FERRIS STATE HOCKEY SIGNS LOCAL STANDOUT CODY CHUPP

Big Rapids Skater Represents Bulldogs’ Lone Early-Period Signee

The Ferris State University men’s ice hockey program will feature a familiar face, beginning with the 2006-07 season, as forward Cody Chupp (Big Rapids) has signed a national letter-of-intent to attend FSU and join the Bulldog hockey team in an announcement made by 14th-year head coach Bob Daniels.

Big Rapids' Cody Chupp is Ferris State's lone signee during the November early-signing period.

Chupp represents Ferris State’s only signee during this November's national early-signing period.

“We’ve had the good fortune of watching Cody grow up through the years and develop into a fine hockey player,” said Daniels, the all-time winningest coach at Ferris State. “He’s a solid two-way player, who can contribute offensively and also works extremely hard at the defensive end. His hockey skills and personality should fit in extremely well with next season’s team.”

Chupp, a 6-0, 185-pound center-right wing in is his first season with the Waterloo (Iowa) Black Hawks of the United States Hockey League (USHL) after arriving to the team in an offseason USHL draft-day trade with the Tri-City Storm. An assistant captain on the Waterloo squad, Chupp has presently compiled six points on two goals with four assists in 17 contests this season under head coach and general manager P.K. O’Handley.

“We’re excited to welcome Cody into our program,” said Ferris State assistant coach Derek Lalonde. “Cody will be a ready-made player who can step in at our level because of all his junior A experience. “He’s a solid, responsible two-way player that can help us at all ends of the ice.”

Prior to Waterloo, Chupp competed in the 2004-05 season for the USHL’s Tri-City Storm in Kearney, Neb., where he tallied 11 goals and had 17 assists for 28 points in 59 outings. He also totaled 45 minutes in penalties to gow with a plus seven efficiency rating, four power-play goals, and one game-winning tally.

A standout at Big Rapids (Mich.) High School, Chupp received Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) Division III honors both his junior and senior years under head coach Brian Guiney. He was also selected to the Team Michigan squad which consists of the state’s 20 best prep seniors. In his first season (2003-04) of juniors, Chupp garnered Rookie of the Year honors as a member of North American Hockey League’s (NAHL) Lonestar Calvary based in Fort Worth, Texas.

The son of Bart Chupp and Jill Caskey, Cody is undecided about his major field of study.

Ferris State, which is currently ranked 19th in the nation this week (Nov. 28) by both Inside College Hockey and U.S. College Hockey Online/CSTV, sports a 7-3-4 overall record with a fourth-place 3-1-4 Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA) mark this season to date. The Bulldogs will graduate four players following this season – forwards Greg Rallo and Nick Scheible, defenseman Andrew Winnik, and goaltender Tom Mueller.

Name, Position Hometown

Cody Chupp, Center-Right Wing, Big Rapids, Mich.
6-0, 185 lbs., Shoots: Right, Date of Birth: 3/17/85
2005-06 team: Waterloo Black Hawks, United States Hockey League