After spending his junior hockey days out east, Cooper Caby will stay out there for his college career after recently committing to NCAA Division III Wilkes.

Wilkes is located in Wilkes-Barre, Penn.

“The opportunity to commit to Wilkes University came through my advisor, Austin Luxford,” said Caby, a Greenwood Villege native. “He reached out and got the conversation started, which led to building a relationship with the coaching staff and eventually visiting campus. From there, it felt like the right fit pretty quickly. The coaching staff was a big reason I committed to Wilkes. From the start, Coach Tyler Hynes showed a lot of belief in me, stayed consistent with communication, and made the effort to watch my games throughout the season. That meant a lot.

“On the academic side, Wilkes stood out with being a smaller campus and having a 12:1 student-teacher ratio. Also, they have a strong business program, which was something I really prioritized in my college search. Academics have always been important to me. My parents set that standard early, and it’s something I’ve carried with me. I plan to study business at Wilkes because it gives me a wide range of opportunities and sets me up well for life after hockey.”

Growing up, Caby said “hockey has always been a part of my life.”

“My mom played NCAA Division I hockey at Northeastern and coached at Boston University, so I grew up around the game and was on skates at a really young age,” explained Caby. “Having someone that was a parent, coach, and mentor living in the house has helped shape me early on. I was lucky to have great rinks like South Suburban and the Ice Ranch close to home and played for the Littleton Hawks and the Colorado Thunderbirds growing up.

“At Littleton, I competed at the AA level in the CSDHL and in my 15U year, I moved on to the Thunderbirds, where I played against top competition and traveled in the Tier I Elite League,” said Caby. “I’ve been fortunate to learn from great coaches along the way. Rob Flay, Phil Heinrich, Shawn Rafferty, and Cam Clemenson all had a big impact on my development. I also credit skill and skating coaches like Shannon Valerio for helping me take the next step.”

Once he saw junior hockey as the next rung on the hockey ladder, Caby skated in the USPHL and NCDC.

Now off to college later this summer, Caby has started to look at his next set of goals.

“I’m excited for this next step and ready for the challenge,” said Caby. “My goals as a freshman are to maintain an A average, make an immediate impact, and compete to be among the top freshmen in scoring in the MAC conference while helping the team make a strong playoff run. Long term, I’m interested in either pursuing the military or learning the ropes of my family’s construction business and eventually running it with my brother.”

Photo provided by Cooper Caby

— Matt Mackinder

(May 26, 2026)