Ryan Hogg has made his commitment to Plattsburgh State University, he is scheduled to roster next year for the 2019-2020 season. The British Columbia native in many respects was born to play hockey. “My parents are a big part of me starting up hockey, as my dad is a former player and that’s all I wanted to do growing up.”
“My first time playing hockey was in Lake Cowichan when I was 3 years old for the Lake Cowichan Lakers. I had an excellent youth experience growing up in Duncan playing for the Cowichan Capitals. I had really good teammates growing up and tough competition on the island as well.”
Ryan has played over 200 games of Junior hockey, nearly all of them in the BCHL before playing his final season in the NCDC. “Before making the move east I had the chance to play in the BCHL for 4 full seasons. I was lucky enough to play for my hometown of the Cowichan Capitals when I was 16. It was unreal to play in front of a crowd I used to be apart of growing up. I played 2 seasons with the Capitals, and halfway through my 3rd season I was traded to the Salmon Arm Silverbacks. It was a cool experience to move away from home and play in a different town in front of great fans.”
He then made the move to travel across North America to just outside of Boston, Massachusetts to play for the Islanders Hockey Club. “After spending quite some time in the BCHL I decided I needed a change of scenery and moved out east to play for the Islanders Hockey Club. It has been the best decision I’ve made in terms of exposure and experience. It’s tough to match what the team did last year with an impressive record and winning the Dineen Cup, but I think it’s doable to achieve the same goal with the team we have now and repeat a championship.”
While out east he was able to visit Plattsburgh and made the decision to play his college hockey there. “Before committing to Plattsburgh I was in contact with a number of schools all in the New England area. I got the chance to visit Plattsburgh first and I was really impressed with the campus and how the hockey players were treated. They are a contender each year, which made it an easy decision to be a part of the winning culture.”
He chatted with us about how he stays motivated and what he is doing to prepare for next season, “The biggest influence on my hockey career is easily my dad. From day 1, always taking me to the late night or early morning practices, pushing me to be my best and making sacrifices to put me through to play, I will never be able to repay. I’m preparing for NCAA just like any other season I’ve had coming up, hours on end in the gym and always practicing at home with my shot and skills.”
Ryan plans to study business at Plattsburgh and after hockey he intends to continue his education and become a corporate lawyer.
Ryan has played 22 games with the Islanders Hockey Club, and notched 2 goals and 2 assists so far.
