Springfield, Illinois – The Springfield Jr. Blues, proud members of the North American Hockey League (NAHL), are pleased to announce that rookie forward Caden Villegas has committed to play NCAA Division 1 hockey at Union College for the 2021-22 season.

The 5’8”/176 lbs. native of Plano, TX is in his first season in the NAHL and has scored 4 goals and 5 assists in 32 games for the Jr. Blues. Additionally, Villegas notched 1 assist in 6 games while being called up by the Central Illinois Flying Aces of the USHL. Last season Villegas tallied 25 points in 26 games for the Dallas Stars U16 team.

“Caden is a phenomenal young athlete with a strong work ethic,” says Jr. Blues head coach Tyler Rennette. “He is an exemplary student athlete both on and off the ice and will be an effective player at the next level.”

Union College is located in Schenectady, New York and they play in the ECAC hockey conference. The Dutchmen are coached by Rick Bennett and have a history of cultivating professional caliber players, most notably defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere and goaltender Keith Kinkaid.