Western Michigan picked up a commitment yesterday when Brampton(Ontario) midget goalie Ben Blacker announced via his Twitter account that he had committed to the Broncos.
Blacker is a 1997 birthdate, and while a few players that birth year have made college commitments, Blacker is the first goalie to do so. It can be difficult enough projecting goalies at the age of 18--just ask Michigan--and it seems like a real gamble with a goalie that is 15 years old.
That said, Blacker comes with some pretty impressive credentials; most notably, that he was the only goalie from Ontario invited to Canada's Allstate All-Canadians Mentorship Camp, which brought together the very best bantam players from all around Canada. That endoresment would seem to put Blacker has the best goalie in Ontario, and among the best in all of Canada.
As a '97 birthdate, Blacker will be eligible for this spring's OHL Draft, and if he continues his solid play, he will likely be a prime target for the OHL team that drafts him.