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Keith Kinkaid Dreaming NHL Big

Sachem East product touring U.S. cities, working out with various clubs.

When Keith Kinkaid sees an opportunity, he goes to great lengths to make the most of it. Over the past month, Kinkaid has travelled across North America, from New York to Vancouver to San Jose, participating in grueling NHL prospect development camps.

Kinkaid, a Farmingville native and a 2009-10 Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference All-Rookie Team selection at Union College, attended the New York Rangers' camp for the second consecutive summer, and hopes they'll be one of the teams bidding for his services in the future.

"As much as I didn't like the Rangers [when I was younger], you can't say no to an opportunity to develop and gain experience from NHL clubs," said Kinkaid, who graduated from Sachem High School East. 

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Yeah sure, Keith. It really wouldn't be hard to don a Broadway Blueshirt one day after growing up bleeding blue and orange?

"To be honest, I don't hate the Rangers anymore and really enjoyed taking part in their camps the past two years. I'd definitely play there even if I am an Islander fan.

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"It was pretty cool," added Kinkaid when asked how it felt to know the Rangers, as well as a few other teams, were interested in potentially signing him. "They said to have a good year with Union, and we'll take things from there."

Kinkaid, who will enter his sophomore year at Union in the fall, bounced around the junior hockey circuit before landing a scholarship offer, but always maintained a high level of success. He played with a pair of teams on Long Island, including the Suffolk PAL Juniors, where the team finished in third place nationally.

After a short stint with the New York Bobcats, he took his game to the Des Moines Buccaneers of the United States Hockey League, widely regarded as the top junior league in the US. Despite posting solid stats, Kinkaid was unable to keep the team afloat, as they finished 14-40-6.

"The next season, the team got new ownership, and I got cut," said Kinkaid. "I was pretty confused considering I had a great tryout. And looking back, that's probably the best thing that could've happened to me."

Kinkaid seized his next opportunity with the St. Louis Bandits of the North American Hockey League.

"I was worried about getting a scholarship or any Division I college offer," he said, "but I was wanted in St. Louis and they were going to give me a shot to be the go-to-guy so my parents knew what was best for me."

In a time when his future was uncertain, he turned in the best year of his young career thus far, leading the Bandits to the NAHL National Championship. In 40 games, Kinkaid went 30-5-4, recording seven shutouts and posting a microscopic 1.78 goals against average.

He turned in an even better performance in the NAHL playoffs, going 10-2 with three shutouts and a 1.15 GAA.

The accolades rushed in as quickly as the scholarship offers did, as he was awarded League MVP, Goalie of the Year and was a no-brainer selection for the First Team All-League.

Kinkaid's success on the ice was quickly noticed by the St. Louis Blues, as he was asked to practice with them towards the end of their regular season.

"They gave me the opportunity and I ran with it," said Kinkaid. "The fact that I also got to practice with the St. Louis Blues helped dramatically."

Similarly, at Union, he was given a chance to win the starting job a third of the way into the season and didn't miss a beat. He went 12-8 in 25 starts, posting a 2.48 GAA for a team that narrowly missed getting a bid into the NCAA tournament, falling to Cornell in the ECAC championship game.

"It would've been huge for me [to play in the NCAA tournament]," he said. "I probably would've gotten attention from a lot of other teams."

However, as Kinkaid enters his second season, he's set to take advantage of not only the exposure that playing at a Division I school has brought him already, but the invaluable experience he's gained stopping pucks from some of the NHL's future stars as well.

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