For the Northern Cyclones and NCDC Coach and Owner Bill Flanagan, he knows what the standard is, and what it takes to get players into Division One Hockey. He has helped thousands of players find that next level, from club to Division One Hockey. For Will Gavin, that meant getting noticed by Division One scouts and one giving him a chance.

That school was Air Force. Gavin went from captaining the Northern Cyclones NCDC team to the Falcons and growing each year with them. Despite playing in only 18 games in his last year of junior hockey, he finished seventh in scoring for the NCDC Cyclones. Gavin has since gone onto Air Force and developed into a leader at forward who will be expecting his best year ahead in his senior season coming this fall.

As Flanagan said of Gavin “ He came to us with nothing and was lost in the junior hockey jungle, we gave him an opportunity. We believed in his ability and his character which showed through daily in Hudson for the team.”

So much of being in junior hockey is knowing the coaches and teams that will help you find the best landing spot for you at the right time. As Bill said of Gavin “We gave him the opportunity to succeed. He worked every day and took advantage of it. A lot of division one schools are kicking themselves for not looking.” The Falcons were Gavin’s only serious Division One offer, and it has paid off for Air Force. Flanagan coached up Gavin and put him in the best spots to succeed. As Bill said, “I gave him the confidence to succeed by putting him in situations to display his talent. Also, he has the best shot I’ve coached.”

Flanagan leads an organization in the Cyclones coming off a superb season. He is one of the best in junior hockey at helping players find their next level with the best opportunity. Gavin got to Air Force partly because he had advocates helping him get noticed for the work he put in on and off the ice. Flanagan and his organization are doing the same for hundreds more just like him daily from their arena in Hudson, New Hampshire.

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