Jack Seymour is gearing up for NCAA Division 1 hockey in the United States.
The 20-year-old hockey phenom from Chelsea is set to pull on the colours of the Crusaders – purple and white – next season after he signed his National Letter of Intent with the College of Holy Cross in Massachusetts this past week.
It’s a dream come true for Seymour and his family, as he’s now one step closer to fulfilling his dream of making it to the NHL.
“I’m very excited,” Seymour told the Low Down from the dressing room in Drayton Valley, Alta., where his Junior A team, the Brooks Bandits, were looking to extend their 18-game winning streak. “I look forward to going [to Holy Cross] next year. They have a great program and it’s going to be a lot of fun.”
Seymour has been playing for the Bandits for the past two seasons, where he has tallied 12 points in 20 games. They Bandits are the #1 ranked Junior A team in the country with an impressive 20-1-1 record.
When Seymour was 17-years-old, he and his family made the conscious decision to forego the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) and focus on the college route. That decision is set to pay off in spades, as the young hockey player will get both a rich hockey experience at a top hockey school in the New England area as well as a high-quality education at Holy Cross.
“You’re playing college hockey at the same time as you’re getting all your school done as well,” said Seymour about his decision to skip the QMJHL. “Holy Cross is known for its academics as well, so you are getting a great degree.”
More and more elite hockey players are choosing the college path over the major junior hockey route these days. From Calgary-born Colorado Avalanche superstar Cale Makar to 2015 second overall NHL pick Jack Eichel and others, the trend to score a high-level degree while also scoring goals in college is catching fire.
“Cale Makar was also a Brooks Bandit,” added an excited Seymour. He told the Low Down that his favourite player is Pittsburgh Penguins star Sidney Crosby, but he models his game after Ottawa Senators speedy winger Alex Formenton.
The Chelsea hockey star will finish up his Brooks season this year before suiting up for the Crusaders next fall. Jack’s father Sam said he is happy that all those early-morning drives to rural rinks across the Hills are finally paying off.
“It’s hard to describe,” said Sam from his Chelsea home. “It’s exciting because they put in all the hours and you put in all the hours going to the rink, and you wonder, ‘does this turn into beer league hockey or does it turn into more?’”
Jack’s daily routine of lacing up the skates before and after school at the iconic Musie Loop pond in Chelsea has certainly turned into something much more. Following Jack’s ‘AA’ and ‘AAA’ seasons in Gatineau, he spent two years at Tilton Prep School in New Hampshire where he put up an impressive 90 points in just 54 games. And in four years’ time, he'll be walking out of Holy Cross with a top-notch degree — and potentially a roster spot on an NHL team.
“My next step is to go through college, but the big dream is obviously to make it to the NHL and I think that is possible with the college route,” said Jack.
Only three players from Holy Cross history have made it to the big Leagues, but the young Chelsea playmaker is poised to make it four.