The chance to join one of the top programs in the NCAA was too good to pass up. Okotoks Oilers centre Blake Wells of Blackie will be playing in the NCAA’s most competitive conference with one of the winningest teams over the past decade after committing to Hockey East’s UMass Lowell River Hawks for the 2019-20 season. “Their style of play, their head coach (Norm Bazin)’s winning record, his resumé speaks for itself. He’s one of the greatest in the nation right now,” said Wells. “The campus and the way of life there, it’s a smaller school and that’s nice for me coming from a small town. “It’s huge. It takes a big weight off my shoulders and a big question mark on my game and now I can have all of my focus towards a championship this year.” The River Hawks know something about championship themselves. Playing against the likes of Boston College, Northeastern and Vermont, Lowell has three Hockey East titles over the past decade, most recently in 2017, under the guidance of longtime bench boss Bazin. Wells’ journey to Massachusetts took root while skating with the Midget AAA Foothills CFR Bisons. He began speaking with then Colgate University scout Juliano Pagliero, who is now on the bench as an assistant coach with the River Hawks. “He reached out to me and I think I was his first commitment,” Wells said. “After the (AJHL) showcase I started getting a lot of attention and even at the World Junior A Challenge selection camp it went even further than that. “Then going into this year UMass really saw my potential at the end of last year’s playoffs and in pre-season.” Wells will be third Oiler to skate with the River Hawks, joining former Okotoks forwards Colin O’Neill, a senior at Lowell, and John Edwardh, a graduate now plying his professional trade in the New Jersey Devils system. “I got put in contact with John Edwardh,” Wells said. “He was just telling me how it is day by day and how much fun he had down there for his four years, the layout of the program. “It helped a lot.” Wells had 10 goals and 24 points as a rookie centre with the Oilers last season. Cutting an imposing figure at 6-foot-2 and 190 pounds along with terrific speed and defensive acumen, Wells boasts an impressive skillset. “He’s a 200-foot centreman, he’s hard to play against, a big, fast centreman,” said Oilers head coach Tyler Deis. “The sky is the limit with him with the potential of what he can do with his hockey career. “I’m excited for him and it’s well deserved.” The 19-year-old has seen his role steadily increase in both even-strength and special team opportunities. His greatest development might be off the ice. “We always knew what we were getting, it’s just more the leadership part of it and taking more of that role,” the coach added. “Athletically, he’s a great hockey player and it’s just him believing in himself that he can be a high end hockey player and a 200-foot player. “It’s that confidence part that I definitely see.”
