Penticton Vees captain Tyson Jost will join the University of North Dakota next fall.
Jost, considered a top prospect for the 2016 NHL Draft, made the announcement Monday afternoon.
"Excited to announce I will play for @UNDmhockey in 16/17," wrote Jost on his Twitter account, @josty_17. "Thank you to my family, @PentictonVees @OkanaganRockets & @POE_Hockey #support."
Jost's announcement comes shortly after he and Vees teammates Dante Fabbro won gold with Team Canada at the Under-18 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Cup last week in the Czech Republic.
Jost had a strong rookie season with the Vees finishing fourth in team scoring in the regular season with 23 goals and 45 points in 46 games; the 23 goals were tied for a team best. Jost was also named to the BCHL All-Rookie team.
In the playoffs, he led the Vees with 10 goals in their run to a BCHL Fred Page Cup Championship. He was the top scorer at the Western Canada Cup (WCC) in Fort McMurray, Alta, and was named the tournament’s Top Forward after scoring five goals in six games as the Vees won their first ever WCC Championship. He had another four points in five games at the RBC Cup in Portage la Prairie, Man., helping lead the Vees to a semifinal berth.
Jost and the Vees open main camp on Aug. 24 at the South Okanagan Events Centre. The team’s first exhibition game is slated for Aug. 26 in West Kelowna.