Trinity Western University didn’t have to go far to find its first top-flight recruit for the 2016/17 B.C. Intercollegiate Hockey League season, as coach Barret Kropf announced the signing of local forward Kyle Star on Thursday.
The 5-foot-11, 175-pound Star, 20, who plays with the BCHL’s Trail Smoke Eaters, will join the Spartans in the fall and instantly bolster the TWU offence.
This year, with both Trail and, prior to being traded last November, Surrey, he has 14 goals and 14 assists in 39 games.
Prior to coming back to B.C. for the 2015-16 campaign, Star spent two years in the Alberta Junior Hockey League, where he amassed 29 goals and 43 assists in 108 games.
“We are really excited to be adding Kyle to the mix for next season,” Kropf said. “He is a top end offensive talent that will also continue to build on our strong culture in the locker room. He is a tremendous individual and will bring leadership on and off the ice to our program.”
Star sparked his Junior A career in Alberta in 2013-14 when he put up 19 goals and 26 assists in 58 games with the Olds Grizzlies. The following year, Star collected 10 goals and 17 assists in 50 games while playing with three different AJHL teams, including Olds, Fort McMurray and Brooks.
Prior to his time in the AJHL, Star spent two years with the Abbotsford Pilots of the PJHL. In his first year with the Pilots, 2011-12, he helped his team win the Keystone Cup as Junior B champions of Western Canada.
“I’m thrilled to be coming to TWU,” Star said. “For me, it’s a chance to further my education and my faith while also contributing to the Spartans hockey team.”
Star’s older sister Katelyn Star also played with the Spartans as she was a member of TWU’s women’s basketball team for two years, from 2011 to 2013.
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