BOSTON – Charlie DesRoches has made a big decision regarding his hockey future.
The right-handed-shooting defenceman has committed to the Northeastern Huskies, a Division 1 NCAA hockey team based in Boston that plays in the Hockey East conference.
The 15-year-old son of John DesRoches and Julie McNeill of Days Corner, who is currently playing with the Selects Academy under-15 team at South Kent School in Connecticut, is expected to join the Huskies in either the fall of 2020 or 2021.
“I recently toured the campus, watched a game and discussed it with my parents and my advisor (Clark MacLean),” explained DesRoches in a phone interview with the Journal Pioneer. “A few weeks later I decided to commit there.”
DesRoches, who is currently in Grade 10, is looking forward to combining hockey and education at Northeastern, which is currently the No. 8-ranked team in the country.
“After playing hockey in the (United) States and seeing college hockey, it’s a really great route,” offered DesRoches. “You get more time to develop, you get to play four years of hockey and you get to come out with a degree. It’s win, win.”
In the meantime, until he joins Northeastern, DesRoches says his options include remaining at prep school or possibly playing in the USHL. Nonetheless, DesRoches knows a lot of hard work lies ahead to prepare for college hockey.
“Overall, getting better defensively and working on my skating,” said DesRoches in addressing areas he will be focusing on. “You have to be a good skater to get to the next level, so I’ll be focusing on my skating.”
This season
In 30 games with the Selects Academy this season, the five-foot-11 and 161-pound DesRoches, who is listed high in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League rankings, has recorded 20 points – five goals and 15 assists.
“It’s really fast hockey, and we play a lot more games,” said DesRoches in describing the hockey at the Selects Academy. “We’ve already played 30-some games. I really like it here.”
DesRoches played as an under-age player with the Kensington Monaghan Farms Wild of the New Brunswick/P.E.I. Major Midget Hockey League last season. He registered 26 points – 10 goals and 16 assists – in 33 regular-season games, and a goal and an assist in a seven-game provincial championship series versus Charlottetown.
Two years ago, DesRoches suited up with the O’Leary-based Prince County Warriors of the P.E.I. Major Bantam AAA Hockey League. He had five goals and 18 assists for 23 points in 30 regular-season games. His playoff resumé included three goals and three helpers in eight contests.
DesRoches says there is not “a huge difference” in the hockey he is playing this year compared to major midget in the Maritimes.
“I would say they are smaller players, quicker players and there’s less hitting (this year),” added DesRoches, who is considering studying business at Northeastern.
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