And I got to play with some exceptional players.”
As for his scholarship with the Bobcats of Quinnipiac, Finnegan said that was equally a shock.
“It happened my first year in Maryland. We were playing in a big showcase, and I had a couple of good games. My coach contacted me and let me know that Quinnipiac was interested. It was an unreal experience to realize that Division 1 schools were scouting me. They offered me a scholarship, and in January of 2014, I accepted.
“They have an excellent hockey program and are known as a very good education-based university,” Finnegan said. “It seemed like the perfect fit.”
Quinnipiac has a lot of history with the BCHL. Nine players on last season’s roster graduated from the league, and Finnegan believes all six incoming freshman are also from the British Columbia Hockey League.
The close connection even extends to the Merritt Centennials, as former Cents Jamie Holden, Wade Winkler, Bryan Leitch and Brandon Wong all played for the Bobcats.
In addition to helping at a hockey school in his home state, Finnegan is spending considerable time in Baltimore preparing for the upcoming season.
“I’ve been skating with some Div. 1 college players, which has been great,” Finnegan said. “I’m just doing lots of training — trying to get stronger, faster and quicker.”
Martin is very much looking forward to meeting and seeing his team’s latest acquisition.
“He’s a kid that’s working really hard for his future,” the coach said.
