Former Battlefords North Stars captain Michael Statchuk had multiple options after his junior hockey career came to an end, but has decided to pursue his education at Red Deer College.
Statchuk said after weighing all his options, he felt Red Deer made the most sense.
鈥淭hey started talking to me just after the season,鈥� he said from his hometown of Wadena. 鈥淸NCAA Div 3] were all possibility but I felt financially for me and my family Red Deer had a good offer, tuition is a good price so I couldn鈥檛 pass it up.鈥�
Statchuk is working for his dad in Wadena for the summer, loading seeds and chemicals for Crop Production Services.
Now that he鈥檒l be attending classes as well as playing hockey, Statchuk says the added workload is going to take a toll.
鈥淚鈥檓 looking into agriculture right now, so it鈥檚 going to be a lot of science classes,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 going to be tough but I鈥檓 definitely willing to do it.鈥�
Statchuk will be joing North Stars teammate Nick Fountain at Red Deer, and says he鈥檚 looking forward to staying teammates with the North Stars playoff MVP.
鈥淢e and Nick have a really good relationship so it鈥檒l be good to play with him again,鈥� Statchuk said. 鈥淥ur plan is to actually room together, so that will be a lot of fun.鈥�
Statchuk had a three-year junior 鈥楢鈥� career that began out west in Vernon, BC. He says he looks back on his time in the British Columbia Hockey League fondly.
鈥淢y brother played in Salmon Arm and I just kind of followed in his footsteps, I guess you could say,鈥� Statchuk explained. 鈥淚 had the opportunity to do it so I went and saw some of the country.鈥�
Michael鈥檚 brother Travis played for the Salmon Arm Silverbacks for two years before attending Ohio State University for four seasons.
Statchuk鈥檚 Vernon Vipers hosted the RBC Cup in 2014 and while they didn鈥檛 win the ultimate prize, he says that experience highlights his time in the BCHL.
鈥淥ne hundred per cent. Our playoff run going to the BCHL finals too,鈥� he said. 鈥淏ut definitely the RBC Cup is something that I鈥檒l always remember, it was a great experience.鈥�
After that season Statchuk was looking to play closer to home saying, 鈥淚 guess you could say that,鈥� with a laugh when asked if he asked to be traded to the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League.
Major junior was also an option for Statchuk, as he was a fifth round pick of the Saskatoon Blades in 2009.
鈥淭hey always wanted me to play some exhibition games, but my brother was going the NCAA route and at that stage of my life that route was the way I wanted to go because education is very important to our family,鈥� he explained. 鈥淚 know the Blades were hosting the Memorial Cup the next season so I would have been the seventh or eighth defenceman, in and out of the lineup so I decided to go back to Prince Albert to continue my development.鈥�
Statchuk spent the 2011-12 season with the Prince Albert Minto鈥檚 Midget AAA team, ultimately being named defenceman of the year.
When Statchuk looks at his time spent in the Battlefords, he says it was the people that made it so great.
鈥淕etting to see your 21 or 22 best friends everyday, the community involvement we had and the support they gave us was just outstanding,鈥� he said.
Statchuk was named captain after Ryne Keller was traded to the Manitoba Junior Hockey League, and says seeing a close friend leave is never easy.
鈥淥f course it鈥檚 tough. Hockey鈥檚 a business and things like that happen, but you stay in touch with those guys through texting or phone calls so you stay good friends no matter what,鈥� he said.
While Statchuk may not be attending a Division 1 school like his brother or some of his teammates, he says the game of hockey has given him everything he could ask for.
鈥淩ight now I have an opportunity to go to school and get some of my tuition paid for,鈥� he explained. 鈥淚 get to continue playing the game I love, so as far as that goes it鈥檚 everything I wanted when I was a kid and I鈥檓 very happy about it.鈥�
The North Stars loss is Red Deer College's gain as they're getting a good hockey player, but an even better person.
