Rossland BC native, Ross Armour of the Trail Smoke Eaters has committed to Bemidji State University of the NCAA’S Western Collegiate Hockey Association for the 2018/19 season. That means local fans will get to see Ross play for the remainder of this season and next season.
The history of Bemidji State University men’s hockey positions the Beavers among the greatest programs in collegiate sports. Beaver Hockey is defined by a 60-year tradition of excellence, with 21 conference titles, 13 small-college national championships and a trip to the 2009 NCAA Frozen Four. BSU has seen 82 student-athletes recognized as All-Americans, and eight former Beavers have gone on to play on hockey’s grandest stage—the National Hockey League.
Since 1967-68, the Beavers have treated their fans to an average of 11 home wins per season. After winning more than 500 games in 43 seasons at the John S. Glas Fieldhouse – a hallowed barn revered by fans and feared by opponents – the Bemidji State hockey programs made the move to the state-of-the-art Sanford Center in 2010. The building is the centerpiece of Bemidji’s $90 million South Shore Development project and is widely regarded as of the one of finest facilities in college hockey.
The Beavers traditionally play one of the toughest home schedules in the nation, and the 2016-17 campaign will be no different. In addition to BSU’s 14-game home schedule against the Western Collegiate Hockey Association – which features BSU’s traditional rivalry with the University of Alabama-Huntsville – the Beavers will tackle the likes of Minnesota Duluth and Princeton on its home ice.
