Steinbach Pistons goaltender announced his commitment to the NCAA Division 1 program, Western Michigan University.

"It was an incredible moment and very emotional," Hambley says after the final decision was made. "I was definitely taken aback. It was something that I never thought possible, them being an option for me when I first came here. It's something I dreamt about ever since I was 10-years-old and wanted to play Division 1 hockey. A lot of things have come up in the hockey journey that may have put it to question. I've been tested for how bad I really want it, there have been lots of opportunities to take the easy road and give up. I set my mind to it the last 10 years and I was very grateful to accomplish it."

Looking back at the start of the year, Hambley recalls the wild ride just getting to Steinbach to be a Piston. "It was an interesting situation," he says with a laugh. "Before I was in Steinbach, I was in Alberta with Spruce Grove. I was there for about a week when it kind of fell through. I flew home (which is back on the east coast), I was only home for a day or two when I got a call from Paul (Dyck). He asked me to sign and I was lucky enough to get the opportunity and now here we are."

He didn't come to Steinbach blind, he had a pretty good idea of what was in front of him. "I didn't know a ton but I knew it was a great place for goalies to go. The way it was described to me was it was a breeding ground for Division 1 goalies. I knew two guys that played here, Roman Bengert, his dad (Todd) has been my goalie coach for as long as I can remember, and Thomson Phinney who played here a little bit, and I played with him. I had some connections to past goalies, so it made it a bit easier."

In a perfect world, Hambley would have come in, settled in, got in some practices, and had a strong training camp. As we know, it's not a perfect world.

Hambley jokes about the whirlwind situation he found himself in right from the start. "I actually got here right after training came. I landed the day we had our first pre-season game. Getting to know all the guys like that was a different experience. I remember I came to the rink in the clothes I had worn to the airport. I didn't unpack, I didn't get to my billets or anything. I got to the rink when the guys were getting onto the ice for a game and during warmups, I got dressed, and right towards the end I was able to skate out and get a few shots. I had a few guys come up and introduce themselves and get to know some names. It took a couple of days to get all the names down pat, but everyone was super welcoming when I got here and it made me feel right at home."

He admits to not really knowing how things would work out but Hambley says he came in with a certain mindset which did him well at the beginning. "The biggest thing for me was I came in with no expectations. I saw how things were with Spruce Grove and how it didn't work out, I was just happy to find a spot where the situation was good. I loved the guys and loved the coaches, I thought that if I just kept working as hard as I could, I'd get the opportunity to show off what I could do in the net."

This year has flown by and for the 19-year-old goalie, he's been having the time of his life. "This year has been nothing like I expected it to be. When I first got here, I never thought the end result would be what we have now. Like, how incredible this team has done this year, the spot we're in for playoffs, and the success for me this season. I think everything leading up has been for a reason."

Quickly, Hambley credits his success this season to both goalie coach Guy St. Vincent and goalie partner Simon Harkness. "Guy has been absolutely incredible. Every little bit of improvement this year has to be attributed to him. He has been able to work with me at practice, extra time or any time I need him, he's there for me. He's always willing to help. He doesn't sugarcoat anything and I think that's the best way to improve my game. Working with him has been the biggest reason for my improvement. Harky has been incredible, he was such a big presence when I first got here. He was a guy I could always talk to. He knows the ropes and he's been in all situations, he was a veteran that was there for me. He's been terrific."

Now that his commitment to Western Michigan, Hambley says that his family was just as emotional as he was. "My parents were so happy and so proud that I was able to do that. My mom is pretty emotional so she cried as soon as I told her. I was the exact same, so, they were just really happy. They knew how important it was for me to achieve this. When it became official and it was for sure it was going to happen, they were really excited for me."

"The guys, too, they couldn't have been more supportive," Hambley says, his smile evident. "Every guy reached out almost immediately and congratulated me. It meant a lot that they all reached out. It really felt like a family at that moment."

With a commitment in his back pocket, Hambley says the work truly starts now and he's got bigger plans and goals to reach. "Now, it's time to move on and focus on this team. We have a real chance of going far and winning a championship. I'm going to focus on doing everything I can to help give this team the support they need to win it all. We've proven we can score goals and play defence so now the last part is me playing solid in the net. If we can keep combining those three areas, we'll be a dangerous team."

While his focus is on the here and now, Hambley admits to taking some time and looking around the VIP room attached to the Pistons dressing room where dozens of photos of past players hang, showcasing where they have gone after their time in Steinbach. 

"I remember every single time I'd be in that VIP room, I'd look at the wall and just imagine me being up there in a college jersey. The fact it's real and it's going to happen is incredible."

The picture of Will Hambley in a Western Michigan jersey will be hung on that wall as he joins an ever-growing list of Steinbach Pistons players moving on to the next level of hockey and life.