Calgary Hitmen’s Adam Tambellini talks about his decision to leave UND

Adam Tambellini's decision to leave the University of North Dakota as a freshman for the Calgary Hitmen wasn't an easy one, but he felt it was the right move for his long-term development.

“I knew that they didn’t want me to leave and that they wouldn’t like to hear I was,” says Tambellini, who is the son of former Edmonton Oilers GM Steve Tambellini. “And it was a tough decision for me. I think they have an excellent program, but I just had to do what’s best for me. I feel it was the right move to make the switch to play for the Hitmen.”

Ultimately, Tambellini left UND because he felt the Western Hockey League and Hitmen offered him more opportunity. The Dub not only has a more extensive schedule, as the league plays 32 more regular-season games than the NCAA, but the 19-year-old is also playing a bigger role in Calgary than he was in North Dakota because of the age difference in the two programs.

“It came down to that I wanted to play more games,” says Tambellini, who scored two goals and four points in 16 games in UND. “I just thought it was the best move for my long-term future because I’d get a better opportunity in Calgary with the WHL playing more games and I thought I’d get more ice time, too. It was a decision that I thought about with my family and we just agreed that it was the right move for me.”

Tambellini is one of a handful of highly regarded prospects to leave the NCAA for the WHL this year. Earlier in the season, St. Louis Blues prospect Tommy Vannelli left the University of Minnesota for the Medicine Hat Tigers and UND commit Ryan Gropp backed out of his scholarship to join the Seattle Thunderbirds.

“The WHL offers a lot to players and does a great job of preparing them for the NHL,” says Tambellini, who scored 36 goals and 65 points in 52 games between the Vernon Vipers and Surrey Eagles in the BCHL last year. “I think both routes are good and it depends on the player, but I think the WHL is just the best option for me and obviously other players believe it’s their best choice, too.”

Tambellini wasn’t going to leave UND for the Portland Winterhawks - who originally owned his WHL rights - though. He felt Calgary was a better fit for him because of familiarity and family. Therefore, when Tambellini's camp told Winterhawks GM-head coach Mike Johnston this, he traded the New York Rangers prospect to the Hitmen for a 2014 first-round bantam pick right before the trade deadline on Jan. 9.

“It was nothing against the Winterhawks - I just felt Calgary was a good fit for me,” says the Edmonton native. “They have a great team and being from Alberta did play into it. I have family around here (Calgary) and I know some players on the Hitmen like Greg Chase and Linden Penner from school."

The 6-foot-3, 185-pound forward took no time at all to make a strong first impression on the Hitmen’s hockey brass by notching one goal and three assists in his first game with the club against the Saskatoon Blades on Jan. 9. But what’s even more impressive about his first showing is the effort he put in to make it to the City of Bridges on the same day of the deal. Immediately after hearing the trade went through, Tambellini drove to Winnipeg and from there caught a flight to Saskatoon.

“It all happened pretty fast,” says Tambellini, who didn’t even have a nameplate in his first game because the Hitmen didn’t expect him to play that night. “I wanted to get in the lineup as quick as possible and it worked out I got to play the same day of the trade. I was happy with how it all worked out.”

Knowing the first-place Hitmen certainly have the tools to win it all, Tambellini hopes to end his major junior rookie season with a championship ring.

“I knew coming here that this team is a contender,” says Tambellini, who has two goals and eight points in six games with the Hitmen. “I think we will have a good playoff and we should have a good chance at winning a championship."

Kelly Friesen is a Buzzing the Net columnist for Yahoo! Sports. Follow him on Twitter @KellyFriesen