A Williston Junior, Kevin Lassman, is taking a different route instead of graduating from Williston. The 18-year-old will be heading south to Connecticut to play Junior Hockey, hoping to further prepare and develop himself for hockey at the college level.

Junior Hockey is a nationwide development program that is meant to place hockey players into competitive college hockey programs. Players can be selected for junior teams all throughout their high school career and can play until they are 21 years of age. There are many different teams and leagues that search for talented hockey potential from across the county.

The Connecticut Junior Rangers drafted Lassman last spring. The General Manager of the organization, Vincent Montalbano, who is also a scout for the Vancouver Canucks, saw Lassman play in a few tournaments in the past spring and summer and believes he has great potential to play at a high level for college hockey.

Lassman stated, “After this season, I went out and skated with them [Junior Rangers], and talked with my family about it, and we all decided it was the next step in the process for me to play high level collegiate hockey.”

Development is the main purpose of these junior hockey teams. The league that Lassman’s team will compete in is the NCDC, National Collegiate Development Conference.

Lassman is excited to play down in Connecticut. “I like what the coach had to offer, and I liked the atmosphere along with all the guys on the team,” he told The Willistonian.

However, being from Florida, Lassman will be living with a billet family, which is a family that hosts players of the team who are from out of state. “I am used to it,” he said. He stayed with a billet family for his first freshman year when he decided he wanted to play prep school hockey and needed to get himself up North for exposure.

Also, being a junior, Lassman hopes that he can graduate from Williston this year, as the only course he needs to graduate is Senior English. He did state that he would most likely have to take an online course for his English Credits.

Many of his teammates and friends are sad to see him go, but they all understand that it is the best decision for him to develop and hopefully become a Division 1 Hockey Player.

Lassman’s teammate, close friend, and roommate, Sam Milnes, who is also going to play Junior Hockey next year in Alberta, Canada after graduating, stated, “I feel like everyone is happy for him, but also sad, because we have all been such good friends.”