When the NCAA changed their eligibility rules, a new pathway opened up for American-born players to pursue their college goals. The first Wheat King to choose the new path was Jimmy Egan, and now he’s taking the first steps on that path.
Egan, the first U.S. Priority Draft selection to ever sign with the Wheat Kings, is through his first training camp with the team. The 2008-born forward showed off a mix of size and skill throughout camp, and he’s come away from it happy with both the hockey and his future teammates.
“It went awesome,” Egan said. “It was super nice because all the guys introduced themselves to me so I felt comfortable. It was a great first camp for me, it was fun.”
Egan, the middle child of five boys, is used to a competitive environment, which probably helped his transition into what Wheat Kings’ brass referred to as their most competitive camp in years. After spending most of last season in the 16U AAA ranks, where he was a prolific offensive producer, it was quite a change for Egan to suddenly be on the ice with and against WHL players.
“The pace was really high, it was a highly competitive camp,” said Egan. “Even compared to the USHL, I feel like this was a lot higher of a pace.”
Egan’s time in the USHL, a three-game stint with the Omaha Lancers, served as a nice springboard to his first Wheat Kings camp, however. It certainly made for an easier transition than simply jumping straight in from the AAA ranks would’ve been.
“I feel like those games under my belt really helped,” Egan said. “I feel a lot more comfortable at this high pace. It definitely helped a lot.”
Until about a year ago, the USHL was looking like a very possible path for Egan. He had talked with the Wheat Kings before, and knew the organization thought well of him, but like many Americans had NCAA aspirations that the WHL would’ve left him ineligible for. Then, suddenly, CHL players were no longer barred from NCAA competition, and everything changed. The Wheat Kings looked like the best of both worlds.
“It was a no-brainer, the WHL is one of the best junior leagues in the world,” Egan said. “For me, it was a no-brainer to come here. I was really excited about the rule change.”
Next up for Egan and the Wheat Kings is a home-and-home with the Regina Pats. The first game goes Friday night in Regina at 7:00 local time, 8:00 Central, and will be broadcast on Q Country 91.5.
