Former South Shore King, Connecticut Jr. Ranger Earns Broncos’ Team Sparkplug Award
By Joshua Boyd / NCDCHockey.com
Trevor Bishop is extremely happy with the legacy and reputation he’s leaving behind at Western Michigan University. The former South Shore Kings and Connecticut Jr. Rangers NCDC player was happy to have been the “Sparkplug” of the Broncos in this 2023-24 season, his last in Kalamazoo.
The team made that title official when he was awarded the Broncos’ Ross/Dickie Brown and Gold award. During his season, he registered six shots on goal and blocked one shot in 10 games, but his contributions went far beyond analytics.
“I didn’t really know that was going to happen. My teammates woke me up with a phone call and they were saying congratulations,” said Bishop, a native of Rochester Hills, Mich. “Any time you can get recognition from your program is great. I just wanted to do my job, help others in whatever way I could, and be a good teammate around the rink. I also liked to keep the mood light and throw jokes about there.”
On the ice, Bishop was never one to be shy, whether it was pushing his teammates or getting the Bronco faithful going.
“It was mostly like taking a hard shift when you’re out there, get the team engaged, try to get the fans engaged,” Bishop said. “Whether we’re down or we’re up, you give the boys something to cheer for. Finish your hits, block shots, get the puck out of your end, and just do anything coach asks you to do, and hope it sparks something.”
Bishop was the second from his family to go to Western Michigan University, as he told us after graduating recently with his Bachelor Business Administration degree in Business Law.
“My Dad went there and I kept tabs on the university a lot as I was growing up,” said Bishop. “When the coaching staff was recruiting and calling me, it seemed like a natural fit. When I was fortunate enough to have a spot there, I just loved the people there, the support you get, everything was first class and I was lucky to have experienced that.”
Bishop certainly remembers being a part of the Kings and Rangers during the 2018-19 season, the second season for the NCDC.
“Playing for the Kings and Rangers and playing in the NCDC taught me how to play while dealing with adversity. I had a come to Jesus moment where I had to ask myself ‘Do I want to play in college and I’m going to grind it out, or am I going to do something else?’ Adversity will come your way, so I was fortunate to have the opportunity there, and I learned a lot about myself.”
He played in 31 games between the Kings and Rangers, scoring 13 points.
“It was a good pace in the NCDC. There were good players and it was different from anything I had played in before,” said Bishop.
After another Tier II season, he entered the halls of Western Michigan during the COVID-defined 2020-21 season. As tough as that year might have been for hockey everywhere, he only looks back with fond memories on his time as a Bronco.
“It was nothing short of amazing. I learned so much and I was very lucky to be a part of great teams every single season,” said Bishop. “I got to learn from very good coaching staffs, who were even better people away from the rink.”
This summer, he’s actually right back to hitting the books. “I am currently studying for the LSAT and looking to go to law school,” Bishop added.
The NCDC congratulates Trevor Bishop on winning Western Michigan’s Ross/Dickie Brown and Gold Award, as well as for his whole NCAA Division I career. Best of luck to Trevor in all of his future endeavors.
