Head Coach Guy Gadowsky and the Penn State men’s hockey program picked up an important commitment from Canadian defenseman Derian Hamilton. The 20-year old — measuring in at 5-foot-11, 150 pounds — will surely bolster a Penn State blue line losing a number of talented defenders to graduation, including Nate Jensen, Patrick Koudys, and Peter Sweetland.

Derian Hamilton (Powell River Kings) has committed to Penn State University for 2015-2016 @PennStateMHKY @BCHLKings @bchllive

— Hockey Commitments (@HockeyCommits) June 1, 2015

The young defenseman thrives at spreading the wealth across the ice, displaying a knack for making plays throughout his junior hockey career. In 48 games with the Comox Valley Glacier Kings of the VIJHL, Hamilton netted 11 goals with a team-leading 51 assists, headlining the stat sheet with a team-high 62 points during the 2014-15 campaign.

At the Division-1 level, Hamilton brings an offensive prowess that’s rarely seen by defenders by emulating the style of play seen by New York Rangers defenseman Keith Yandle — who won’t show up much in the goal-scoring category, but knows how to find open teammates for the assist.

Hamilton’s presence will be imperative to the team’s success moving forward, as the Nittany Lions experienced a large turnover with the aforementioned loss of veteran defenders, along with dismissed forward Scott Conway and the departure of junior forward Casey Bailey to the Toronto Maple Leafs. The team will count on its younger players to take the next step and ensure the team’s position as a rising program in the Division-1 ranks.

Welcome to the family, Derian.