Hampus Rydqvist has taken the North American Hockey League (NAHL) by storm in his first season playing in the United States. As a result, Rydqvist will be playing Division I hockey for the Miami (Ohio) University RedHawks next year. Miami has a strong, prestigious hockey program that competes in the National Collegiate Hockey Conference, a conference with a long-standing tradition of excellence. The Swedish native is a fourth-round selection from the 2019 NAHL Draft, an Assistant Captain for the Black Bears, and is one of the most prolific scoring defenseman in the league.

Rydqvist is the second Black Bear to commit to a Division I program this season and joins seven other players on the roster who are already committed to competing at the Division I level. The 5’10, 191-pound Defenseman has 10 goals and 28 assists in 44 games played during the 2019-2020 NAHL campaign. Rydqvist will age-out after his first and only season playing Junior Hockey.

Hampus Rydqvist issued the following statement after signing his National Letter of Intent:

 

“I am extremely excited to be joining the Miami (Ohio) University RedHawks for my collegiate hockey career,” said Rydqvist. “Miami is a top-notch school that has all the resources necessary to further develop my game while providing me with a great education. A special thank you to the entire Maryland Black Bears organization, the coaching staff, my family, and everyone responsible for helping me advance to the next level of my hockey career.”

Head Coach and General Manager of the Black Bears Clint Mylymok responded with the following statement:

 

“We are extremely proud of Hampus’s commitment to Miami University,” said Mylymok. “Hampus is an extremely dedicated, and committed athlete. He came to Maryland with a goal of obtaining a Division I scholarship, and he has achieved that. We’re excited to watch Hampus continue developing, both on and off the ice, at Miami University. They are getting a heck of a hockey player.”

President of the Black Bears, Robyn Remick concluded:

 

“The Maryland Black Bears salute this Swede for the impressive accomplishments Hampus has achieved on the off the ice,” said Remick. “He is a tremendous team leader, a great role model for young hockey players, and beloved by Black Bear Nation. We are so proud of him for continuing the franchise’s tradition of preparing players for the next level of hockey and the next stage of life. Congrats to the RedHawks for recruiting such an outstanding young man!”