NEWS

Photograph by Robert Lefebvre - Icelevel.com

The Canadians are happy to announce that Eli Ghantous has accepted a scholarship offer from Robert Morris University just outside of Pittsburgh beginning in 2014, joining former Canadians teammate Jay Llewelyn.

Ghantous is in his third season with the Canadians and has progressed on the ice each year. He made the team as a 16 year old and played in 37 games. Paired with former Canadians standout Theo Hannah, they became a top shutdown duo in the league. Ghantous was able to ajust well to the speed of the CCHL and opponents quickly became aware of when he was on the ice because of his physical play. The 6', 214lb defenceman showed he could handle the bigger forwards in the league, stopping many who thought they could beat a rookie defenceman.

Ghantous always showed great character in the room and this year is an assistant captain on the team. His leadership is displayed both on and off the ice and he is one of the hardest working during practice and in games.

Jason Clarke and the coaching staff saw something special in Ghantous at the CCHL prospects camp in 2010 and were suprised he was still on the board when they drafted him in the second round. 'Eli has shown a real commitment to his game since day 1. He's a big, strong kid and we knew instantly that he'd be a success in this league,' said Clarke. 'He comes from a great family and is such a grounded young man. His listening skills and ability to translate the information into his game right away was the true telling sign.'
Ghantous spoke with cpcanadians.com and said he chose RMU because it was a great school. 'The coaching staff are top notch and very professional. They treated me like I was already part of the team and made me so comfortable throughout the entire process,' he said. 'What really stood out was the care the players are given. It's the biggest family I've seen outside of CP.'

He plans on pursuing a degreen in Forensic Accounting and also said that RMU's academics fit perfectly with those plans.

Congrats from everyone in the CPC organization Eli - we're very proud of your achievement!