The former Charlottetown Islanders defenceman has signed a letter of intent to join the Concordia Stingers hockey team.
“For me, it was just a great overall fit,” Neill said Sunday.
Neill said he also spoke to universities in the Maritimes and Ontario, but decided on the Montreal campus because it was about 40 minutes from his hometown of Lachute, Que., had a good business school and good hockey program.
After 4.5 seasons with the Sherbrooke Phoenix and half a year with the Charlottetown Islanders, Neill said playing close to home would be nice, providing him an opportunity to see his younger cousins play hockey.
Neill also knows some of the Stingers players, including Charles-Eric Legare and Raphael Lafontaine, which helped make the decision easier.
“Obviously, it’s a good group of guys and a good coaching staff, so it was a good fit, if I end up going there,” he said.
Stingers head coach Marc-André Element said he is pleased to have Neill on board if he plays U Sports hockey.
“Carl is an exceptional offensive defenceman,” he said. “He’s a good puck-carrier, he’s good on the power play and he has great vision. He could have a big impact on our program. He’s a leader and he would log a lot of minutes.”
Neill recorded 42 goals and 159 assists for 201 points in 320 regular season games in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. He had 11 points in 13 playoff games for the Isles.
His first option would be to play pro next season.
The six-foot-one, 200-pound defenceman was a fifth-round pick of the Vancouver Canucks, but has not signed. The Canucks have until Thursday to sign Neill or he will be eligible for this year’s NHL draft. Most teams prefer to draft younger players and take a shot at guys like Neill as free agents after the draft is complete.
“Only time will tell what’s going to happen with other pro teams, but I am still trying to stay positive and hopefully something will come my way,” Neill said.
Neill, who turns 21 on July 6, finished his CEGEP degree in Quebec and took two classes at UPEI.
“School was a big part of my upbringing so getting an education is important,” he said.
Charlottetown Islanders head coach Jim Hulton said Neill brought a lot of leadership to the dressing room.
“His decision right now exemplifies his maturity level,” he said. “Here’s a guy that’s drafted pro, who could potentially be signing a pro contract in the next week or so, but still has the foresight to know that university is an option for him. He kind of has plan B in place and that sums up Carl.”
Neill isn’t the only Islanders alumnus who has committed to the Stingers.
Alexis Pépin, who was the last first-round pick of the P.E.I. Rocket, has signed on with Concordia. This year’s Stingers roster also included former Isles players Anthony Cortese and Julien Avon.
Neill was one of three overage players with the Islanders this season. Francois Beauchemin and Kameron Kielly were the other two. Neither has signed with a pro or university team at this point.
