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Name: Nikolas Koberstein Recreation/Sport: Hockey

Relationship: Country: Canada

The Barrhead Leader
SPORTS - October 14, 2008
Provincial champions 2007/08 start new winning streak
By Manizha Wodud
Leader Staff
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Bantam ‘AA’ Pirates started the regular hockey season of 2008/09 where they left off last year — as champions. Their first three games have been steady starts, with crushing victories over teams looking to unseat them.
"We did have a good start, very, very good start," says Pirates head coach, Greg Schmidt.
Whitecourt Carlans fall 11-2
In a home game on Sunday, Oct. 12 the Barrhead boys thumped the Whitecourt rivals. Within the first six minutes of the opening frame Spencer Voight had already slammed two pucks behind Whitecourt’s goalie with assists from Brandon Whiting, and Jorrey Jensen. Nikolas Koberstein and Connor Tiemstra were soon to follow their teammate’s example and fired one more goal apiece into the Jets net, leaving period one with a four goal lead.
"We finally played some good hockey today," added Schmidt.
The Pirates seemed to have less scoring chances in the middle stanza, even giving their rivals about a minute and a half of two man advantage on ice. However the Barrhead boys without question ruled the game and added two more points to the tally from Lowell Knapp and Koberstein. Period two ended with the Barrhead team holding a comfortable 6-0 cushion.
The Jets returned to the final frame, peppering two goals past net minder Justin Challman. But Markus Lovsin, Nathan Wood, Voight, Koberstein, and Whiting responded with their own goals, leaving Whitecourt trailing 11-2.
"We just didn’t show up ready to play (Saturday). The boys knew it and today they came ready to play."
Slave Lake goes down 5-2
Although Barrhead’s Wayne Gross, Whiting and Voight put in the first three pucks into the opponent’s net on Saturday, Oct. 11, Slave Lake gave the Barrhead team a scare by shortening the Pirates lead to 3-2 at the end of period number two.
"We had a pretty poor game by our standards. I think it was a case of maybe a little over confidence going in to Slave Lake because we beat Slave Lake 10-3 in Barrhead before."
It was a close game right until the end when Lovsin and Tiemstra extended the lead to five to close out the contest on their own goals.
"The boys have to learn how to play 60 minutes in every game," said Schmidt, referring to the close call.
Slave Lake crushed 10-3 at home
The Pirates set off the first home game of the season with five goals in period one against Slave Lake in Barrhead on Oct. 4. Lovsin’s contribution was a hat-trick, while Jonathan Cyr and Dylan Knapp helped to close the first frame 5-1.
Voight and Gross were the scorers of period two, leaving Slave Lake to trail 7-2 in the middle frame.
Austin Caldwell, Wood, and Tiemstra ended the effortless game with Barrhead succeeding 10-3 over Slave Lake.
While the Pirates were cruising off to a good season start, Schmidt’s goal for the team is to improve more.
"Hopefully things work out for them and we can go deep into the playoffs and hopefully to provincials this year again, which would be nice."
The Pirates’ next home game will be on Saturday, Oct. 18 at 4:15 p.m.

The Barrhead Leader
SPORTS - January 27, 2009
Pirates finish regular season, eye playoffs
Lauren Den Hartog
Leader Staff
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Bantam Pirates ended their regular season last Sunday with two back-to-back wins against Jasper.
On Saturday evening, the Pirates coasted to an easy 11-2 win with hat tricks by Jonathan Cyr and Connor Tiemstra, and subsequent goals by Austin Caldwell, Nikolas Koberstein (2), Nathan Wood and Brandon Whiting.
Despite their win on Sunday, the team appeared less focused with a number of penalties scattered throughout the game.
Manager Larry Knapp says one of the downfalls of the league has been that the Pirates were pitted against the more challenging teams early in the season.
"Its tough to keep them at a high level of play when they’re playing a team of a different caliber," said Knapp after Sunday’s game.
He believes that overall, team skills have improved since the beginning of the season.
"They’re really moulding their talents together so as a team we’re really playing better defensively and offensively," he said.
In their regular season, the Pirates only lost once, to Slave Lake, in November.
Coach Greg Schmidt said 10-15 goal games are hard on both teams and it’s easy to slip into poor habits. Still, he believes the team had done well overall.
"We’ve done a really good job of doing the right thing, even in those situations," he noted.
With the Pirates set to play in the second round of playoffs beginning in mid-February, both manager and coach agree there is still work to be done.
"The biggest challenge may be getting our team to compete back at that level," said Knapp.
Schmidt says one thing that Pirates have going for them is their speed.
"We’re a fast team and if we play with our speed and get the puck deep and put a good forecheck on the other team, we’re a pretty tough team to play against," he explained.
"We have to get better than what we are right now if we are going to continue on in provincials and in playoffs," said Schmidt.
"The games will start getting tougher."

Birth: January 19, 1988
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

The Bantam Pirates form a human pyramid after winning the league championships last Wednesday. The team (in no order): Justin Challman, Nikolas Koberstein, Wayne Gross, Joel Jamieson, Dylan Knapp, Jorrey Jensen, Nolan Schmidt, Nathan Wood, Austin Caldwell, Spencer Voight, Brandon Whiting, Markus Lovsin, Scott Westerlund, Lowell Knapp, Connor Tiemstra, Jono Cyr, Terrance Swanson. Coaching staff: Greg Schmidt (head coach), Ken Lovsin (assistant coach), Daniel Lefebvre (assistant coach) and Larry Knapp (manager/trainer)
Read more: http://www.leaderpost.com/Pats+picked/4737975/story.html#ixzz1MRCfdwUq

Who the Pats picked
The Leader-Post May 6, 2011 Here's a look at the Regina Pats' selections in the 2011 WHL bantam draft, with comments from director of scouting Todd Ripplinger:
Round 2 (25th overall): C Adam Brooks, Winnipeg . . . 5-foot-10, 155 pounds . . . "Highly skilled . . . good speed . . . one of the best goal scorers in the draft . . . put up great numbers in a tough league . . . what put us over the hump with him was his great performance at the Western Canadian championship in Winnipeg."
2010-11 stats: 33 GP, 2-17-19, 38 GP.
7 (135): D Nikolas Koberstein, Barrhead, Alta . . . 6'1, 160 . . . "Going to be a big kid . . . good leader . . . tough kid . . . makes a good first pass . . . physical."
© Copyright (c) The Regina Leader-Post

THE OFFICIAL SITE OF THE
Western Hockey League
2010 WHL BANTAM DRAFT FINAL RESULTS
2011-05-05 Round 7
133. Vancouver Giants (from Calgary), Lucas Mercer, D, Port Moody, B.C.; 134. Swift Current Broncos, Chris Koukis, LW, Redwood City, CA; 135. Regina Pats, Nikolas Koberstein, D, Barrhead, AB; 136. Everett Silvertips (from Letbhridge), Kyle Raymond, RW, Langley, B.C.; 137. Swift Current Broncos (from Seattle), Jake Debrusk, LW, Edmonton, AB; 138. Kamloops Blazers, Connor Hamonic, D, Winnipeg, MB; 139. Spokane Chiefs (from Kootenay/Everett), Jacob Cardiff, C, Wilcox, SK; 140. Prince Albert Raiders, Taran Lacquette, D, Waterhen, MB; 141. Edmonton Oil Kings, Mitch Meek, D, Victoria, B.C.; 142. Prince George Cougars, Mitchell Lipon, C, Regina, SK; 143. Seattle Thunderbirds (from Brandon), Nolan Kruizenga, G, Leduc, AB; 144. Victoria, Brendon Benson, C, Lethbridge, AB; 145. Kamloops Blazers (from Vancouver), Jesse Shynkaruk, C, Saskatoon, SK; 146. Moose Jaw Warriors, Royce Rossignol, D, Surrey, B.C.; 147. Kelowna Rockets, Gordon Wasteste, C, Fort Qu’Appelle, SK; 148. Kelowna Rockets (from Tri-City), Johnny Walker, D, Phoenix, AZ; 149. Kootenay Ice, Ryley Risling, LW Medicine Hat, AB; 150. Medicine Hat Tigers, Michael McEachern, D, Westside, B.C.; 151. Spokane Chiefs, Matthew Sozanski, D, Calgary, AB; 152. Portland Winterhawks, Josh Blanchard, C, Kelowna, B.C.; 153. Red Deer Rebels, Earl Webb, RW, Calgary, AB; 154. Saskatoon Blades, Clayton Kirichenko, D, Sherwood Park, AB.

Alberta Northwest
by Brandon
Nikolas Koberstein - D - Stony Plain - Very big defenseman. He is a big strong player who has WHL size already and loves to use it. Made a lot of very good hits and was great in his end. For a guy that size he was a strong skater and was competent with the puck. Has some definite appeal on size alone, none of his skills were amazing.
Thats all 8 teams. Again the tournament was great and I saw tons of good talent there and I definitely will hope to make this tournament a more regular trip. Really is fun to see these kids just before the draft. Also shows how promising the alberta system has become. The scouts I got to talk to all were impressed. The one comment that was interesting was a scout who said "I see a lot of talent I am not sure about that I am told is very good and a lot of talent I think is great that I am being told maybe isn't as high end, makes it an interesting draft group, definitely don't want to read to much into this tournament."
Posted on Apr 17, 2011, 2:46 PM

Nikolas Koberstein sets sights on Alaska for 2015-16
Barrhead teenager to further education and hockey career in US
Apr 22, 2014 06:00 am | By Marcus Day | The Barrhead Leader
Nikolas Koberstein’s professional hockey ambitions have received another big boost.

Just months after he joined Olds Grizzlys in the Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL), the Barrhead teenager has been accepted to the University of Alaska Fairbanks for the 2015-16 season.

The Alaska offer was one of many he received in his efforts to further his education and hockey career.

It means he will follow in the footsteps of former Grizzlys Ian Perkins, Jim Lawrence, Darcy Campbell and others who have gone to Fairbanks.

Grizzlys head coach Brett Hopfe said he could not be more thrilled for Nik.

“Nik has had many generous offers to move on to the next level and has chosen UAF, which is a great school with a brand new state of the art dressing room,” he said.

Hopfe said the Grizzlys had been happy to help Nik develop into a force for the Alaska Nanooks.

“With Nik’s skill set and work ethic I would not be surprised to see him playing at the professional level when his time with UAF is done,” he said.

He added that the Grizzly organization wanted to congratulate Nikolas and his family on the teenager’s latest accomplishment.

Nikolas was one of 13 players to make commitment to Division 1 programs since the league held its AJHL showcase last September in Spruce Grove.

“It’s fantastic,” Nikolas said of the exposure in the AJHL. “There’s always people watching you, every game. The showcase was crazy. You couldn’t really let it distract you because you wanted to play your best, but there were a ton of schools watching.”

A 17-year-old rookie in the AJHL, Nikolas has adjusted well, leading Grizzlys’ defensemen in scoring. Immediately after the showcase he was in contact with multiple schools, but a visit from Alaska head coach Dallas Ferguson clinched it for him.

“He showed a lot of interest, and my family and I really liked him,” said Nikolas. “He’s a Western Canadian guy, a farm boy, just like me. When he came down to visit it just felt right.”

For Nikolas, who attended a College Hockey Inc. summit in Spruce Grove two years ago, college hockey has always been a goal, even after being drafted in the seventh round by the Western Hockey League’s Regina Pats in 2011.

“I tried to keep all my options open,” he said. “Schooling has always been important to me, and it makes sense to pursue it while playing hockey at such a high level.”

In February, Nikolas was flown up to Fairbanks for a couple of days to meet the players, see the campus and watch a game.

“He was totally excited,” said Nikolas’s father, Brian.

In March, Nikolas had another reason to celebrate: he was named in the 2013-14 Reebok AJHL League teams and CCM AJHL All-Rookie teams.

He was selected for the CCM South Division All-Rookie team.

Nikolas also made news when he was picked to play in the 2013 Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL) Prospects Games in Nova Scotia, an event created to showcase 40 of the top National Hockey League prospects in the CJHL

The Prospects Games – hosted for a second straight year by Digby and Yarmouth – were held in conjunction with the 2013 World Junior A Challenge in Yarmouth. Player selection for the games is a joint initiative of the CJHL and NHL Central Scouting. The 6 ft. 2 in., 185 lb. Nikolas was one of three AJHL players chosen.

It was on June 1, 2013, that Barrhead-raised Nikolas signed a one-year contract with the Grizz, who compete in the southern division of the AJHL.

His decision was based on a belief that it would help him go to a U.S. college and experience top-level coaching. News that he is Alaska-bound has vindicated that decision.

Over the last few years the former Barrhead Composite High School student’s hockey star has shone brilliantly.

In 2009 he joined the Spruce Grove PAC Saints’ ‘AAA’ bantam team, ending the 2010/11 season with a record of four goals and 19 assists for 23 points through 28 games.

On May 5, 2011, he was drafted in the seventh round by the Regina Pats of the Western Hockey League and last season he played for St. Albert Raiders.

Going to Alaska will broaden more than Nik’s sporting horizons.

Alaska is a U.S. state in the northwest extremity of the North American continent. Bordering the state is Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west.

One of Alaska’s landmarks is Mount McKinley, which is 20,320 ft. above sea level, making it the highest peak in North America. Other features include the 2,000-mile long Yukon River, an estimated 100,000 glaciers, 6,640 miles of coastline, and more than 70 potentially active volcanoes.

According to the official Alaska state website, many visitors have pleasant surprises in store: weather, road conditions and prices are better than many think.

During summer, for instance, average daytime temperatures range from the 60s to the 90s. Motorists are also relieved to discover that almost the entire length of the Alaska Highway is asphalt-surfaced, and about half of the roads in the state’s highway system are paved.

Prospect Spotlight: Nikolas Koberstein, D, Alaska-Fairbanks (NCAA)

When the Montreal Canadiens chose Nikolas Koberstein in the fifth round in 2014, it was somewhat of an off-the-board selection. But with Trevor Timmins’ notoriety for finding steals in that round, could anyone have truly doubted the pick?

Consider that Koberstein became the first player drafted off the AJHL’s Olds Grizzlys roster in 11 years; a team not exactly known for churning out big-league talents. He was set to captain the team in the year following his selection, but opted for tougher competition in the USHL as a final tune-up prior to beginning his college career.

http://www.habseyesontheprize.com/catching-the-torch/2016/12/14/13915876/catching-the-torch-prospect-stats-highlights-nikolas-koberstein-first-goal-noah-juulsen-mete-mcniven

Catching The Torch: Nikolas Koberstein in the midst of the best season of his career

https://www.habseyesontheprize.com/catching-the-torch/2018/1/25/16926396/catching-the-torch-prospects-stats-highlights-nikolas-koberstein-best-season-of-career-bitten-brook

Nikolas Koberstein is not a name you often hear. He's in the depth of the Habs prospect pool and has been playing all the way in Alaska. His often limited offensive production and conservative style of play also tends to not make the highlight reels.

Even if good puck-handling were part of his skill set in the USHL, he wasn't picked with great offensive upside in mind. In a time when defencemen of size were more popular, his 6'2” frame and decent mobility were likely the most attractive aspects of the player.

That being said, his meagre eight points in 54 games over the previous two years were disappointing, even if the expectations were low from the start. This production was not a sign that the defenceman could be a meaningful contributor to any team at a higher level.

...

Where is Koberstein in his path towards that?

The numbers this season are more encouraging than what we've seen in the past. He is currently in his best statistical season in his collegiate career with 11 points in 26 games. Only four of those came from his power-play time and nine are primary (goals or first assists). This season should have him finish with more than double his point-per-game production of previous years at Fairbanks.

...

Of course, Koberstein is now 22 years old and has the maturity to be more competitive among his peers who, for the most part, now share his age. A certain increase in production is expected.

Fairbanks - Daily News-Miner - The Voice of Interior Alaska

Gold upends Blue in UAF hocky preseason game
By Brad Joyal, BJOYAL@NEWSMINER.COM Sep 22, 2018

University of Alaska Fairbanks hockey captain Nikolas Koberstein (5) and junior Kylar Hope (28) sign autographs for young Nanooks fans after the Blue vs. Gold Game on Saturday at the UAF Patty Ice Arena.

Brad Joyal

Name: Nikolas Koberstein	Recreation/Sport: Hockey
Relationship:	Country: Canada
The Barrhead Leader SPORTS - October 14, 2008 Provincial champions 2007/08 start new winning streak By Manizha Wodud Leader Staff -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Bantam ‘AA’ Pirates started the regular hockey season of 2008/09 where they left off last year — as champions. Their first three games have been steady starts, with crushing victories over teams looking to unseat them. "We did have a good start, very, very good start," says Pirates head coach, Greg Schmidt. Whitecourt Carlans fall 11-2 In a home game on Sunday, Oct. 12 the Barrhead boys thumped the Whitecourt rivals. Within the first six minutes of the opening frame Spencer Voight had already slammed two pucks behind Whitecourt’s goalie with assists from Brandon Whiting, and Jorrey Jensen. Nikolas Koberstein and Connor Tiemstra were soon to follow their teammate’s example and fired one more goal apiece into the Jets net, leaving period one with a four goal lead. "We finally played some good hockey today," added Schmidt. The Pirates seemed to have less scoring chances in the middle stanza, even giving their rivals about a minute and a half of two man advantage on ice. However the Barrhead boys without question ruled the game and added two more points to the tally from Lowell Knapp and Koberstein. Period two ended with the Barrhead team holding a comfortable 6-0 cushion. The Jets returned to the final frame, peppering two goals past net minder Justin Challman. But Markus Lovsin, Nathan Wood, Voight, Koberstein, and Whiting responded with their own goals, leaving Whitecourt trailing 11-2. "We just didn’t show up ready to play (Saturday). The boys knew it and today they came ready to play." Slave Lake goes down 5-2 Although Barrhead’s Wayne Gross, Whiting and Voight put in the first three pucks into the opponent’s net on Saturday, Oct. 11, Slave Lake gave the Barrhead team a scare by shortening the Pirates lead to 3-2 at the end of period number two. "We had a pretty poor game by our standards. I think it was a case of maybe a little over confidence going in to Slave Lake because we beat Slave Lake 10-3 in Barrhead before." It was a close game right until the end when Lovsin and Tiemstra extended the lead to five to close out the contest on their own goals. "The boys have to learn how to play 60 minutes in every game," said Schmidt, referring to the close call. Slave Lake crushed 10-3 at home The Pirates set off the first home game of the season with five goals in period one against Slave Lake in Barrhead on Oct. 4. Lovsin’s contribution was a hat-trick, while Jonathan Cyr and Dylan Knapp helped to close the first frame 5-1. Voight and Gross were the scorers of period two, leaving Slave Lake to trail 7-2 in the middle frame. Austin Caldwell, Wood, and Tiemstra ended the effortless game with Barrhead succeeding 10-3 over Slave Lake. While the Pirates were cruising off to a good season start, Schmidt’s goal for the team is to improve more. "Hopefully things work out for them and we can go deep into the playoffs and hopefully to provincials this year again, which would be nice." The Pirates’ next home game will be on Saturday, Oct. 18 at 4:15 p.m. The Barrhead Leader SPORTS - January 27, 2009 Pirates finish regular season, eye playoffs Lauren Den Hartog Leader Staff -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Bantam Pirates ended their regular season last Sunday with two back-to-back wins against Jasper. On Saturday evening, the Pirates coasted to an easy 11-2 win with hat tricks by Jonathan Cyr and Connor Tiemstra, and subsequent goals by Austin Caldwell, Nikolas Koberstein (2), Nathan Wood and Brandon Whiting. Despite their win on Sunday, the team appeared less focused with a number of penalties scattered throughout the game. Manager Larry Knapp says one of the downfalls of the league has been that the Pirates were pitted against the more challenging teams early in the season. "Its tough to keep them at a high level of play when they’re playing a team of a different caliber," said Knapp after Sunday’s game. He believes that overall, team skills have improved since the beginning of the season. "They’re really moulding their talents together so as a team we’re really playing better defensively and offensively," he said. In their regular season, the Pirates only lost once, to Slave Lake, in November. Coach Greg Schmidt said 10-15 goal games are hard on both teams and it’s easy to slip into poor habits. Still, he believes the team had done well overall. "We’ve done a really good job of doing the right thing, even in those situations," he noted. With the Pirates set to play in the second round of playoffs beginning in mid-February, both manager and coach agree there is still work to be done. "The biggest challenge may be getting our team to compete back at that level," said Knapp. Schmidt says one thing that Pirates have going for them is their speed. "We’re a fast team and if we play with our speed and get the puck deep and put a good forecheck on the other team, we’re a pretty tough team to play against," he explained. "We have to get better than what we are right now if we are going to continue on in provincials and in playoffs," said Schmidt. "The games will start getting tougher." Birth: January 19, 1988 Edmonton, Alberta, Canada The Bantam Pirates form a human pyramid after winning the league championships last Wednesday. The team (in no order): Justin Challman, Nikolas Koberstein, Wayne Gross, Joel Jamieson, Dylan Knapp, Jorrey Jensen, Nolan Schmidt, Nathan Wood, Austin Caldwell, Spencer Voight, Brandon Whiting, Markus Lovsin, Scott Westerlund, Lowell Knapp, Connor Tiemstra, Jono Cyr, Terrance Swanson. Coaching staff: Greg Schmidt (head coach), Ken Lovsin (assistant coach), Daniel Lefebvre (assistant coach) and Larry Knapp (manager/trainer) Read more: http://www.leaderpost.com/Pats+picked/4737975/story.html#ixzz1MRCfdwUq Who the Pats picked The Leader-Post May 6, 2011 Here's a look at the Regina Pats' selections in the 2011 WHL bantam draft, with comments from director of scouting Todd Ripplinger: Round 2 (25th overall): C Adam Brooks, Winnipeg . . . 5-foot-10, 155 pounds . . . "Highly skilled . . . good speed . . . one of the best goal scorers in the draft . . . put up great numbers in a tough league . . . what put us over the hump with him was his great performance at the Western Canadian championship in Winnipeg." 2010-11 stats: 33 GP, 2-17-19, 38 GP. 7 (135): D Nikolas Koberstein, Barrhead, Alta . . . 6'1, 160 . . . "Going to be a big kid . . . good leader . . . tough kid . . . makes a good first pass . . . physical." © Copyright (c) The Regina Leader-Post THE OFFICIAL SITE OF THE Western Hockey League 2010 WHL BANTAM DRAFT FINAL RESULTS 2011-05-05 Round 7 133. Vancouver Giants (from Calgary), Lucas Mercer, D, Port Moody, B.C.; 134. Swift Current Broncos, Chris Koukis, LW, Redwood City, CA; 135. Regina Pats, Nikolas Koberstein, D, Barrhead, AB; 136. Everett Silvertips (from Letbhridge), Kyle Raymond, RW, Langley, B.C.; 137. Swift Current Broncos (from Seattle), Jake Debrusk, LW, Edmonton, AB; 138. Kamloops Blazers, Connor Hamonic, D, Winnipeg, MB; 139. Spokane Chiefs (from Kootenay/Everett), Jacob Cardiff, C, Wilcox, SK; 140. Prince Albert Raiders, Taran Lacquette, D, Waterhen, MB; 141. Edmonton Oil Kings, Mitch Meek, D, Victoria, B.C.; 142. Prince George Cougars, Mitchell Lipon, C, Regina, SK; 143. Seattle Thunderbirds (from Brandon), Nolan Kruizenga, G, Leduc, AB; 144. Victoria, Brendon Benson, C, Lethbridge, AB; 145. Kamloops Blazers (from Vancouver), Jesse Shynkaruk, C, Saskatoon, SK; 146. Moose Jaw Warriors, Royce Rossignol, D, Surrey, B.C.; 147. Kelowna Rockets, Gordon Wasteste, C, Fort Qu’Appelle, SK; 148. Kelowna Rockets (from Tri-City), Johnny Walker, D, Phoenix, AZ; 149. Kootenay Ice, Ryley Risling, LW Medicine Hat, AB; 150. Medicine Hat Tigers, Michael McEachern, D, Westside, B.C.; 151. Spokane Chiefs, Matthew Sozanski, D, Calgary, AB; 152. Portland Winterhawks, Josh Blanchard, C, Kelowna, B.C.; 153. Red Deer Rebels, Earl Webb, RW, Calgary, AB; 154. Saskatoon Blades, Clayton Kirichenko, D, Sherwood Park, AB. Alberta Northwest by Brandon Nikolas Koberstein - D - Stony Plain - Very big defenseman. He is a big strong player who has WHL size already and loves to use it. Made a lot of very good hits and was great in his end. For a guy that size he was a strong skater and was competent with the puck. Has some definite appeal on size alone, none of his skills were amazing. Thats all 8 teams. Again the tournament was great and I saw tons of good talent there and I definitely will hope to make this tournament a more regular trip. Really is fun to see these kids just before the draft. Also shows how promising the alberta system has become. The scouts I got to talk to all were impressed. The one comment that was interesting was a scout who said "I see a lot of talent I am not sure about that I am told is very good and a lot of talent I think is great that I am being told maybe isn't as high end, makes it an interesting draft group, definitely don't want to read to much into this tournament." Posted on Apr 17, 2011, 2:46 PM Nikolas Koberstein sets sights on Alaska for 2015-16 Barrhead teenager to further education and hockey career in US Apr 22, 2014 06:00 am \| By Marcus Day \| The Barrhead Leader Nikolas Koberstein’s professional hockey ambitions have received another big boost. Just months after he joined Olds Grizzlys in the Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL), the Barrhead teenager has been accepted to the University of Alaska Fairbanks for the 2015-16 season. The Alaska offer was one of many he received in his efforts to further his education and hockey career. It means he will follow in the footsteps of former Grizzlys Ian Perkins, Jim Lawrence, Darcy Campbell and others who have gone to Fairbanks. Grizzlys head coach Brett Hopfe said he could not be more thrilled for Nik. “Nik has had many generous offers to move on to the next level and has chosen UAF, which is a great school with a brand new state of the art dressing room,” he said. Hopfe said the Grizzlys had been happy to help Nik develop into a force for the Alaska Nanooks. “With Nik’s skill set and work ethic I would not be surprised to see him playing at the professional level when his time with UAF is done,” he said. He added that the Grizzly organization wanted to congratulate Nikolas and his family on the teenager’s latest accomplishment. Nikolas was one of 13 players to make commitment to Division 1 programs since the league held its AJHL showcase last September in Spruce Grove. “It’s fantastic,” Nikolas said of the exposure in the AJHL. “There’s always people watching you, every game. The showcase was crazy. You couldn’t really let it distract you because you wanted to play your best, but there were a ton of schools watching.” A 17-year-old rookie in the AJHL, Nikolas has adjusted well, leading Grizzlys’ defensemen in scoring. Immediately after the showcase he was in contact with multiple schools, but a visit from Alaska head coach Dallas Ferguson clinched it for him. “He showed a lot of interest, and my family and I really liked him,” said Nikolas. “He’s a Western Canadian guy, a farm boy, just like me. When he came down to visit it just felt right.” For Nikolas, who attended a College Hockey Inc. summit in Spruce Grove two years ago, college hockey has always been a goal, even after being drafted in the seventh round by the Western Hockey League’s Regina Pats in 2011. “I tried to keep all my options open,” he said. “Schooling has always been important to me, and it makes sense to pursue it while playing hockey at such a high level.” In February, Nikolas was flown up to Fairbanks for a couple of days to meet the players, see the campus and watch a game. “He was totally excited,” said Nikolas’s father, Brian. In March, Nikolas had another reason to celebrate: he was named in the 2013-14 Reebok AJHL League teams and CCM AJHL All-Rookie teams. He was selected for the CCM South Division All-Rookie team. Nikolas also made news when he was picked to play in the 2013 Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL) Prospects Games in Nova Scotia, an event created to showcase 40 of the top National Hockey League prospects in the CJHL The Prospects Games – hosted for a second straight year by Digby and Yarmouth – were held in conjunction with the 2013 World Junior A Challenge in Yarmouth. Player selection for the games is a joint initiative of the CJHL and NHL Central Scouting. The 6 ft. 2 in., 185 lb. Nikolas was one of three AJHL players chosen. It was on June 1, 2013, that Barrhead-raised Nikolas signed a one-year contract with the Grizz, who compete in the southern division of the AJHL. His decision was based on a belief that it would help him go to a U.S. college and experience top-level coaching. News that he is Alaska-bound has vindicated that decision. Over the last few years the former Barrhead Composite High School student’s hockey star has shone brilliantly. In 2009 he joined the Spruce Grove PAC Saints’ ‘AAA’ bantam team, ending the 2010/11 season with a record of four goals and 19 assists for 23 points through 28 games. On May 5, 2011, he was drafted in the seventh round by the Regina Pats of the Western Hockey League and last season he played for St. Albert Raiders. Going to Alaska will broaden more than Nik’s sporting horizons. Alaska is a U.S. state in the northwest extremity of the North American continent. Bordering the state is Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. One of Alaska’s landmarks is Mount McKinley, which is 20,320 ft. above sea level, making it the highest peak in North America. Other features include the 2,000-mile long Yukon River, an estimated 100,000 glaciers, 6,640 miles of coastline, and more than 70 potentially active volcanoes. According to the official Alaska state website, many visitors have pleasant surprises in store: weather, road conditions and prices are better than many think. During summer, for instance, average daytime temperatures range from the 60s to the 90s. Motorists are also relieved to discover that almost the entire length of the Alaska Highway is asphalt-surfaced, and about half of the roads in the state’s highway system are paved. Prospect Spotlight: Nikolas Koberstein, D, Alaska-Fairbanks (NCAA) When the Montreal Canadiens chose Nikolas Koberstein in the fifth round in 2014, it was somewhat of an off-the-board selection. But with Trevor Timmins’ notoriety for finding steals in that round, could anyone have truly doubted the pick? Consider that Koberstein became the first player drafted off the AJHL’s Olds Grizzlys roster in 11 years; a team not exactly known for churning out big-league talents. He was set to captain the team in the year following his selection, but opted for tougher competition in the USHL as a final tune-up prior to beginning his college career. http://www.habseyesontheprize.com/catching-the-torch/2016/12/14/13915876/catching-the-torch-prospect-stats-highlights-nikolas-koberstein-first-goal-noah-juulsen-mete-mcniven
Catching The Torch: Nikolas Koberstein in the midst of the best season of his career https://www.habseyesontheprize.com/catching-the-torch/2018/1/25/16926396/catching-the-torch-prospects-stats-highlights-nikolas-koberstein-best-season-of-career-bitten-brook Nikolas Koberstein is not a name you often hear. He's in the depth of the Habs prospect pool and has been playing all the way in Alaska. His often limited offensive production and conservative style of play also tends to not make the highlight reels. Even if good puck-handling were part of his skill set in the USHL, he wasn't picked with great offensive upside in mind. In a time when defencemen of size were more popular, his 6'2” frame and decent mobility were likely the most attractive aspects of the player. That being said, his meagre eight points in 54 games over the previous two years were disappointing, even if the expectations were low from the start. This production was not a sign that the defenceman could be a meaningful contributor to any team at a higher level. ... Where is Koberstein in his path towards that? The numbers this season are more encouraging than what we've seen in the past. He is currently in his best statistical season in his collegiate career with 11 points in 26 games. Only four of those came from his power-play time and nine are primary (goals or first assists). This season should have him finish with more than double his point-per-game production of previous years at Fairbanks. ... Of course, Koberstein is now 22 years old and has the maturity to be more competitive among his peers who, for the most part, now share his age. A certain increase in production is expected.
Fairbanks - Daily News-Miner - The Voice of Interior Alaska Gold upends Blue in UAF hocky preseason game By Brad Joyal, BJOYAL@NEWSMINER.COM Sep 22, 2018 University of Alaska Fairbanks hockey captain Nikolas Koberstein (5) and junior Kylar Hope (28) sign autographs for young Nanooks fans after the Blue vs. Gold Game on Saturday at the UAF Patty Ice Arena. Brad Joyal