Former Mustang heading to NCAA Div I NMU

Apr 29, 2026 | 4:20 PM

Another former Melfort Mustang has decided to take his talents to Northern Michigan University (NMU).

Reilley Kotai has joined the NCAA Division One program for the 2026/27 season, after spending a year with the University of British Columbia (UBC).

“I’m obviously super excited, it’s been a long-time dream of mine to go play NCAA, and I feel like this will help me get one step closer to my goal of playing hockey professionally and maybe one day even in the NHL. Coming to U Sports for a year definitely helped me adjust my game to the university level and will only better me at Northern Michigan,” Kotai told northeastNOW.

“Northern Michigan was a team that I had talked to a bit after my season with Melfort, and then talking to them again now, it just felt like the best opportunity that I was going to get. Everything comes with a risk, and it’s a big risk leaving UBC, but there’s a big reward that could be there. I felt like this would further my hockey career and my education as well.”

Kotai joins the somewhat recent likes of former Mustangs Ryan Duguay and Aidyn Hutchinson, to go to NMU, although Duguay now plays for the University of Alberta.

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Kotai, a 2004-born forward, played just one year with Melfort, but made a large impact in their championship season and Centennial Cup run as the SJHL’s leading scorer.

“You see former guys from the SJHL go there and succeed, so it really breeds confidence as a place where I can go and do that too. I’ve had great coaches in my career, especially (Trevor) Blevins in Melfort, who’ve helped me be really detailed and dialled in, so I just hope that continues to translate,” added Kotai.

“It’s going to be another big jump. I don’t know exactly what it’s going to be like, but it’s definitely going to be the same, if not bigger than when I came from Saskatchewan to U Sports, so I think I gotta be prepared, but I have a summer to do that, and I can’t wait to get there.”

An Abbotsford, BC. native, Reilley joins the likes of his older brother and former Battlefords North Stars goaltender, Josh, to make NCAA Div I.

With the inside knowledge of the league and team itself, as well as how well he seems to fare in his first seasons with new teams (he was also named to the Canada West All-Rookie Team with the Thunderbirds as a point-per-game player), it seems as though the sky is the limit for Reilley as a Wildcat in 2026/27.

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Ben.Tompkins@pattisonmedia.com

On X @BenTompkins_8

by Ben Tompkins

Former Mustang heading to NCAA Div I NMU

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