As spring approaches, students of all ages are getting more and more excited for the summertime and upcoming spring sports, but unfortunately, this means other seasons are coming to an end, take college hockey for example.

Along with the junior hockey leagues, like the AHL, many NHL prospects play at the collegiate level and love it. However, one thing that is unique about playing at the college level is that players are putting their athletics above academics.

Take Tyson Jost for example: he played one year at the University of North Dakota in 2016-’17 before he was drafted 10th overall by the Colorado Avalanche. After finishing the year, Jost came over to Colorado and began prepping for his professional career and now plays along some of the best players in the NHL.

On the other hand, though it is rare, there are some players in the NHL who went to all four years of college and can say they have a degree. Alexander Kerfoot, a forward for the Avalanche, went to Harvard and has a degree in economics. Not very useful in the NHL, but serves as a good plan b.

This isn’t a bad thing though. Brock Boeser, a forward for the Vancouver Canucks, played 2 years at UND having Jost join him his 2nd year. Only completing two years of college might not seem like much, but his experience had a large impact on his career. Last year in the NHL, Boeser was chosen to be an all-star, won the competition he participated in, was named MVP of the all-star game, and was a finalist for rookie of the year.

Both athletes who are currently playing in the NHL, speak very highly of their college experience, Boeser even helped UND win a NCAA championship, with a four point game. . “I fell in love with North Dakota,” says Boeser.

It’s rare in college hockey to have a freshman on the top line, especially for a national championship contender. However, this would not be the first or last challenge Boeser would overcome in his career.

Although some players get drafted then go straight into “the big leagues,” or some players play in the minors rather than college, there are many promising prospects that are playing in college right now.

Any Colorado hockey fan would be glad to hear that the Avalanche have a bright future. Cale Makar has played the last two years at the University of Massachusetts, and is currently sitting at the top of the standings. Makar, a defenseman who was drafted 4th overall by Colorado in 2017, has 31 points in the 27 games he has played this year. Not too bad.

Another thing that hockey fans in Colorado get excited about is the University of Denver and their hockey team. DU is fourth in their division with a record of 15-6-4. Denver is responsible for producing some very talented hockey players. Big names in the NHL like Paul Stasny, Will Butcher (who won top National Collegiate Athletic Association men’s ice hockey player) and Jason Zucker.

In Colorado, fans are lucky to have one of the best collegiate hockey teams in the country, the University of Denver. Though it’s the same sport, college hockey seems to be a whole new game with new levels of intensity, aggression, and goal scoring. Much different than the NHL, but in a good way. Fans love the opportunity to be able to watch such young talented players.