Two former members of the Hobart College hockey team are now playing professionally in France. Former Statesmen forward Tommy Fiorentino ’14 (New Hartford, N.Y.) begins his second year playing in France, recently signing with a new team, and former defenseman Ryan Michel ’15 (Camillus, N.Y.) signed with Cholet to begin his professional career.
Michel’s team, HC Cholet, plays at the Division I level in France. Michel was a three-time All-ECAC West selection. He also earned the Boswell Award, as the team’s MVP, as a junior and as a senior. Michel played in 93 career games, notching eight goals and 60 assists for 68 points. He finished his college hockey career ranked ninth on Hobart’s all-time list for career assists.
Fiorentino played last season with Les Phenix de Reims. In July, he signed with Corsaires de Nantes. Fiorentino made the move to his new team through the help of former Statesmen Assistant Coach Carl Michaelson ’04. “My experience in France has been life changing. I grew a lot as a person in my first year of professional hockey just from being on my own in another country and I can’t wait for new growth and experiences this season,” said Fiorentino.
At Hobart, Fiorentino played in 102 career games. He was a three-time member of the ECAC West All-Academic squad and served as team captain as a senior. Fiorentino logged 27 goals and 25 assists for 52 career points.
“Hobart really afforded me this opportunity and I am forever grateful for that. Coach Taylor runs a program that teaches valuable skills on and off the ice. I’ve been able to apply what I learned at Hobart to here successfully and it has made my time enjoyable,” added Fiorentino.
