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Nik Yaremchuk became the 13th player to join with the Alaska Nanooks for the upcoming season, signing a National Letter of Intent on Tuesday with the Central Collegiate Hockey Association program.

The 5-foot-10, 170-pound center produced a team-high 67 points (28 goals and 39 assists) in 60 games this past season for the Sherwood Park Crusaders of the Alberta Junior Hockey League. The assistant captain from St. Albert, Alberta, registered 19 multi-point games.

“Nik is a very skilled player; he skates well, makes plays and competes,” Alaska interim head coach Dallas Ferguson said in a press release. “Nik has great instincts and he understands the game.”

Yaremchuk earned a spot on the 2007-08 AJHL North Division All-Star Team, joining future Nanooks teammates Scott Enders, a defenseman, and Ron Meyers, a center, from the Lloydminster Bobcats.

Yaremchuk tied for 13th in league scoring and was tied with Meyers for 15th in points per game with an average of 1.1. He received Sherwood Park’s leading goal scorer, points leader and fan favorite honors at the end of the season.

“His talent and character makes players around him better,” Ferguson said.

Yaremchuk was named to the AJHL All-Rookie Team in 2006-07 after posting 20-19-39 totals in 48 games.

Finalists forums

A public forum for Dallas Ferguson, one of the two finalists for the Nanooks head coach position, takes place from 5:30-6:30 p.m. today in the Pioneer Room of the Carlson Center.

Kevin Patrick, the other finalist and a University of Wisconsin assistant coach, will have his forum at the same time and same place Thursday.

Bruce Cech, who’s entering his 21st season as the Nanooks’ radio play-by-play announcer, will serve as the moderator of each forum.

Each finalist will give a brief speech, introduce themselves and discuss their qualifications, interest in the position and vision for the program.

Following the speech, the forum will open for questions, which will rotate between media in attendance and the public. Questions can be asked on microphones which will be at the left and right corners of the seating area.

Persons asking questions should introduce themselves by first names only so that the finalist can address each person directly in their answer should he so choose.

Questions should be kept short and succinct to make the most of the hour time frame and to help everyone learn as much as possible about a finalist.

Forms will also be available near the Pioneer Room’s doors for people to submit their comments and inputs about each finalist to the selection committee.

Ferguson and Patrick are seeking to replace Doc DelCastillo, who resigned April 10 after one season with Alaska.

Ex-Nanooks in playoffs

Former Nanooks right wing Kelly Czuy has five goals and five assists in 11 playoff games for the Las Vegas Wranglers, who face the Utah Grizzlies in the ECHL’s National Conference Final. The best-of-seven series begins Monday in Las Vegas.

The Wranglers, who also feature former Nanooks center Curtis Fraser and former Nebraska-Omaha defenseman Jason Krischuk of Anchorage, advanced by winning four games to two against the Alaska Aces in a semifinal series.

Fraser and Czuy had goals and Krischuk chipped in an assist for Las Vegas. Former Nanooks defenseman Corbin Schmidt scored for the Aces, who also got an assist from former Nanooks right wing Cam Keith. Another former Nanook, defenseman, Felipe Larranaga, played Friday but didn’t register any statistics.

In the American Hockey League’s Eastern Conference East Division Final, the Providence Bruins, with Dwayne Zinger, a former Nanooks defenseman, and center Nate Thompson of Anchorage, need to defeat the Portland (Maine) Pirates on Friday in Providence, R.I., to force a seventh and deciding game there Saturday.

The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (Pa.) Penguins, with former Notre Dame right wing Tim Wallace of Anchorage, have a two games to one lead over the Philadelphia Phantoms, with former Nanooks left wing Kyle Greentree, heading into Game 4 tonight in Philadelphia.