HUMBOLDT — Humboldt Broncos forward Braiden Koran will be headed east for the next stop in his hockey journey.
The 20-year-old from Kimberley, B.C has committed to study and play next year at Ontario Tech University. The Oshawa school’s men’s hockey team competes in the U Sports ranks, the highest in Canada.
“I’m looking forward to playing top level hockey at university in Canada as well as getting an amazing education,” Koran said.
He has yet to decide upon his field of study but has plenty of choices at the university that was established in 2002 and has 53 undergraduate programs and 38 graduate offerings for its more 10,000 students. The Ridgebacks have had such former Broncos as Bryce Fiske and Matthieu Gomercic, now playing in the ECHL, on their team.
“The coach [Curtis Hodgins] seemed very welcoming and, as I did my homework, I heard nothing but good things about the program,” Koran said.
Koran joined the Broncos in 2019-20 after playing Junior B in his hometown. A contributor and leader from day one, Koran is posting career best numbers this season while serving as an assistant captain. As of Monday, he had 21 goals, 25 assists, and 46 points in 46 games. Koran was 10th in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League in scoring. While he has produced points for the Broncos, his value to the squad goes beyond the numbers.
“Braiden has been a leader since coming to Humboldt,” head coach Scott Barney said on the team’s website. “One of the hardest hitters I have ever seen in my time in the SJHL. He’s also one of the hardest guys to play against in the league due to his work ethic and 200-foot game. He’s a guy that can create offensively, top-ten in scoring, and you add on his ability and awareness without the puck, you have a player that every coach wants on his team.”
