Delaying military service, Brighton's Colin Bilek signs with Winnipeg Jets' top farm team

When Colin Bilek of Brighton committed to play hockey for Army West Point in the fall of 2017, he was realizing one dream, but thought he might be sacrificing another.

Bilek achieved his lifelong goal of playing NCAA Division I hockey by signing with the Black Knights, the only major college program to make him an offer.

But at that time, his chances of playing pro hockey were incredibly slim.

Even if he progressed into a pro prospect during his four years at Army, he would still be required to fulfill a five-year military commitment. By then, in his late 20s and five years removed from playing competitive hockey, he could’ve given up any hope of pursuing a pro career.

His options expanded in November 2019 when the Pentagon, at the urging of President Donald Trump, allowed athletes at service academies to play pro sports and defer their military commitments.

Having blossomed into one of the top players in the nation, Bilek has taken advantage of that opportunity by signing a contract with the Manitoba Moose of the American Hockey League. Manitoba is the top farm team of the Winnipeg Jets of the National Hockey League.

“I don’t know if I ever thought I would be able to play professionally,” Bilek said. “I knew as soon as I made it to the Division I level, I didn’t want to ever give up the game. I knew while at Army, I was going to pursue trying to play. It kind of just all worked out perfectly. They changed the policy my sophomore year and allowed players to play professionally as soon as they’re out of school. That helped a bunch.”

Of course, Bilek would have to uphold his end of the bargain and make himself marketable to a pro team.

He did that by putting together one of the top careers in Army history.

Bilek was selected as a second-team All-American each of the past two seasons, becoming the first player in team and Atlantic Hockey history to be chosen twice.

He was Army’s leading scorer each of the past two seasons, scoring 18 goals and seven assists in 22 games as a junior and 11 goals and 20 assists in 34 games as a senior. Bilek finished his career with 43 goals and 50 assists in 127 games.

“Of course, I’ve got a dream to play in the National Hockey League,” Bilek said. “How cool would that be? It was always a dream of mine just to play college hockey. In some form, I feel like I’m playing with house money. I’ve got a pretty cool opportunity. The military let me delay my service for a few years while I get to chase down this dream. I feel like I’m still sitting in a pretty good spot when it’s my turn to serve in the military. It’s definitely a unique situation. I’m super thankful that I’m allowed to do it.”

Under the terms of the revamped policy, hockey players at service academies can turn pro as long as they’re in the AHL or NHL. Bilek’s contract is with the Moose, not the Jets. He can be sent to the ECHL, which is one step below the AHL, because his contract is a two-way deal signed with an AHL club.

While Army isn’t a national power in hockey, Bilek believes he developed intangibles by attending West Point that translate to his sport.

“I feel like when it comes to playing professional sports, playing at a service academy gets maybe a bad rep because a lot of people think when you go play there it’s the end of the road,” Bilek said. “I think playing at a service academy has helped me in the aspect of leadership. That’s what I hope I’ll be able to show at the next level. I come from a school where all I did was practice being a leader all four years.”

Earning a pro contract shows just how far Bilek has progressed since his high school days. He played his first two seasons at Brighton on the junior varsity team before playing two seasons on the varsity. He was Brighton’s captain in 2014-15.

He played three seasons of junior hockey before going to Army.

“I would be the first to admit I was a pretty average high school player,” said Bilek, who had 20 goals and 18 assists in 56 games for Brighton. “I didn’t come into my own until I started playing junior hockey. I love playing. I love the daily life of being a hockey player and working on myself and dedicating myself to my craft.

“That’s why I believe in myself. I put a lot of time into myself, and that’s really all you can do. I guess I just love the game so much. I really hope I can maybe even prove some more people wrong. As of right now, I’m incredibly thankful I’ve got the opportunity to play at the next level.”

Contact Bill Khan at wkhan@gannett.com.  Follow him on Twitter @BillKhan.

This article originally appeared on Livingston Daily: Colin Bilek of Brighton signs with Winnipeg Jets' top farm team