The Wildcats are excited to announce the fifth player to their 2018/19 recruiting class with the addition of playmaking forward, Kyle Wade.

Wade, standing at 6’1,” 175 – pounds, comes from Courtenay, British Columbia, Canada and is the second Canadian added to this recruiting class alongside recent commit, Devon Langelaar.

Wade comes to the Wildcats with a ton of Junior A experience, spending the last 4 seasons in the Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League (VIJHL), rostering with: the Oceanside Generals, Comox Valley Glacier Kings and the Victoria Cougars. Wade will be the second player in as many years added from the Victoria Cougars (coached by Suneil Karod) along with Wildcat’s freshman goalie standout, Anthony Ciurro.

“I am extremely excited about my opportunity to play at the University of Arizona and be a Wildcat. To get a great education as well as play for a great team there’s nothing more I could ask for when looking for a school. I can’t wait for the next four years of being a Wildcat and doing whatever I can to contribute to bringing a championship to Tucson.”

Kyle Wade is a versatile forward that can play center or on the wing and has a knack for being in the right place, at the right time. His ability to recognize time and space makes him a threat with, or without the puck.

“We are really excited about Wade’s potential,” said coach Berman. “Anytime you are evaluating a players ability for growth it is critical to determine if he is coachable. I could immediately tell this was a kid that really wants to improve his game and make an impact at the college level. He has a lot of natural offensive instincts that you can’t teach, so the areas of improvement in his game will be easy to address through consistent film to remove old habits. Once we take that next step in his game, there is no limit to kind of the impact he can make in our program. Not to mention, we aren’t just adding anyone into our room - it is essential that any newcomers are a positive addition to our culture on and off the ice;  Kyle is a no-brianer.”