Ross Commits to Cougars

[Bran]

http://prometheus.cc.uregina.ca/cougars/mediaReleases.php?NEWSID=872

Ross Commits to Cougars
Tuesday July 31st, 2007
University of Regina men's hockey head coach Blaine Sautner announced Monday that former Regina Pats forward Kyle Ross (pictured) has committed to the Cougars.

"Kyle's been a great player over his WHL career," Sautner said. "He has the ability to step into our lineup and be an impact player. He's had a lot of experience on both the power play and the penalty kill, and he'll be one of the guys we expect to provide leadership in the room."

Ross, who turns 21 in September, finished second on the Pats in points last year while serving as an alternate captain. He posted totals of 20 goals and 48 assists in 71 regular season games and added four goals and three assists during Regina's 10 playoff contests. A left-handed centre, Ross had a brief tryout with the American Hockey League's Milwaukee Admirals in April after the Pats' season ended.

(Photo: Greg Johnson Photography)

A five-year WHL veteran, Ross began his major junior career with the Red Deer Rebels before being dealt to Regina midway through the 2003-04 season. He played in 288 career regular season games in the WHL, scoring 57 goals and adding 128 assists for a total of 185 points. Ross also tallied 14 points in 20 career playoff games.

Ross, who attended the Nashville Predators' prospect conditioning camp in late June, is no stranger to the university scene. Since graduating from Campbell Collegiate in 2004, Ross has taken a class at the U of R in each semester towards a business administration degree.

Ross' commitment brings the Cougars' recruiting class up to seven. All seven players have WHL experience, with four donning a Pats jersey during their major junior career.

University of Regina 2007-08 Recruiting Class
D Kyle Deck, Regina (WHL)
D Josh Fauth, Brooks (AJHL)
F Dillon Johnstone, Chilliwack (WHL)
F Neil Kodman, Battlefords (SJHL)
F Kyle Ross, Regina (WHL)
F Tyson Sievert, Bonnyville (AJHL)
D Cody Thoring, Moose Jaw (WHL)
The Cougars are looking pretty decent for the next few years!

[Bran]

reginapats.ca

Ross Agrees To Become A Cougar

The University of Regina Cougars men's hockey team has landed another former member of the Regina Pats -- and he may be the biggest catch yet.

Kyle Ross has committed to the Cougars for the 2007-08 season, choosing the U of R over the University of Saskatchewan Huskies and professional opportunities in the ECHL. He will join the Cougars providing that no suitable professional opportunities present themselves before September.

"I talked to a lot of other universities, but I'm from Regina, I played hockey here for a lot of years and they've brought in a lot of other guys so there will be some familiar faces for me," said Ross, a 20-year-old centre. "It's going to be a good program and I'm happy to stay here."

After attending rookie camp with the NHL's Nashville Predators at the end of June, the centre was offered a contract by their AHL affiliate, the Milwaukee Admirals.

Ross spent a few days with the Admirals in the spring after the Pats were swept from the WHL playoffs by the Medicine Hat Tigers. He practised with the Admirals but didn't play in their first-round playoff series with the Chicago Wolves.

The Admirals, however, planned to immediately send him to their ECHL affiliate in Cincinnati, something Ross did not want to do.

"It was an option for sure and I've got a lot of really good friends that play in (the ECHL)," said Ross, who is to take business classes at the U of R. "But on the other hand with the direction the CIS is heading, I can explore that option after I'm done school. It might be a little smarter to use my scholarship and play hockey here for a few years and then I can go afterward."

The WHL will pay tuition, fees and textbook costs to former players for every season they played in the league.

So now Ross will be reunited with former Pats teammates Kyle Deck, Jordan McGillivray, Adam Ward, Tyson Sievert, Josh Fauth and Rylan Gebhart.

Deck captained the Pats last season while Ross was an assistant. Before McGillivray was released by the Pats early in the 2005-06 season, he and Ross played on a line together -- a duo Cougars head coach Blaine Sautner plans to reunite.

The two will play on one of Regina's top two lines with Shane Emmons or Dillon Johnstone on the right wing.

"It will be weird -- same guys, different dressing room," said Ross. "But the chemistry and everything will be there already so it's just a matter of putting it on the ice."

In five WHL seasons with the Red Deer Rebels and the Pats, Ross scored 57 goals and added 128 assists in 288 games. He had 14 points in 20 playoff games during his career, including seven points in 10 games last season.

Sautner knew there was a chance he might not be able to sign Ross when the centre started drawing pro interest, but didn't give up on recruiting him either.

"Kyle could have went anywhere," said Sautner. "The process started in November and we're just glad he decided to stay home and we could work things out with him.

"It's huge for us and great for Kyle to be able to play at home too."

Players like Ross and Deck committing to the Cougars after graduating from the WHL only bodes well for the future of the program, Sautner added.

"It's that snowball effect when you get some of these guys in here and they become your best recruiters," said Sautner.

The move to the CIS may not be a big change for Ross in the style of the game, but playing in front of a few hundred fans at the Sherwood Ice Sports Centre instead of a few thousand at the Brandt Centre could be a little jarring.

"It's still hockey and it's really competitive," said Ross. "I'm looking at the guys I played against in the WHL that are in CIS now and it's a good league."

Whether Ross will be with the Cougars that long remains to be seen. He could still sign with an AHL team before the CIS season starts in September and can always pursue a pro career before his five years of university eligibility are up.

"I'm still going to keep an eye out for a good opportunity," said Ross. "But if I'm in Regina, I'll be happy to play for the Cougars."

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