Minnesota Wilderness Forward Homer makes NCAA DI Commitment

The Minnesota Wilderness of the North American Hockey League (NAHL) are proud to announce that forward Zach Homer has committed to play NCAA Division I hockey for Canisius University in the Atlantic.

The third-year NAHL veteran has made an impact during his time playing in the League of Opportunity. The 6-foot-2 righty dominated on the scoresheet for the Wilderness this season. He notched the new Minnesota Wilderness regular season record of 39 goals and 11 game-winning tallies. His offensive skillset ranked him tied second on his team with 66 points, while Homer sat third with 27 assists. In addition, the Michigan native was one of the top goal-scorers in the league this year. His 39 goals ranked him second overall in the NAHL. He featured a staggering +31 rating on the ice, ranking second on his team in that category. The Birmingham, Michigan, skater got to have a homecoming to his home state when he was named as a Top Prospect for the 2026 Top Prospects Tournament on the Midwest Division team.

Homer states his excitement to continue his hockey career.

“This is a blessing. I’m excited to prove myself at the Division I level.

He went on to explain his gratitude for playing with the Wilderness over the past two seasons.

“I play for the best staff, the best team in the country, surrounded by the best people. All the guys have put me in a situation to play my best hockey; we’ve been rewarded together and put together big team wins.”

Homer's impact night after night was one of the many reasons why the Wilderness dominated in the Midwest Division. He showed up on the scoresheet in 39 regular season games while featuring 17 multi-point contests.

His impact did not stop in the regular season; Homer was a critical piece of the Wilderness’ success in the playoffs. The 6-foot-2 righty featured a 14-point performance in 12 games played. He found twine eight times while producing six assists for the Minnesota team. Homer featured three game-winning goals during the playoffs, helping to lift his team to a Robertson Cup Championship appearance.

During Homer’s 2024-25 campaign, he nearly played in every regular season game for the Wilderness, lacing up in 58 out of 59 games. The Michigan native scored 22 goals while making 20 assists for the Midwest Division team. Homer featured four game-winning tallies and three power-play goals in that span.

Head coach of the Wilderness, Zach Stepan, shares more on what stands out the most about Homer’s game and ability on the ice.

“If you really dig deep into the goals that he scored, there have been a lot of times he’s been the reason we have won in the third period because he’s been the one finding a way to get the puck in the back of the net. It’s not just the games we’ve won, 6-1, and he’s got four; he’s been scoring big goals for us the entire season in big moments.”

Stepan explains how Homer’s experience playing in the League of Opportunity has prepared him for his critical score-making and his ability to show up in big moments.

“He’s been around the block; he not only wants it, he knows how to execute.”

Before joining the Wilderness, Homer spent a season playing in the South Division with the Oklahoma Warriors and Corpus Christi IceRays. He started his rookie year with the Warriors, skating in 34 games. He scored six goals while making seven assists with the Oklahoma-based team. Following his time with the Warriors, he was acquired by the Corpus Christi IceRays for the remainder of the season. He hit the ice in 16 games, notching eight assists with the team.

Homer got his first taste of the NAHL in the 2022-23 season with a two-game call-up to the Warriors. The Michigan native played 179 career games in the NAHL, securing 143 total points over the three-year career.

Homer is one of seven members of the Minnesota Wilderness to make a Division I hockey college commitment.

Click here for an updated NAHL to NCAA commitment list