Alex Pernitsky decided to play his junior hockey in the Alberta Junior Hockey League instead of staying at home in Saskatchewan.
Looks like it paid off.
Last week it was announced that Pernitsky will attend Colorado College beginning in the 2016-17 season.
鈥淚鈥檝e been talking to them since a little bit before Christmas,鈥� Pernitsky said. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e really good academically, and I really like what the coaches had to say and offer.鈥�
The Unity native is working on farms with his cousins in Wilkie and Cut Knife this summer.
Pernitsky says there were two main reasons he decided to join the Lloydminster Bobcats for the 2014-15 season instead of staying with the Battlefords North Stars.
鈥淚 heard there were more scouts watching,鈥� he admitted, after a long pause. 鈥淚 know that we had a chance of hosting the RBC Cup, and that was a huge factor.鈥�
The Bobcats were named the host team for the 2016 RBC Cup last May, granting them an automatic entry into junior 鈥楢鈥檚 top tournament regardless of how they perform in the playoffs next year.
Pernitsky spent the 2013-14 season with the Battlefords AAA Stars, recording seven goals and 18 assists during the regular season before exploding for three goals and nine assists in 10 playoff games as the Stars reached the SMAAAHL final.
In his first year of junior hockey, Pernitsky recorded five goals and seven assists in 52 games.
鈥淚t was really good,鈥� Pernitsky said of his first year of junior hockey. 鈥淓verybody, the coaches and the players, helped me develop. I started off a little slow but got a lot better as the year went on.鈥�
The NCAA route isn鈥檛 always a top priority for players, but Pernitsky says it was always the way he planned on going.
鈥淭here wasn鈥檛 really an opportunity for me to play major junior because I was kind of unlucky when I was younger with my knee,鈥� he said. 鈥淚n all honesty, NCAA was the route I wanted to take ever since I heard about it because I really want an education.鈥�
Pernitsky will be taking a business course at Colorado College, but says he hasn鈥檛 decided what it is he wants to do as a career yet.
Often a player going to an NCAA school won鈥檛 know any of their teammates until they begin the year. That鈥檚 not the case for Pernitsky, as his Bobcats teammate Cole Josefchak also committed to Colorado College for 2016-17.
鈥淗e鈥檚 a great guy and a really good player,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a lot better like that too, because we both get to go down there together and we鈥檒l be more comfortable with each other right away.鈥�
Neither player has visited the college yet, but they鈥檙e heading down there next week to check it out.
He says he鈥檚 counting down the days until next season as the Bobcats begin their quest for a national championship.
鈥淥h, I鈥檓 really excited for next season,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 going to be a great year, I鈥檓 sure we鈥檙e going to have a fantastic team and I鈥檝e got to battle for a top defence spot. We have a lot of returning players and with the trades that were made we鈥檙e going to have a lot of good players coming in. One of the things that鈥檚 going to put us over the top is our coaches developing us to become a winning team.鈥�
Despite Colorado College being nearly 2,000 kilometres away from Unity, Pernitsky says the distance doesn鈥檛 bother him.
鈥淚鈥檓 not a person who gets very homesick, so I鈥檓 definitely looking forward to it,鈥� he said.
Over 30 players have gone from Colorado College to the NHL, with one of the most notable ones being Melfort鈥檚 Jaden Schwartz.
