The Penticton Vees captain for the 2018-19 season has committed to play NCAA hockey for the University of North Dakota Fighting Hawks in the future.
Massimo Rizzo, who turns 17 on June 13, finished his rookie season in the BCHL posting 13 goals and 26 assists in 50 games during 2017-18. In the playoffs, Rizzo found another gear by scoring four times and assisting on six others in 11 games.
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“I’m incredibly excited to be able to continue my hockey and educational future with such a prestigious program,” Rizzo said. “North Dakota has a history of not only developing top-tier players, but also icing a championship-calibre program each and every season.”
The Burnaby native also skated for Team Canada Black at the World Under-17 Hockey Championships in Fort St. John and Dawson Creek, scoring one goal and adding three assists in five games.
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Rizzo follows in the footsteps of Tyson Jost, as the most recent 17-year-old captain of the Vees. He will also follow in the footsteps of multiple other Vees captains as he joins Brett Hextall, Nick Jones, Troy Stecher and Jost as Vees leaders to commit to North Dakota during coach/general manager/president Fred Harbinson’s tenure in Penticton.
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When Rizzo joins the Fighting Hawks, he’ll be skating alongside three other Vees teammates as Jonny Tychonick, Adam Scheel and Jackson Keane graduated to the NCAA ranks from the 2017-18 Vees.