After two stellar seasons with the NA3HL’s Helena Bighorns, Finn Theriault is off to play college hockey for NCAA Division III Nazareth University, a school located in Pittsford, N.Y.

The Colorado Springs Tigers alum and Breckenridge native will suit up for the Golden Flyers this coming fall.

“The opportunity at Nazareth came at me in mid-spring after getting home from my last year of juniors,” Theriault said. “I was feeling a little anxious and nervous about the next steps of my hockey career and how to achieve it. A lot of great programs and coaches reached out from all sorts of college levels, but Nazareth stood out from them all. Coach Powlowski from the Rochester Jr. Amerks in the NAHL and I had been in contact throughout last season and with his help and connections to Naz as an alumni, I was able to get an opportunity to chat with Coach MacDonald at Nazareth.”

Theriault said he’s excited to head to Nazareth and join the hockey team and get going on the academic side.

“Obviously when looking at schools as an athlete, your head is right away at what the athletic department and facilities and everything looks like,” said Theriault. “However, for me, it was quite the contrary as I was more interested in what schools offered what kind of studies and what kind of culture each school has. The major that I’m most interested in at Naz is Sports Management. I would love to continue to work in the hockey field once I’m done playing, so being able to study that is a dream come true for me. Nazareth really stuck out to me with its smaller class sizes and a bigger teacher-to-student ratio. Coming into college and especially coming from a smaller town and environment, I didn’t wanna go and just be a number in a class with minimal support in my school work.

“My goal was to always be NCAA material, but as I got older I never really thought that dream would stick for me. It’s such an honor to have an opportunity to play collegiate hockey at such a high level.”

Playing for Helena the past two years certainly helped Theriault elevate his game in all aspects, on and off the ice.

“Coming into Helena my rookie year was a very scary and nervous experience for me,” said Theriault. “Not knowing the boys and adjusting to the junior level was hard at first, but we had an unreal group of returners and rookies that year that helped make the adjustment a lot easier. In both my years, we had a really talented and kind group of players in the room that made competing in practice a ton of fun, day in and day out, which helped me personally gain an edge on competition in games. I had great coaches in Damon Hanson, Theo Campe, Alex North, Brandon Vonada, Ty Greene and Mike and Justin Sullivan, as well as amazing owners in Jed Snyder and Mike Greene who believed and trusted in me and all of my teammates, day in and day out, to do what we love to do on the ice. Playing in Helena was something that if I didn’t do, I don’t know if I would be doing what I’m doing today.”

During his time in Helena, Theriault suited up for 106 games and played a key role in helping the team capture the 2024 Fraser Cup championship. A consistent offensive force, Theriault averaged a point per game over his career, totaling 106 points (58 goals, 48 assists). Theriault was also selected to represent Team Blue at the 2025 NA3HL Top Prospects Tournament in Plymouth, Mich.

“Finn Theriault will be deeply missed, not only as a highly talented hockey player who elevated his game during the 2024–25 season, but also as a respected presence in the Helena community,” said Bighorns head coach Damon Hanson. “On the ice, Finn consistently delivered, and off the ice, he served as a role model in the locker room and a fan favorite among our supporters. Over the past two seasons, he’s made a lasting impact both within our organization and throughout the community. We wish Finn nothing but the best as he begins the next chapter of his life.”

Before he heads to the Rochester, N.Y. area later this month, Theriault wants to wrap up his summer on a fun note.

“I just recently got my wisdom teeth out so as of right now, I’m just resting and recovering my mouth right now,” said Theriault. “My main plans for the rest of my summer are to enjoy as much time as possible with my family and friends and to enjoy the last bit of Rocky Mountain air before moving out east.”

Back home, Theriault also played for the Summit Lightning, Mountain Militia and Summit High School.

Photo/NAHL

— Matt Mackinder

(August 17, 2025)