College hockey dreams for most Massachusetts kids involve playing in the famed Beanpot Tournament at TD Garden or suiting up at another Hockey East school.
Growing up in North Reading, Mass., Cam Knight was no different as he had plenty of exposure to the college game. Knight’s dad went to Northeastern and took him to many games at Boston College and Boston University. Many of his friends did the same and had those college dreams of their own.
Knight, an Alabama Huntsville senior defenseman, had his mind set on what has long been called the top Division 1 conference in the country and was on the Hockey East path when he first stepped onto the ice at Lawrence Academy in 2012. But a case of pancreatitis derailed his first of two prep seasons and ultimately led him down a new road to the next level.
“I was having a really good season, and I got it about six games in,” Knight recalled. “I was in the hospital for two weeks and lost 35 pounds. After that, Lawrence was just me trying to get back to a healthy position to play hockey and get a scholarship.”
Knight did just that, playing two seasons at Lawrence and then one for the North American Hockey League’s Wichita Falls Wildcats before heading south to start his collegiate career at UAH, which plays in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association alongside a pair of nationally-ranked teams in Minnesota State and Bowling Green.
Most players from New England ― or, for that matter, anywhere ― have probably never heard of the Chargers. Knight was in that boat when he began the college recruiting process, but he saw the opportunity to do something different and take his talents to the “Hockey Capital of the South” as a special one.
“When you play hockey in New England you really don't know anything other than Hockey East,” he said. “You know about North Dakota, Minnesota, and those big-name schools as well, but when I got an opportunity to go to UAH, I had to do some research because I knew nothing about it.
“I grew up with a lot of kids who are playing in Hockey East or have played in Hockey East, but I thought it would be cool to take a different route, travel a lot and play all these different teams, and just get a different experience.”
For sixth-year head coach Mike Corbett, far-reaching recruiting is not a different experience by any means. Players from all over the world have bought into that philosophy and joined the Chargers as this season’s roster includes players from 10 U.S. states, three Canadian provinces, Sweden, and China.
In fact, the Chargers have come to New England for players in the past, graduating former South Kent and Avon Old Farms defenseman Cody Champagne (Brookfield, Conn.) and Tabor Academy product Matt Salhany (Warwick, R.I.) over the last two seasons. Salhany is currently playing for the ECHL’s Adirondack Thunder in his second full season of professional hockey.
In reality, though, diversity doesn’t matter to Corbett. Foremost, the goal is to find those interested in buying into what Knight and his senior classmates are trying to build for the future. In this case, it was a mission accomplished.
“We’re known for our diversity, we’re like the ‘United Nations of College Hockey,’” said Corbett. “To me, it's about getting guys that want to be here, and Cam was one of those. When we were able to make him that offer when he was in prep school, he was interested from Day One.”
Knight’s recruitment was rare in that he committed to UAH before his second and final season at Lawrence. The Chargers were there as he finished his prep school career and moved up the junior level in the NAHL.
Knight has turned into a leader for a Charger team that includes eight freshmen and eight sophomores, having played in 112 collegiate games entering his final semester. Only four of his 39 collegiate points have come this season, but his lone goal turned out to be the game-winner in a Dec. 8 win at Bemidji State.
“We haven’t done that with another player since,” Corbett said of attracting commits from the prep school ranks. “Cam has played a big role since the first day he stepped on campus. He’s just one of those guys we've had to depend on going into not just this year but last year.
“You're always looking for a security blanket as a coach, and he’s one of those guys because he can play 5-on-5, power play, penalty kill. It's very nice to have a guy with some experience back there. He’s one of those guys that you want the rest of the team to see and envy the ice time that he gets. He just goes by example.”
For Knight, the chance to lead the team that took a chance on him years ago and developed him into the hockey player he is today has been long-awaited. He’s watched the team come together more closely than it was when he was a freshman.
Even in the midst of a 3-15 season, the Chargers are a family to Knight. And he gets to lead it for a few more months.
“It means everything to me,” he said. “I come from a family with three sisters, so these guys are actually my brothers and we have a really close relationship. … Nobody really knows how hard it is until they get here. My coach always says, ‘We’re not the sexiest program.’ Recruiting is tough and there’s a lot of travel. This experience has flown by, but we’re pulling everyone together as a team.”
After Christmas, Knight’s career comes full circle with a trip to Burlington, Vt., for the Catamount Cup. The Chargers will take on a pair of Hockey East programs in tournament host Vermont and Northeastern next Friday and Saturday during just their second weekend in New England over the last five seasons.
The Chargers bused to the Upper Peninsula for last weekend’s WCHA series at Michigan Tech, and the players were dropped off at Chicago O’Hare International Airport after the games to return home for the holidays. This upcoming trip will originate from Boston and include a practice at Warrior Ice Arena, where the Boston Bruins practice, before heading to Vermont.
“Just getting an opportunity to play against Hockey East teams, which was my ultimate dream growing up, is really special,” Knight said. “A lot of my family members haven't been able to come to a lot of my games, so everyone's going to make the trip. I’m so excited.”
It will be a special weekend. For a special player.
“When you become a senior, 23-plus years old, you're kind of a man out there in college hockey. And you want the guys to see that,” Corbett said. “He's getting what he deserves. You see a lot of programs where seniors get passed a lot of times, but Cam hasn't been a guy like that for us.
“He’s going to have a lot of people who have seen him grow up, see him play at Lawrence at the games. (Playing close to home) is special for every kid.”
