Rookie forward Quinn Dorris got a taste of junior hockey in his home state last year and couldn’t wait to sign on for a sophomore season with the Eagles.

“I chose to come back because of the environment,” Dorris began.

“From day one, I felt welcomed and supported by the coaching staff and players. I made a lot of friendships throughout the season,” he added.

In his rookie campaign, Dorris suited up for 29 regular season games and played a rugged, physical game for the NoCo bottom six. The Steamboat Springs, CO product had to wait ten games before he scored his first goal in junior hockey in December and ultimately finished the year with 3 points (2-1-3) during the 2021-22 campaign. Numbers notwithstanding, Head Coach/General Manager Steve Haddon was pleased with Dorris’ development.

“Last season was a learning curve for Quinn,” Haddon started.

“He did a great job of growing, continuing to push, and getting better as he adapted to our systems and was strong and dedicated to his personal gain. He’s a big forward that understands the details of the game and how to be successful,” he explained.

Dorris saw his playing time increase as the season progressed; the rookie played in eight of the team’s final ten regular season contests and three postseason games. He grabbed his second goal of the season versus Pueblo on February 20th, in the midst of a torrid stretch that saw the Eagles win 7 of 11 games to close the regular season.

Dorris models his game after forward Valeri Nichuskin; a power forward who took some time to marinate at the NHL level before breaking out. Dorris has his eyes set on a similar trajectory in year two in the USPHL.

“I hope that I keep growing from where I left off last year,” Dorris remarked.

“We’re excited to get another season to work with and see where he can continue to elevate his game,” Haddon tacked on.

“I just can’t wait to get back to playing hockey,” Dorris concluded.

Entering their 10th season of existence, the Eagles have graduated over 100 players to college commitments in the United States (NCAA) and Canada (U-Sports), as well as professional contracts abroad. Eagles’ alumni dot the hockey landscape; playing in the Southern Professional Hockey League (SPHL), Poland and Sweden.

If you are a player that is interested in joining the Eagles organization for the upcoming 2022-2023 season, please email Coach Haddon at haddon@northerncoloradoeagles.com.