A challenging start to the B.C. Hockey League season has been no obstacle in Adam Jeffery’s quest for an NCAA Div. 1 scholarship.
The Cowichan Valley Capitals announced last week that the 20-year-old forward has committed to the Rochester Institute of Technology for next season, despite the fact that he has appeared in only four games this season.
“I’m thankful for the opportunity to play hockey at the next level,” Jeffery said in a release from the Caps. “I couldn’t have done it without the support of family, friends, teammates, trainers and the entire Cowichan Capitals organization. I chose to further my education/hockey career at RIT because of the outstanding culture surrounding their school. Both coach [Brian] Hills and coach [Wayne] Wilson are very passionate and experienced people who I look forward to playing under. This is a dream come true.”
A product of Leamington, Ont., Jeffery was acquired from the Alberni Valley Bulldogs just before the start of the 2021-22 season, then appeared in two exhibition games before suffering an injury in practice. He returned to the lineup in time for the BCHL Showcase in Chilliwack, where he made an immediate impact, scoring two goals in each of the Caps’ two games. He scored twice again in his first home game immediately after the Showcase, then left the next game early with another injury.
Even though Jeffery has played only four games, he remains among the Caps’ statistical leaders. His six goals are tied with captain Brett Fudger for the second-most on the team, behind David Jacobs, and his seven points are tied for eighth with Griffin Wilson.
Jeffery played the 2020-21 pod season with the Bulldogs, posting 19 points in 20 games. He played the previous two seasons with his hometown Leamington Flyers of the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League, recording 92 points in 94 contests. Former Capitals goalies Matthew Waite and Zach Borgiel were among his teammates in Leamington.
At RIT, Jeffery will join Dimitri Mikrogiannakis, who played for the Caps from 2018 to 2020, and Doug Jones, who played for Cowichan in 2018-19.
Including Jeffery, the Caps now have seven players committed to Div. 1 programs. He joins defencemen Nick Marciano (Princeton), Owen Simpson (Connecticut) and forwards Eli Pilosof (Brown), Aidan Cobb (Cornell), David Jacobs (Princeton) and Luke Haymes (Dartmouth) on the impressive list.