By Stephen Wilchensky · Rowan defensemen, #22 Dmitry Thompson, tracks down Niagara player in Sewell, NJ, October 12, 2025. (Stephen Wilchensky) Hockey in Canada is like foot…
Rowan defensemen, #22 Dmitry Thompson, tracks down Niagara player in Sewell, NJ, October 12, 2025. (Stephen Wilchensky)
Hockey in Canada is like football in Texas.
Canadian born hockey player Dmitry Thompson is no exception to this stereotype. Thompson is a member of Rowan University’s division II ice hockey team that plays in the American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA).
From the land of the maple leaf to the states, Thomson’s love of hockey has brought him where he is today.
Thomson has always had a passion for playing hockey and he wanted to bring that to the United States of America.
“I wanted to go to school in the states anyway. I wanted the experience. I wanted to be away from home a little bit,” said Thompson.
However, it wasn’t Thompson that sought after Rowan. It was the opposite, in fact.
“I was playing on a prep hockey team in high school back in Canada. The assistant coach here did a scouting report on my team and stumbled upon me,” said Thompson.
Thompson played as a defenseman for the Hill Academy in Canada. The Hill Academy is a prep school that recruits players from all over the world.
“It’s known in the hockey world to produce good athletes and that’s what we were looking for,” said associate coach Ian Kliewe.
Thompson visited Rowan last year to take a tour of the campus, and also to skate in a practice with the team at their home rink, Hollydell Ice Arena.
In an interview last year about why Thompson was on a visit to Rowan, Thompson said, “The head coach reached out so I said why not.”
Thompson reached out to other schools for the potential to extend his talents to their programs when searching for a college to attend. However, it was Rowan that went above and beyond to secure his talents.
“I was talking to a few other schools like Maryland, Lehigh, and another one that's not coming to me right now, I didn’t get close to a tour,” said Thompson.
During Thompon’s campus tour at Rowan, he was impressed with the team’s chemistry and was even more impressed with the layout of the campus.
“The campus stood out a lot. I was walking around the boulevard with one of the guys on the team and I thought it was really nice,” said Thompson.
Kliewe was also a key factor in getting Thompson to Rowan. The NCAA is a well-known program for athletes. Kliewe made sure to explain what the ACHA had to offer for Thompson.
“Everybody is focused on the NCAA until they are not on a roster. Then they want to learn about the American Collegiate Hockey Association,” said Kliewe.
Thompson’s parents wanted him to be successful but were wary about his decision to come to the states.
“My mom wasn’t too happy about it because it was a 10-hour drive away from home,” said Thompson.
Thompson has played hockey in the states numerous times when he was with the Hill Academy.
Thompson played in tournaments in places like Boston and Albany, so the states weren’t an unfamiliar territory for him.
Thompson’s parents laid out a few concerns for him, but in the end, he couldn’t resist Rowan.
“They said as long as you like the team and where you are staying. Also, the finance program is good,” said Thompson.
Thompson is a freshmen finance major at Rowan. Standing at 6’3 and 180 pounds, Thompson is a defenseman for the team.
Thompson has played 19 of 22 games this season. He has 9 assists in those games.
Kliewe hopes that his efforts to recruit Canadian players will lead to more international students being interested both Rowan and the hockey team.
“The school itself is looking for more of an international student body. They’re incentivizing a lot of international students,” said Kliewe.
Rowan offers specialized plans for international students, something that Thompson took advantage of when committing to Rowan.
Thompson is the only international player rostered on the team at the moment.
“We used to have Canadians on our team, so I was specifically looking for Canadian born players to take advantage of what rowans offering,” said Kliewe.
Canada is widely considered the hockey capital of the world. Incorporating international players will only make the team stronger in the future.
In all, Thompson’s decision to commit to Rowan University has been a terrific experience.
“Everyone is having a good time. We’re playing Christmas music this time of year. The guys are always great,” said Thompson.