Early morning hockey practices have paid off for an athlete who plied his trade in the Okanagan.
Tyson Jost has signed a three-year, entry level contract with the Colorado Avalanche, the NHL team that drafted him in the first round in 2016.
Jost, a St. Albert, Alta. native, captained the BCHL’s Penticton Vees, a team he played with for three seasons.
Wednesday’s announcement made his former coach proud.
“The most rewarding aspect of being a coach is seeing your players achieve their dreams,” Vees head coach, president and general manager Fred Harbinson said in a statement. “From the first day I met Tyson, his dream was to do everything possible to someday have an opportunity to play in the NHL; it is now a reality and I couldn’t be happier for him and his family.”
The 19-year-old has just completed his freshman season at the University of North Dakota.
Jost was named the BCHL Most Valuable Player in 2016, after amassing 42 goals and 104 points in 48 regular season games with the Vees.
In January, Jost helped Team Canada earn Silver at the World Under-18 Hockey Championships.
Jost will join the Avalanche for the remaining seven games of the regular season, the team said.
He could make his NHL debut Friday when the Avalanche host the St. Louis Blues.