Will Sinclair spent his last few months of junior hockey back in his home state with the NAHL’s Colorado Grit.

Next season, the Erie native will play college hockey after recently committing to NCAA Division III Wisconsin-Stout.

“Early on in the season, Stout reached out,” Sinclair said. “I had a couple of phone calls but wanted to wait it out. After Christmas break when I really wanted to commit and find a school, I decided I wanted to be in the Midwest closer to home. The WIAC is known as the best conference in NCAA D-III, so it was a no-brainer.

“The appeal was definitely my major. I wanted to do Construction Management and they are one of very few schools that offer it. And like I said, knowing Stout was in such a good conference, it seemed like a really good choice.”

Sinclair started this year with the Amarillo Wranglers, the squad he tendered to last spring. In 38 games, he produced eight assists before being acquired in late January by the Grit, where he tallied three assists and a plus-3 rating in 18 games.

“Playing for the Grit was awesome,” said Sinclair. “It was nice to come back home and spend my last year of juniors close to my family and meet a new billet family who lived close as well.”

Originally from Glendale, Ariz., Sinclair first got into hockey when his dad’s friend had Coyotes season tickets. Sinclair’s dad would go and got really into hockey, so he put the younger Sinclair on skates.

“I played for the Boulder Bison and then the Rocky Mountain RoughRiders,” Sinclair said. “The best coaches were Neil Runbeck, Andy Jaciki and Matt Huckins.”

Looking ahead, Sinclair is excited for the opportunities that await.

“I really want to try and play all the games my freshman year, and then I want to be a captain at some point,” said Sinclair. “For school, I just want to get good grades and get a good job.”

Photo/Kristy Lourance

— Matt Mackinder

(August 5, 2025)