Olds Grizzlys defenceman and captain Nikolas Koberstein will not be returning to Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL) action this coming season.He has also committed to play hockey and study at the University of Alaska Fairbanks the year after.Cary Eades, head coach and general manager for the Sioux Falls Stampede, confirmed that Koberstein will join his team for the 2014-2015 season.The Stampede plays in the United States Hockey League (USHL), the highest level of junior hockey south of the border.While Eades would not specify when Koberstein committed to his team, he said the Stampede reached out to the 18-year-old Barrhead resident.“He's a real good all-around defenceman. He can move the puck, play in all situations and he has a certain physicality and edge to his game,” Eades said.Eades added that the Stampede had known about Koberstein prior to being drafted by the Montreal Canadiens in the fifth round of the 2014 NHL Entry Draft, 125th overall.“Whenever a player gets drafted, that gives them another feather in their cap. We knew of him previous to that and originally, he was going to stay and play in Alberta but he changed his mind and we're happy to have him,” he said.Taylor Medak, the play-by-play announcer for the Sherwood Park Crusaders in the AJHL, first Tweeted on Aug. 5 that Koberstein would be headed to Sioux Falls.Koberstein finished his rookie campaign this past season, posting five goals, 13 assists and 153 penalty minutes in 51 games played with the Grizzlys.On April 26 at the team's annual awards banquet, he was named team captain for the coming season.Of the many routes from junior to collegiate hockey, the USHL is an attractive one for the level of competition, Eades said.“Our league right now is at a very high level and we have traditionally 15 to 20 players on every team with Division I scholarships so it's a high level of competition,” he said.“The draft picks that come out of our league are examples of that as well as a number of successes as freshmen in college hockey.”Olds Grizzlys Head Coach Brett Hopfe could not be reached for comment at the time this story was [email protected]
