Connor Claughton is taking his talents to the USPHL Premier.
The Carstar Okotoks Bisons made the announcement on Tuesday saying that Claughton has agreed to join the Bakersfield Roughnecks.
Claughton earned his spot after winning Provincial Gold with the Bisons and playing in two seasons with the Herd. In 52 regular season games between the 2022-2023 and 2023-2024 seasons, he posted a total of 18 points as a defender.
He also helped Okotoks reach a three-peat as HJHL champions this past year and earned the Bisons Perseverance Award at the end of the season.
The USPHL was founded in 2010 and is separated by several divisions with Premier being the highest level.
Its goal is to help players get scouted for college and pro placement. The USPHL has sent over 8,000 players to all levels of college hockey, over 3,300 players into the NCAA, and over 200 players to the NCAA Division 1 hockey.
It has also seen 17 players who played in the National Collegiate Development Conference (NCDC) being selected in the NHL draft.
Notable NHL players who played in the USPHL Premier are, John Marino and Ryan Donato.
The Bisons would like to congratulate Connor Claughton on committing to the Bakersfield Roughnecks of the USPHL Premier! We wish Connor the best of luck with everything in the future! #OnceaBisonalwaysaBison pic.twitter.com/JcyyK6rcSB
— Carstar Okotoks Bisons (@OkotoksBisons) July 16, 2024