Yet another Merritt Centennials player on this year’s roster has earned an NCAA Division 1 scholarship to continue his studies and play hockey at a U.S. college.
According to a BCHL press release dated Jan. 28, 18-year-old Cents’ forward Gavin Gould has committed to attend Michigan Tech University in Houghton, Mich. beginning in September of 2016.
The announcement regarding Gould’s future follows earlier commitments this season by Diego Cuglietta (Lake Superior State University), Josh Teves (Princeton University), Jake Clifford (Arizona State University) and Brandon Duhaime (Brown University).
Gould, who calls North Vancouver home, is currently in his second season with the Merritt Centennials. The fleet-footed forward is enjoying an excellent campaign.
In 46 games with the Cents this year, he has posted 19 goals and 28 assists for 47 points. Gould ranks second in team scoring, and leads the club in assists.
Gavin Gould
In his rookie season with the Centennials (2013-14), Gould recorded 13 goals and 16 assists for 29 points in 57 games played.
Gould’s older brother, Malcolm, is in his junior year at Michigan Tech. In three seasons with the Huskies, Malcolm has scored 18 goals and added 20 assists for 38 points in 72 games.
Prior to attending Michigan Tech, Malcolm played two seasons in the BCHL with the former Quesnel Millionaires and then the Chilliwack Chiefs.
The younger Gould admits that his brother’s connection with the Huskies program put Michigan Tech on his radar early, and perhaps him on theirs.
Malcolm Gould
“In the past, whenever coaches or scouts from their program were in Merritt, they would always pop in so say hi, even if they weren’t there to specifically watch me play,” Gould said.
“This year, they started to show a degree of interest in me. Because it’s such a great school, both academically and in terms of their hockey program, I definitely showed an interest back. When the time came, theirs was an offer that was very hard to turn down, and I’m definitely very excited to have accepted.”
While Gould’s parents, Brian and Dawn, have been to the Michigan Tech campus in Houghton, Gould has not. He is looking forward to a possible fly-down in the near future, so that he can appreciate the institution and its facilities firsthand.
“Maybe I’ll even get to see my brother play a game,” he said.
Gould feels that waiting until 2016 to begin his college hockey career is a logical step.
Bill Muckalt
“It made the most sense. It gives me one more year of development hockey-wise, and will hopefully lead to greater opportunities when I do go to Michigan Tech.
“It would have been amazing to go and play with my brother. We haven’t ever been able to play with each other because of the age difference, but I think it’s best for me to wait one more year.”
Educationally, Gould is currently thinking that he would like to enrol in a business degree program at Michigan Tech.
“I took French immersion throughout elementary and high school, and I would love to keep that and put it into use. I feel that if I go into business, I might be able to combine the two — say international business. I think that it will open up more doors for me.”
Gould, who took Grade 12 French immersion at Merritt Secondary School during his rookie season with the Cents last year, is keeping his second language skills sharp this year by reading to young students at L’Ecole de Collettville on Thursday mornings.
Gould says that he plans to take some French classes even at Michigan Tech.
The Huskies men’s hockey team presently has three former Merritt Centennials on its roster — goaltender Devin Kero (2013-14), defenceman Dane Birks (2012-14) and forward Max Vallis (2010-11).
All told, 12 members of the Michigan Tech men’s team have ties to the British Columbia Hockey League, including Alex Gillies and Shane Hanna (Salmon Arm), Mason Blacklock (Vernon Vipers) and Brent Baltus (Trail).
Gould won’t be the first Centennial to follow in his brother’s footsteps to Michigan Tech either. This September, former Cents’ goaltender Kero joined his big brother Tanner on the Huskies’ roster.
Michigan Tech has been busy recruiting in the BCHL again this season. In addition to Gould, the Huskies have locked up Jagger Williamson (Vernon), Demico Hannoun (Penticton), Jake Lucchini and Mitch Newsome (Trail) and goaltender Angus Redmond (Salmon Arm).
Michigan Tech plays in the NCAA’s Western Collegiate Hockey Association against schools such as Minnesota State, Bowling Green, Lake Superior State and the University of Alabama-Huntsville.
The Huskies are enjoying a terrific 2014-15 season with a 17-2-1 conference record, good for second place in the 10-team WCHA.
Longtime Nicola Valley resident Walter Archachan (left) presented eight-year-old Victoria King with her very own traditional drum as a thank you for her great work helping mascot Jayson Charters (right) at Centennials’ home games. Ian Webster/Herald
An assistant coach at Michigan Tech is former Merritt Centennial star forward Bill Muckalt. He is currently in his fourth season with the Huskies after coaching stints at Eastern Michigan University and with the Valencia, California Flyers of the Western States Hockey League.
Prior to becoming a coach, Muckalt played four seasons of NCAA hockey with the Michigan Wolverines before jumping directly to the National Hockey League.
In five NHL seasons with the Vancouver Canucks, New York Islanders, Ottawa Senators and Minnesota Wild, Muckalt totalled 40 goals and 57 assists for 97 points in 256 games.
Members of the newly-formed Merritt chapter of Special Olympics BC were introduced at centre ice prior to the start of Friday night’s Merritt Centennials game against the West Kelowna Warriors. For more information on the local Special Olympics group, contact co-ordinator Byron Robbie (250-525-0400). Ian Webster/Herald
Gould is happy to have his immediate future — hockey and otherwise — mapped out.
“It’s nice to get [the signing] out of the way, but now you have to show that you’re constantly improving, that you’re always getting better,” he said.
