Sixteen-year-old Brandon Gentile is already thinking about a career in professional hockey.
The Clarkston High School sophomore is well on his way after recently being named to the USA Hockey National Team Development Program.
Gentile is one of 22 kids from around the country who will be participating in the under-17 team which is based in Ann Arbor.
‘I am really excited about this. It is the biggest honor you can have to represent your country. It is a real big deal,? Gentile said.
The NTDP’s goal is to prepare student-athletes under the age of 18 for participation on U.S. National Teams and in future hockey careers. Its efforts focus on high caliber participation on the ice and creating a well-rounded individual off the ice, according to a release from the NTDP.
The team will be going against some top-notch competition. They will compete against 18-21-year-olds in the North American Hockey League. They also will get the opportunity to compete against 20 of the nation’s top college teams in premier facilities around the nation. This is combined with one of the toughest international schedules against the top players in the world.
Gentile will live with a family in Ann Arbor and go to school at Ann Arbor Huron High School.
‘I am looking forward to playing against the top competition. We will be playing all over the United States against some great players,? Gentile said. ‘I first started to realize this was something I wanted to do a couple of years ago.?
The defenseman has played hockey for the Little Caesar’s team for the last six years.
‘That team is really competitive so I think that prepared me well,? Gentile said. ‘This team will really gear us to competing internationally. It will help us a lot.?
Gentile is looking to the NTDP to be a springboard for his hockey career. Approximately 95 percent of individuals who participate on the team earn hockey scholarships to Division I schools.
‘That is probably what I will do too. My long term goals are to play minor league hockey and then eventually earn a spot in the National Hockey League,? Gentile said.
Now in its sixth season, USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program is beginning to have an impact on the NHL. Four NTDP alumni are now on NHL rosters, while numerous other former players are among the top ranks of the American Hockey League. Because the program’s oldest alumni are just 22-years-old, the true impact of its efforts in player development is just coming to fruition.