UND an easy decision for Perron

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This article was published 04/08/2021 (1641 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Jayden Perron had a plethora of college options to choose from but picking a destination didn’t take much time.

Earlier this week, the 16-year-old centre made a verbal commitment to the University of North Dakota men’s hockey program. It was the earliest opportunity for high school juniors to make their college choice.

He is tentatively scheduled to start school in Grand Forks during the fall of 2023.

Perron, who left home last fall to play for the Sioux Falls (S.D.) U16 Power, made an unofficial visit to UND’s Grand Forks campus in June and knew almost immediately it was where he wanted to be.

On Jan. 1, the first day schools could make contact with potential hockey recruits, Perron said he received approximately 20 NCAA offers, including one from the Fighting Hawks.

“It was definitely a lot, especially on Jan. 1,” said Perron Wednesday. “I was there in my basement answering calls most of the day but it was definitely super fun — stressful at times — but I definitely enjoyed every second of it…

“UND was kind of always the top school that I wanted to go to and after that visit, I knew that I was making the right decision.”

Perron said UND’s impressive facilities and the hockey program’s reputation were the main reasons for his decision. UND’s proximity to home was a bonus.

Convincing his mom, Doreen, that he wasn’t making an overly hasty decision took some doing.

“I kind of knew what I wanted and my mom wanted me to be patient and go check out other schools and after my visit to UND, it was like there was nowhere else to be,” said Perron. “Then she kind of eased up and said, ‘OK, if it that’s how you feel.'”

As exciting as the decision was, college is still at least two years away. Perron plans to develop his game further when he suits up for the USHL’s Chicago Steel this fall.

Earlier this year, the Steel signed him to a tender, which meant they forfeited a first-round draft pick in order to protect him prior to the USHL’s Phase 1 Draft. In Sioux Falls last season, he scored 29 goals and 60 points in 37 games.

“If I feel ready to go play college I’ll definitely do that (in two years) or if I felt like I needed one more year in Chicago or junior hockey then I’m in no rush to go to college but I feel like time will tell,” he said. “It’ll be an easier decision (then).”

Perron, a second-round (23rd overall) pick of the Portland Winterhawks in the 2020 WHL Draft, returned to Winnipeg last month after extended training sessions in Sioux Falls.

“He has just had a phenomenal summer, a continuation of (his) training,” said Noelle Needham, who was his coach in Sioux Falls but was also recently promoted to the associate GM of the Steel. “He’s grown. He’s gotten bigger. He’s stronger. He’s put weight on and he’s doing things in practice right now that are just mind-blowing.

“So I think that he goes into the USHL and it’s gonna be another adjustment and there will be struggles for sure, but I foresee him being very successful and and becoming even more of a higher-profile player.”

Perron has grown an inch and gained 20 pounds in the last year and currently stands 5-8 and weighs 155 pounds. Despite his relatively slight build, Needham isn’t concerned about Perron’s ability to withstand the physical demands of junior hockey.

“I don’t think he’s got an issue with that,” said Needham. “He’s a smaller guy (but) he’s very strong. The U16 level is really high end in the U.S. There are some big kids — it’s not like he just played the season here and was completely untouched.

“Now, our philosophy at Power is the same as the Chicago Steel. We don’t need someone to run around and just hit people. That’s just not the style of play. His detail and IQ — especially his stick detail — allows him to not even engage in a lot of that stuff but he’s a tough kid. I mean, he would have to be missing a limb to be taken out of the hockey game.”

mike.sawatzky@freepress.mb.caTwitter: @sawa14