QUINTE WEST, ON - Friday October 29, 2021:  Madoc’s Dalton Bancroft is one step closer to his dream of becoming a professional hockey player.  This week it was announced the Captain of the Trenton Golden Hawks and the OJHL’s points leader, committed to Cornell University (Ivy League) in Ithaca New York.

Bancroft’s impressive start to the season garnered the attention of colleges and universities on both sides of the border.  Trenton Head Coach and General Manager Peter Goulet says, “He committed this summer (2021) to become a better skater and he came into camp in top shape.  Everything we told him he needed to do; he has done.”  Goulet continued, “He is a great leader, a great kid, he is strong in the dressing room and with his teammates.  It also helps that he is leading the Ontario Junior Hockey League in assists and points.” Coach Goulet finished by saying, “What a great school and amazing hockey program.  This is a huge opportunity for Dalton, and it is also great for this program (Trenton).”

The Quinte Red Devil graduate says, “There were a few schools that I was talking to, however it was an easy decision.  My parents and I thought it was the best fit for my play and education.  The history of Big Red is astonishing; the alumni, the names that have come through, it is top tier.  We are overwhelmed about the news, and my teammates have been very supportive.”

“I am looking forward to having a big year for development and growth, but right now the focus is here with the Trenton Golden Hawks.  I want to win a championship with this team,” finished Bancroft.

Dalton’s father Steve Bancroft is no stranger to the limelight.  The 1st Rounder of the Toronto Maple Leafs (1989) went to professional hockey through the Ontario Hockey League (Belleville Bulls). “We are ecstatic he can go to such an amazing school.  When I went through junior hockey, the landscape was a lot different.  The school route was not the same calibre that it is now.”  He continued, “To be able to go to an Ivy league school, to get a degree from Cornell, you cannot put a measurement on that.”