Digger Hockey Club team to hold inaugural Prospect Camp
Montana Technological University’s Oredigger Hockey Club team will host its first-ever Prospect Camp in Butte from March 27-29, 2025, offering prospective players a glimpse into the university’s academic offerings, athletic facilities, coaching staff, and team resources.
Montana Tech’s hockey team consists of over 20 student-athletes from all across the United States and Canada. The team was rejuvenated in 2023 through a student-driven effort after shuttering for a few years due to shifts in enrollment exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. After a tough first season back in the American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA), the team is already looking forward to the 2025/2026 season, with a planned game schedule approaching 25 games across several states and British Columbia, Canada.
“It’s exciting to be at a stage where we can invite a new generation of Orediggers to our campus and community and expose them to how great the school is,” Head Coach Dave Rathgeber said. “Over the last year, we have worked diligently to develop a program foundation that will build a highly-competitive collegiate hockey club, while increasing awareness and enrollment of champion Orediggers at Montana Tech.”
The camp will kick-off with two practice and evaluation sessions on Thursday and Friday. The Thursday practice will last one hour, while Friday’s will last two hours. This time will give prospective players an opportunity to demonstrate their hockey skills under the tutelage of both the Orediggers and Butte Irish coaching staff.
A social gathering at the Vu Villa is planned for Thursday evening, where prospective players and their parents will get the opportunity to meet current players and the coaching support staff in a relaxed environment. On Friday students and their families will participate in guided-tours of either the main Montana Tech campus on Park Street or the Highlands College campus located at 25 Basin Creek Road, followed by dinner and an information session at the Butte Depot. Players and families will hear from Rathgeber on the hockey program, Vice Provost for Student Success and Dean of Students Dr. Joe Cooper on the academic offerings and student life, and Kehli Hazlett, director of tourism for the Butte Convention & Visitor’s Bureau and Tourism Business Improvement District, regarding offerings in Butte.
Saturday is dedicated to exploring the Butte community, with player chaperones available upon request. The camp culminates with a prospect mixer game at 7:30 p.m. at the Butte Community Ice Center located at 1700 Wall Street.
“We want to ensure prospective students attending this event get the whole package,” Rathgeber said. “Many prospect camps focus primarily on bringing your best on the ice, but we want to expose prospects and their families to everything that Montana Tech and Butte have to offer. We hope prospective students will leave with not only their questions answered, but also a sense of belonging and excitement about the possibility of calling Montana Tech and Butte their home.”
To register or learn more about hotel reservations, click here.