By Alexis Demopoulos
For forward Christian Day, playing college hockey was always in the cards and now with the help of the NCDC, and all the guidance he has received along the way, he has earned himself an NCAA Division III commitment to Skidmore College for the 2025-26 season.
Day, in his second year with the NCDC, is playing with the Wilkes-Barre /cranton Knights this season. Last year he played in 25 games with the Knights, nine games for the Utah Outliers and six for the Thunder Hockey Club. This season, Day is off to a strong start so far with 13 points (six goals, seven assists) in 13 games played.
“The Wilkes-Barre Knights organization provides its players everything you need to succeed and to grow as you prepare for the next level,” said Day. “The team is held to a high standard by our coaches who expect nothing less than winning while also bringing 100 percent effort and compete each and every day on and off the ice.”
A big reason for Day wanting to re-sign with the Knights this season was new Head Coach Joshua Fusco and General Manager Andy Scott, who got him excited for the season ahead.
“With being a returning player I thought it was an easy decision to sign back with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights organization,” said Day. “After having a great phone call with our new head coach [Fusco] and general manager [Scott], I got to hear their plans and aspirations for the upcoming season. I wanted to be a part of their vision and carry a big role for our team.”
In addition to this, Day has a tremendous amount of respect for the NCDC as an organization and the work they put in to help their players grow every single day on and off the ice.
“The NCDC does a great job at showcasing its players,” said Day. “Playing for the Knights has allowed me to play in front of college coaches on any given night. The league is very competitive and has a lot of great talent, making it a great place to grow your game in preparation for the college level.”
Day started communicating with Skidmore during his senior season playing at New Hampton School during the 2022-23 season. During his early talks with the school, Day said the coaching staff “liked his speed and his ability to compete and make plays at a fast pace.”
Skidmore really drew Day in with their solid hockey program, and also the academics.
“Skidmore caught my attention and interested me the most because they’re not only very strong on the hockey side of things but academically as well,” said Day. “The hockey program has had a great history of winning and being a top program in the country. Year after year they are front runners in competing for conference championships and national championships. They embed a winning culture and expect nothing less from their players. From the coaches, to facilities, and day-to-day life. The program is run second-to-none and maximizes your ability to grow as a player on and off the ice.”
With their small enrollment size and beautiful location, Day knew he would thrive academically and could really see himself growing as a player and as a person for the next four years. Day plans on majoring in management and business while at Skidmore.
“Skidmore really stuck out to me because they acquire all the tools and resources for their players to be set up for success in the future once hockey is over,” said Day. “With the school only having an enrollment size of 2,700 students, I thought this would be a great learning environment for me to not only grow as a student but as a person as well.
“When I first arrived at Skidmore it felt like a place I could really see myself attending for the next four years,” Day added. “Saratoga Springs, N.Y., is a beautiful city and has a lot of great activities and attractions to explore outside of school. Prior to playing junior hockey I spent two years at a prep school (New Hampton), I loved my time there and Skidmore gave me the same type of feeling when I stepped on campus.”
Day continues to work hard every single day to improve his game and be the best version of himself when he steps out on the ice next season at Skidmore. He is working on getting strong and defensively cleaning up the little details.
“I feel that the best parts of my game at the forward position are my speed and the ability to make plays at a high pace for myself and my teammates,” said Day. “I take pride in playing hard games, always being around the puck and breaking up as many plays as possible on the forecheck and backcheck.”
Day is excited to keep his season rolling with the WBS Knights and with his commitment already secured, he wants to have fun and help his team win a Dineen Cup.
“I’m super excited to focus on just hockey,” said Day. “My expectations for our team is nothing less than bringing a Dineen Cup back to Wilkes and placing it in the Revolution Ice Centre.”
The NCDC congratulates Christian Day, his family, the Wilkes-Barre Scranton Knights and Skidmore College for his commitment.
