(centralhockeyleague.com, Photo Credit: Mick Lite)
The St. Charles Chill have had their ups and downs this season but one bright spot has been the play of forward Kyle O’Kane.
After a solid collegiate career at Western Michigan University (2008-12), O’Kane got a taste of the CHL playing 29 games with Tulsa where he scored just two goals with two assists.
During the off-season, the expansion of the league to St. Charles was appealing to the St. Louis native as he had a chance to play so close to home but the production Head Coach Jamie Rivers has gotten from O’Kane has to be a pleasant surprise.
The 5-7, 172-pound forward has been a big key to the offense of the Chill leading the team with a 20-goal campaign and sitting with 32 points (20-12=32).
As a 20-year-old, O’Kane showed great promise with the St. Louis Bandits of the USHL where he put up 40 goals in 52 games.
One thing’s for certain, the Chill, although out of playoff contention, have a chance to play spoiler and give teams looking to improve their positioning a hard time. Numerous games remain with the Chill and Brampton, Tulsa and Arizona, the teams taking up spots six through eight currently.
O’Kane’s grit and scoring touch are the building blocks for the future for the expansion club as they work their way through their first season and look ahead to the growing into a winning organization.
