The University of Maine men’s hockey program has lost another recruit, this time to the Kingston Frontenacs of the Ontario Hockey League.
Russian defenseman Konstantin Chernyuk, who verbally committed to attend Maine in January 2014, has decided to play for the Frontenacs.
The Ontario Hockey League is one of three Major Junior A leagues under the Canadian Hockey League umbrella. Major Junior A teams pay their players and, because they do, the players are considered professionals by the NCAA and lose their college eligibility.
Earlier this month, 15-year-old forward Oliver Wahlstrom, son of former Black Bear forward Joakim Wahlstrom, decided to decommit to play at another college. Wahlstrom had verbally committed to play at Maine a year and a half ago.
The 17-year-old Chernyuk, who stands 6-foot-5 and weighs 181 pounds, played for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Under-18 team in the United States Premier Hockey League and for Wichita Falls of the North American Hockey League this past season.
He had two goals and three assists in 14 games for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and 3 & 8 in 37 games for Wichita Falls.
Chernyuk, who is from St. Petersburg, Russia, was drafted in the first round of the 2015 CHL import draft by Kingston. He was the 27th overall selection.
He entered into a standard player agreement to join the team for the upcoming season.
Chernyuk wasn’t expected to attend Maine until at least the 2016-17 season.
Maine coach Red Gendron had no comment about Chernyuk’s decision to renege on his verbal commitment.
Maine, like most college teams, has lost verbally committed recruits in the past to the CHL including forwards Austin Watson and Darcy Ashley and defenseman Kevin Gagne.
Of the three, only the 23-year-old Watson has reached the NHL, playing in six games for Nashville in 2012-13. He has spent the last two seasons with Milwaukee of the American Hockey League.
The 22-year-old Ashley played at the University of Prince Edward Island this past season after four seasons in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League while the 23-year-old Gagne was with Norfolk of the AHL last season. He previously spent five years in the QMJHL.