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Pettitt signs deal with U of Alaska

Whitehorse's Andrew Pettitt, 19, will likely be undeclared in his first semester of post-secondary school, but at least money will not be a concern.

Whitehorse’s Andrew Pettitt, 19, will likely be undeclared in his first semester of post-secondary school, but at least money will not be a concern.

Pettitt, who currently plays for the Powell River Kings in the British Columbia Hockey League, has signed a deal to attend the University of Alaska Anchorage and play for the Seawolves hockey team on a full scholarship.

“They made an offer in December and I took my time deciding - there were a few schools to choose from,” said Pettitt. “They flew me up and I just thought it was the best fit for me; the best way for me to improve and move on to play pro hockey - and get a free education while I’m there.”

The left-winger, who leads the Kings in scoring with 29 goals on the season and has produced 50 points in 50 games, is going to spend his last year of eligibility in junior hockey with the Kings before joining Seawolves in the 2011/2012 season.

“It was a personal choice - I just wanted to play another year of junior,” said Pettitt. “I’ll probably go in undeclared in my first year. I have no idea what I want to do with my life right now. I’m basically just focusing on hockey.”

Pettitt, who is in his second season with the Kings, is sixth in the league for points. The team currently is second in the Mainland division behind Pettitt’s former team, the Alberni Valley Bulldogs. Last season the Kings finished first in their division, eventually losing in the BC Hockey League finals.

“In his second year in our program, Andrew is developing his raw talent into becoming a goal scorer,” said Kent Lewis, Kings head coach and general manager, in a news release. “As he continues to improve, the Seawolves will have a player who should help them with offence that can be hard to come by.”

Pettitt played his minor hockey years in Whitehorse, eventually playing on the rep team, the Mustangs, in his midget year. During his high school years he played on the Prince George Cougars in the BC Major Midget League, followed by a short stint on the Woodstock Slammers in New Brunswick, having to leave after two months because Hockey Canada rules stipulate players must be 18 years old to play out of their province or territory. Pettitt then moved to the Creston Valley Thundercats to play Junior B before moving to the Bulldogs, from where he signed to play with Powell River.

Contact Tom Patrick at tomp@yukon-news.com