It was quite a week for Flin Flon Bombers forward Vincent Nardone.
The 18-year-old rookie announced his commitment to the University of Nebraska – Omaha (UNO) , an NCAA Division I school. As well, the Rosemere, Que. product was included in the NHL Central Scouting Players to Watch list for the second consecutive time. He is graded as a possible fourth, fifth, or sixth round pick in the 2019 NHL draft.
Nardone recently visited Omaha and was impressed by what he saw at UNO.
“The campus is incredible,” he said. “There’s a lot of people and the campus is brand new so it doesn’t even look like you’re at school.”
UNO has more than 15,000 students. Since 2000, it has more than tripled its enrollment and has built new facilities to accommodate and empower its growing student body.
The UNO Mavericks play in the Baxter Arena, which opened in 2015. The Mavericks have qualified for the NCAA tournament three times and went all the way to the Frozen Four in 2015. Former Bomber captain Michael Young played four seasons at UNO before embarking on a pro hockey career.
Nardone is excited for academics as well as athletics in Omaha. The UNO business program is very well regarded and under-grad and masters candidates have ranked high on standardized tests. If hockey does not work out, Nardone said he’d like to be a businessman like his father, who owns a payment solution company.
However, that and UNO are in the future. Nardone said he plans to go to Omaha for the 2020-2021 season.
“Physically I have a lot of progress to do and I think that another year of junior will be good for me,” he said.
Head coach Mike Reagan said on the team’s website the organization is proud of Nardone and now the Bombers have to prepare him to make the jump in the future. In his inaugural junior hockey season, Nardone has turned heads as he has posted 12 goals and 20 points in his first 23 games. He feels being in Flin Flon has already helped his development.
“It helped me to give my 100 per cent every game because we have a lot of good players like our 20-year-olds (Nate) Hooper, (Brandson) Hein, (Caleb) Moretz and (Daylan) Marchi. I really look up to these guys because I have a lot to learn about what they do on the ice.”
