PHOTO: Garrett James
Prince George BC – The Prince George Spruce Kings are excited to announce that forward Nick Rhéaume (’02) has committed to play NCAA Division 1 Hockey at UMass Lowell in Lowell, Massachusetts. Rhéaume, from Sherbrooke, QC, finished the 2021 pod season with six goals and eight assists in 20 games played.
PHOTO: Garrett James
“It was an exciting moment for me and my family! My goal has always been to play at the highest level of hockey while pursuing my studies. I’m just really happy I have the opportunity to play at the NCAA Division 1 level.
Rhéaume is known for his heavy style of play on the ice and is also able to contribute offensively. The 6’3, 185 pound forward says the way he plays on the ice correlates with the UMass Lowell style, along with many other reasons, are why he wanted to be a River Hawk.
“A big reason why I chose UMASS Lowell is because of their renowned hockey program. I feel there are many similarities between my game and their style of play. I also connected very well with their coaching staff! At the end of the day, I wanted to go to a school where I felt like they really wanted me and wanted me for the right reasons.”
Spruce Kings General Manager Mike Hawes and Head Coach Alex Evin can’t say nothing but great things about the 19-year-old forward. Both members of the Spruce Kings coaching staff know that Rheaume has a ton of potential and are excited to see him develop throughout next season.
“I am thrilled for Nick. He really seized the opportunity in the pod season, played extremely well, and caught the attention of a lot of NCAA schools. I’m looking forward to watching his continued development with us next season as he prepares for college hockey with a great program at UMass Lowell.” – Mike Hawes
“We are very proud of Nick Rhéaume and he and his family are very deserving of this achievement. Nick has worked hard on his game this past year both on and off the ice. He is very committed to the process and is developing into a very impactful player. We are excited to have him back in the fall.” – Alex Evin
PHOTO: Garrett James
Even though Rheaume’s first year as a Prince George Spruce King was a little bit different with COVID-19, he has nothing but good things to say and is also very excited about the group being brought back for the 2021-22 season beginning in the fall. Rhéaume spent the majority of the pod season playing alongside Rowan Miller and Simon Labelle, whom are both able to return to the Spruce Kings roster in 2021-22.
“My first year in PG was great! Although I didn’t get to live the full experience because of this pandemic, we were treated like real professionals here in PG and I loved my experience! Getting to play games near the end of the year made it so much better. I think we have a lot of potential to be a great team again next year. A good group of guys are coming back next year, and I think we could be one of the hardest teams to play against for sure.”
Rhéaume knows that there is still lots of work to do before making the step to the college hockey level. The future River Hawk wants to continue to do everything possible to make sure he is as ready as can be when he begins his time at UMass Lowell.
“College hockey is a very fast game, so I want to try to get faster and stronger. I think I can also improve my shot and that will help me have a bigger impact on the game.”
Spruce Kings Alumni and Winnipeg Jets draft pick Logan Neaton also has been a member of UMASS Lowell for the past two seasons.
The Prince George Spruce Kings would like to congratulate Nick and his family on this incredible achievement!
