FORT McMURRAY, AB (June 19, 2014) – The Fort McMurray Oil Barons of the Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL) are proud to announce that forward Ryan Bloom (Calgary, AB) has committed to attend and play for the Queen’s University Gaels of Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS).
Bloom was acquired by the Oil Barons in the 2013 off-season as future considerations in the trade that sent Harrison Hendrix (Calgary, AB) to the Drumheller Dragons earlier that year. In just one season, the 1993-born forward led the Barons in scoring with 27 goals and 45 assists; a total of 72 points in 58 games played. Bloom led the entire AJHL in assists while tying for third-most points in the 2013-14 campaign.
The Queen’s Gaels, based in Kingston, Ontario, are coming off of their most successful regular season ever, and will enter their tenth season under head coach Brett Gibson, the 2013-14 Father George Kehoe Memorial Award winner as Canadian intercollegiate coach of the year.
At Queen’s, Bloom will join the former Oil Baron for whom he was traded, in Hendrix. He is the fourth Oil Baron recruited by Gibson, after Hendrix, Drew McLaughlin (Saint John, NB), and Jordan Mirwaldt (Winnipeg, MB).
Bloom is the ninth Oil Baron from the 2013-14 team to commit to a postsecondary institution, joining Mitch Vanderlaan (Cornell), Tanner Jaillet (Denver), Kevin Miller (Ohio State), Alex Cromwell (Providence), Brennan Saulnier (Alabama-Huntsville), Austin Yadlowski (Mount Royal), Curtis Lewington (Marian), and Mitchell Byrne (Norwich).