Three former Cowichan Valley Capitals and one former Kerry Park Islander played in the NCAA Div. 1 men’s hockey tournament this year, but unfortunately, all their teams were eliminated in the regional semifinals or finals.
The most notable former Cap in the field was forward Ryan Burton, now skating for Union College. Burton played 104 games for Cowichan between 2014 and 2016, compiling 23 goals, 57 assists and 80 points. Union was eliminated by Penn State in the first round.
Goalie Connor LaCouvee, who played 20 games for the Caps in 2012-13 before moving on to Merritt and Alberni Valley the next season played in the NCAA tournament for Boston University. BU beat North Dakota in the first round, then lost to Minnesota-Duluth in the second round.
Defenceman Josh Monk, who had a brief stint with the Caps in 2011-12, served as Providence College’s captain this year. Monk put up 11 points in 12 games at the start of the 2011-12 campaign before being traded to the Westside Warriors. Providence College was eliminated by Harvard in the first round.
Forward Evan Campbell of the University of Massachusetts-Lowell played for the Kerry Park Islanders in 2010-11, putting up 36 points on 14 goals and 22 assists in 41 games, getting into one contest with the Caps as an affiliate. He moved to junior A the next season, and was drafted by the Edmonton Oilers in 2013. UMass-Lowell beat Cornell in the first round, then lost to Notre Dame in the second round.