For immediate release
By Joshua Boyd / NCDCHockey.com
The National Collegiate Development Conference is proud to announce that Northern Cyclones forward Charlie Zetterqvist has been named the New England Division Rookie Of The Year.
Zetterqvist, an ‘06 out of Salem, Sweden, was originally selected in the 2022 NCDC Entry Draft in the 12th round, and then remained with the prestigious Södertälje SK club in his native country for the 2022-23 season. This past 2023-24 season, Zetterqvist made his debut with the Cyclones and skated in 47 regular season games, putting up 19 goals and 24 assists for 43 points. Zetterqvist additionally registered one assist in one playoff game.
During the season, Zetterqvist was adept at drawing opponent penalties and power plays for his team, drawing 15 calls against him while sitting in the penalty box for just 10 minutes the entire season. In the faceoff circle, Zetterqvist was the top performer for the Cyclones, winning 457 of 884 draws for a 52 percent success rate. He was expert at dishing the puck, as his 525 successful passes led all Cyclones forwards, and he could also throw the body around, attested by his 32 hits, second among Cyclones forwards.
Zetterqvist was selected by his division’s coaches earlier this year to play in the NCDC Young Guns All-Star Game on Jan. 15 at Boston University, where he earned an assist as part of his efforts in playing with the best NCDC-and USPHL-affiliated players born between 2006 and 2008.
“This is a huge honour since there have been so many good rookies in the division. I have had a really fun and developing season with the Northern Cyclones. It has been challenging games, great coaches and the best teammates,” said Zetterqvist, in an e-mailed statement.
The NCDC joins the Northern Cyclones in congratulating Charlie Zetterqvist on this fantastic honor.
About The NCDC
The National Collegiate Development Conference (NCDC) was founded in 2017 as the Tuition-Free Tier II conference of the United States Premier Hockey League, itself founded in 2012. The NCDC consists of 18 teams in three divisions, two on the Eastern Seaboard and one in the Rocky Mountain states of Colorado, Utah and Idaho.
The NCDC has sent more than 250 alumni to play NCAA Division I hockey, and more than 900 overall into NCAA college hockey. There were also more than 250 alumni in pro hockey around the world during the 2023-24 season. Former NCDC player Drew O’Connor has become a regular with the NHL’s Pittsburgh Penguins, Collin Graf recently signed and has played with the San Jose Sharks, and there have been seven players selected in the NHL Entry Draft from the NCDC.
