Yahoo Sports Owen Sound Attack Sign Cornell University Commit
Yesterday, Owen Sound GM Dale DeGray announced the signing of St. Andrew's College forward Michael Dec to a Standard Player Development and Education Agreement.
"Michael has been a standout at St. Andrew's College prep school," said DeGray. "Being able to play 10 games with us this year will help acclimatize Michael to the OHL as a full-time player next season."
Owen Sound drafted Dec in the eighth round of the 2023 OHL Priority Selection. Since then, he has spent the last two years at St. Andrew's College where this year he has 50 points in 24 games at the U-18 AAA level.
Based on these results, Dec secured a commitment to Cornell University. With the recent changes in the NCAA regulations, Dec will not burn his NCAA eligibility by signing with Owen Sound.
Related: What Does The NCAA Ruling Mean For OHL Players?
"Attending St. Andrew's College for my grade 11 and 12 years provided me exposure and the opportunity to commit to Cornell University and play Division I hockey in the future," said Dec. "I also dreamed of playing in the OHL someday and with the recent rule changes I now have the opportunity to play for the Attack and continue to develop in the number-one development league in the world.
Dec's signing matches a string of signings around the OHL, resulting in younger players becoming affiliated to OHL clubs. In the last week, Ryder Cali and Shaan Kingwell signed similar contracts with North Bay and Ottawa respectively.
These signings are all direct results of the NCAA changes in the fall. Dec's situation is very similar to Cali's in that both players are expected to join their respective teams next year.
Until then they will play their 10 affiliated games with their OHL clubs while continuing to develop elsewhere.
