Cade Kavanagh remembers what it was like to step on the ice for the first time, dreaming one day he could take his talents beyond the high school level and maybe to the NCAA. 

That dream became a reality for Kavanagh over the weekend when he received a contract from a United States Premier Hockey League Juniors team while showing his talents at an exposition in Blaine, Minnesota. 

Kavanagh put pen to paper and this fall will begin playing for the Northwest Express in Spooner, Wisconsin, a team that competes in the USPHLJ Midwest West Division. 

“Honestly, as hard as I was fighting and as hard as I was battling, I thought this was the end of the road for me,” Kavanagh said. “No one from Steamboat really goes anywhere for hockey, so just the fact that I was able to make it work, I’m just thrilled.” 

Kavanagh, 18, is a recent graduate of Steamboat Springs High School where he played goalie for the school’s varsity program. This season, Kavanagh collected 429 saves, giving up an average of just 2.13 goals per game during his 15 games in net. 

He was named Most Valuable Impact Player on the Sailors hockey team and was nominated by Colorado coaches to play for Team Colorado. 

Following the high school hockey season, Kavanagh competed in multiple expositions across the country. He said it was a mixture of perseverance and community support that got him to this point. Encouragement from his peers has also given him a nice boost.

“When you have people believe in you, it helps so much mentally,” Kavanagh explained.

Kavanagh said he will officially move to Spooner on Sept. 1 and will be billeted. The family he will live with is likely going to have a young hockey player in the youth program, giving Kavanagh the opportunity to mentor someone who dreams of reaching this same level of their career.

Kavanagh does not plan to set his expectations too high for this season. He can play in the junior league level until he is 21 years old and wants to enjoy this season to his fullest knowing he is making his 6-year-old self proud. 

“If I don’t get a bunch of starts and I’m not the hero, then that’s alright with me,” Kavanagh said. “I have three years to do this. The dream would be to play Division I NCAA hockey, but that is so far away. It is a marathon. I made this team and it doesn’t stop here. I’m just going to keep pushing.”