Kelen Corkum commits to Maine Decision easy for son of ex-Bears star

His father racked up 142 points (56 goals, 86 assists) in a 159-game career at the University of Maine (1985-89) before embarking upon a 720-game National Hockey League career.

Kelen Corkum will follow in his father Bob’s footsteps as he has verbally committed to play for the Black Bears beginning in the fall of 2008.

He will be the first son of a former University of Maine hockey player to don the Black Bear colors.

Corkum was the leading scorer for the Portland Junior Pirates’ B team this past season with 34 goals and 14 assists in 47 games.

He will play for the United States National Team Development Program’s Under-17 team in the fall.

He will be a junior at Pioneer High School in Ann Arbor, Mich.

He could then move up to the Under-18 team the following year if things go well.

The 6-foot-1, 185-pound Corkum, who turned 16 last month, said his decision to attend Maine was easy.

“I’ve been to the campus a lot with my dad and I’ve gotten to know the coaches,” said Corkum. “It’s going to be exciting.”

He said he isn’t going to get caught up in trying to better his father’s statistics.

“I just want to prove to everyone that I’m a good player, too,” said Corkum, who lives in Newburyport, Mass.

He knows there could be some additional pressure to live up to his father’s legacy but also said, “It will drive me to be a better player.”

Corkum said Maine’s hockey tradition, which includes eight straight NCAA Tournament appearances, was a “big part of the reason why I chose Maine.”

“The fans are crazy. It’s packed for every game. It’s a great place to be for hockey,” said Corkum.

His father admitted he was “surprised” how quickly his son chose Maine.

Other schools being considered were Boston University, Boston College, New Hampshire, and Providence.

But he and wife Jessica are “very, very excited.”

“It’s a great spot for him, knowing Tim, Guy, and Grant as well as I do,” said Bob, referring to head coach Tim Whitehead and assistants Guy Perron and Grant Standbrook.

Bob Corkum was a punishing right winger at Maine with a great shot who made his mark in the NHL as a checking line/penalty-killing specialist and renowned faceoff man.

“We’re similar in a lot of ways,” said Bob, who coached his son last season. “He definitely has better hands than I did. The physical part of his game is a big part of his game. He plays his best when he’s taking the body.”

“He’s very sound, defensively, too,” said Bob. “That’s something we worked on and what sets him apart from other kids his age. He understands you have to take care of the defensive zone first and then worry about scoring goals.”

Kelen Corkum is looking forward to playing for the USA Under-17 team.

“I’m going to focus on skill development. At the same time, I’ve got to be physical and play good defense,” said Corkum.