Billitier accepted an invitation to play the next two seasons for USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program in Ann Arbor.  “It’s very exciting,” said the 15-year-old Billitier, a sophomore at Northstar Christian Academy. “I love the game and I love to work hard.”

 

Billitier plays defense for Maksymum Hockey’s Rochester Stars of the Eastern Junior Hockey League. He is the youngest player in the league.  The previous two seasons, as a 13- and 14-year-old, he played for the Belle Tire program in suburban Detroit and was on the Under-14 national championship team in 2011.  “My parents (Rick and Jenny) are going to miss me, I’m going to miss them, but you get used to it,” he said.

 

In January, Billitier wore the USA Hockey sweater in Innsbruck, Austria, at the Youth Olympic Winter Games. He was invited to the NTDP tryout camp earlier this month.  The invitation to join the NTDP is a two-year commitment and almost virtually assures Billitier of an NCAA Division I scholarship as long as his game continues to progress.