Photo Credit: Army West Point Athletics

For Colin Bilek, today represents the next step. The Army West Point Gradute is now on his way to play professional hockey within the Winnepeg Jets’ system next season. His story as a Northeast General was one of perserverence. He was on the original team, and worked to get better in Attleboro every single day.

He did

Soon towards the end of his NAHL career he just needed a team to take a chance on him.

Army West Point did.

Then for four years he spent time getting better on and off the ice every single day as a person, a leader, and a hockey player. Bilek came into this season as one of the best goal scorers in the country. His game this year showed to be more than just that and helped him arguably open more eyes. Bilek was one of Army West Point’s best defensive forwards every night, and his scoring prowess helped others step forward.

For a team like the Jets, they have a lot of younger prospects in their system like Cole Perfetti, who could stand to only get better working with Colin. Bilek is a complete forward who personifies the statement of “if you’re good theyll find you.” Also Jets fans think of this when you see Bilek at training camp, how many active players have their number retired by their junior hockey team? Bilek has his number in the rafters for his dedication and leadership as much as for his skill with the Generals along with the person h has become.

His former Head Coach Bryan Erikson summed up how a lot of Generals are feeling about Bilek’s contract.

He said “ Colin is the first to sign a NHL/AHL deal. We have several players playing pro overseas or in the SPHL/ECHL but he is the first to sign directly with an NHL organization. I told teams at the NCAA level when they were passing on him that he would be playing professional hockey one day. I can’t begin to tell you how proud I am. I got emotional today thinking about it. How much hard work he has put in. What type of person he is. And what type of legacy he continues to build. I just absolutely love the kid. An amazing person that also happens to be a great hockey player. I can’t wait to watch him continue to prove everyone wrong at the next level.”

We will have more from Bilek, his Army West Point family, and more in the coming days.

Donate: To help us cover more games and tell more stories not found elsewhere about all of college sports, especially under represented athletes everywhere across the college sports landscape like unique untold stories across college hockey. Please click the below link and consider donating what you can. If you do, I will list you in every story we write as a supporter of crowd-funded journalism that can truly be free for all at this link. 

Donate