The Selkirk College Saints have added two players with name bars on the back of the jersey that will be familiar to local hockey fans. Kootenay International Junior Hockey League (KIJHL) alumni Patrick Zubick and Tyler Hartman will join the club for the upcoming 2017-2018 college hockey season.
Helping bolster both ends of the rink as they make the jump to the British Columbia Intercollegiate Hockey League (BCIHL), Zubick spent two full seasons in goal for the Castlegar Rebels and Hartman finished his junior career as a valued offensive threat with the Beaver Valley Nitehawks.
Selkirk College Saints recruit Tyler Hartman was a key part of the Beaver Valley Nitehawks team that won the league and Junior B provincial championship last season He will join fellow Kootenay International Junior Hockey League alumnus Patrick Zubick for the upcoming 2017-2018 college hockey season.
“It’s important for our program to be accessible to former KIJHL players,” says Saints head coach Brent Heaven. “While they played junior in this area, both Patrick and Tyler showed they would be excellent additions to the Saints. We’re pleased that both of them have decided to attend Selkirk College and continue on with their hockey careers.”
A Puckstopper with Passion
Zubick grew up in Castlegar and played with the Rebels between 2013 and 2015. The 6’0” goaltender then made the jump to Junior A where he spent two seasons in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League with the Virden Oil Capitals and the Superior International Junior Hockey League with the Dryden Ice Dogs. While with the Ice Dogs, Zubick posted an impressive 21-4-3 record between the pipes.
“I chose Selkirk College because of the combination of athletics and education,” says Zubick, who has enrolled in the School of University Arts & Sciences. “Plus being able to continue playing hockey while getting an education at home was a huge bonus. After talking in person with coach Heaven, it became very apparent that I wanted to be part of what he is building and wanted to be part of continuing a tradition of excellence at Selkirk College.”
Zubick will join a defensive core that will be key as the Saints look to return the BCIHL championship to Castlegar in the upcoming season.
“Patrick is a goaltender that can be relied upon to give the team a chance to win every game,” says Heaven. “He is a fierce competitor who puts the team first and that’s what you need from a goaltender.”
A Proven Champion and Leader
Hartman grew up in Grande Prairie, Alberta and played three seasons with the Nitehawks where he was a valued contributor to three terrific seasons for the KIJHL club. The forward amassed 50 points and added 86 penalty minutes during the 2016-2017 season that saw the Nitehawks win the KIJHL championship, the Cyclone Taylor Cup as the top Junior B team in British Columbia, and earn a silver medal at the Keystone Cup in Manitoba that determines the best team in Western Canada.
“Tyler is a versatile forward with great playmaking and finishing abilities,” says Heaven. “He plays in the dirty zones and always has the team-first response. Tyler will be another championship quality character in the Saints dressing room having recently been groomed through the very successful Nitehawks organization.”
Hartman has enrolled in the Business Administration Program and is looking forward to staying in the West Kootenay for the coming season.
“Selkirk College has great academics and an amazing hockey program,” Hartman says. “I had a couple chances to watch the Saints play this past season and I was impressed with how good the hockey is. I can’t wait to get going and help the team win another championship.”
After winning four straight league championships, the Selkirk College team was ousted by the Trinity Western University Spartans in the league semi-final series this past spring. The Saints begin the 2017-2018 season in September.