VANCOUVER – The UBC Thunderbirds men's hockey team has announced former Western Hockey League player Brad Hoban (Victoria, B.C.) has committed to playing for the team this upcoming season.
 
"It was an easy decision for me to go to UBC," said Hoban.  "It is such a great school academically, it has a good hockey program in place and it is close to home."
 
Hoban spent his entire junior hockey career with the Swift Current Broncos of the WHL, playing 325 games over six seasons with the club.
 
That puts him second on the Broncos' career games played list.
 
With the Broncos, Hoban scored 69 and recorded 107 assists for a total of 176 points.
 
"Brad brings a scoring touch to our hockey team," said UBC head coach Milan Dragicevic. "Brad got more than 150 points in his last three years in Swift Current and we expect him to produce points and be an effective contributor to our power play."
 
Last season, Hoban was second in team scoring with 53 points (21 goals and 32 assists) in 69 games.
 
He is one of eight new recruits joining UBC for the 2012-13 Canada West men's hockey season. The others are Neil Manning, Joe Antilla, Jessi Hilton, Scott MacDonald, Linden Saip, Kevin Smith and Dillon Wagner.
 
UBC will open the Canada West regular season on Sept. 28 in Regina against the Cougars.
 
For every season played in the Western Hockey League, players earn a one-year guaranteed scholarship to the post-secondary institution of their choice, including tuition, textbooks and compulsory fees.
 
Western Hockey League clubs combine to act as the leading supplier of hockey scholarships in Western Canada, with over 200 players enjoying a WHL Scholarship each year.