Few students would jump at the chance to uproot themselves senior year and move schools, let alone switch states.
However, for former Seaholm student senior Will Kessel, moving to Green Bay, Wisconsin for hockey was an opportunity he was happy to take.
Kessel is now a forward for the Green Bay Gamblers, a junior hockey team in the United States Hockey League (USHL).
After attending Seaholm for his first three years of high school, Kessel made the move to Wisconsin. He played five years of AAA hockey in Michigan, two with Little Caesers and three with Honeybaked.
“I decided to move to Green Bay to get to play a higher level of hockey than what was offered in Michigan” said Kessel. “Green Bay offered an opportunity to play against older and stronger competition.”
The Green Bay Gamblers are certainly playing at a high level; they have had over 100 players earn college scholarships while playing for the team, and 12 players go through their system and play in the NHL. Kessel is hoping to join that list of players who have earned college scholarships.
“My goal is to obtain a Division One hockey scholarship and hopefully play hockey in the CCHA, which has great teams such as Michigan, Michigan State, Miami, and Notre Dame,” Kessel said. “Playing in the USHL really opens chances to get scouted by high level hockey programs, whether it be college or pro scouts.”
Former teammate of Kessel, Danny Bailey, played with him this past spring. He said that Kessel has a great all around game, but his shot is definitely his strongest skill.
“If I had to compare him to someone in the NHL, it would be Marian Hossa,” said Bailey.
There is no salary in the USHL, but the team takes care of all the players’ expenses for housing, equipment, ice time, and all expenses on road trips.
The Gamblers drafted Kessel in the fourth round of the USHL Futures Draft last November, and since then he said it has been his goal to make the team and push himself to become a better hockey player.
Kessel did make the team, and although he is excited about this year, he knows it will be a tough one because, at age 17, he is the youngest forward on the team.
“I’m hoping to crack into the lineup and be able to perform,” he said.
On top of all this, Kessel still has to balance his time playing hockey with high school.
“I’m going to high school pretty much full time, my school is on a four period a day quarters schedule,” Kessel said. “Being a Gambler, we are exempt from going to fourth period, which has been nice.”
Being on a hockey team requires a lot of traveling to play away games, but Kessel said that the teachers have been pretty flexible and helped him makeup what he missed.
While in Green Bay, Kessel and teammate Aaron Harstad are living with a local family.
“It’s been awesome living with Will,” said Harstad. “We’ve become really good friends.”
Harstad, who is 17, plays defense for the Gamblers and is committed to Colorado College on a scholarship.
The family they have been staying with has been hosting players for five years and has made the transition much easier for them.
“It has been fun. It’s great living around your hockey buddies which become your best friends out here,” said Kessel.
“I definitely miss home and not being able to see family and friends,” said Kessel. “I’ll be able to come home only during Christmas break for a week or so, other than that I’m in GB all year.”
Kessel’s dad has come out to visit him one time so far, but he said his “family has been really encouraging throughout the whole situation and are hoping for the best.”
Kessel will most likely be spending two years in Green Bay playing for the Gamblers, and will have to enroll at college a year after his classmates, but Kessel isn’t worried about that.
“All in all this opportunity will help me reach my goal of obtaining a Division One hockey scholarship,” said Kessel.
