Eli McKamey became the first player ever to be granted exceptional status by the BCHL when he was allowed entry to the league at just 15 years old. Joining the Penticton Vees a year early got him plenty of attention, but he’s about to get more as the Vancouver Island native made his highly anticipated college commitment.

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As announced on his Instagram, McKamey has committed to the University of North Dakota, which has traditionally been a haven for Western Canadian stars in the NCAA.

In an interview with the CBC after signing with Penticton over the summer, McKamey had explained that he wanted to be able to keep his options open to potentially pursue the NCAA route.

Congratulations to forward Eli McKamey on his commitment to @UNDmhockey. pic.twitter.com/vgTr8kag1l

— Penticton Vees (@PentictonVees) October 28, 2024

He was drafted in the second round by the Victoria Royals in the WHL Bantam Draft last year, which is the closest WHL team to his hometown of Cowichan Valley. 

In 12 games with Penticton, McKamey has three goals and three assists as by far the youngest player in the league.

Last season, playing U18 prep hockey with Shawinigan Lake School in the CSSHL, McKamey put up 48 points in just 28 games, which put him on a lot of scouts’ radars.

Not NHL Draft-eligible until 2027, McKamey has plenty of time to build up his game to put himself on a professional track. Though under-age players were fairly commonplace in earlier iterations of the BCHL, McKamey is one of only a few U16 players in the last 20 years to appear in more than a handful of games in a season. Matthew Wood, who was drafted in the first round by the Nashville Predators in 2023, was the most recent 15-year-old to get some good run in the BCHL but that was during a pandemic-augmented season.

By committing to the University of North Dakota, McKamey would be following in the footsteps of recent BCHL stars such as Tyson Jost, Jordan Kawaguchi, Troy Stecher, and current freshman Cade Littler, who was with Penticton last season.

The Vees currently sit second in the BCHL’s Interior Conference, just two points behind perennial power Brooks Bandits.

McKamey and Penticton will next be in action when the Vees host the Blackfads Bulldogs Friday night at the South Okanagan Events Centre.

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