While playing hockey at Utah State University, Rylee Orr had a vision.

He watched schools on the West Coast, like Arizona State, take the necessary steps to build an NCAA Division I hockey program and knew that the same could be done in Eugene.

Home for the summer after playing a professional season in Germany, Orr was looking for job opportunities. 

Sure enough, Oregon had a head coaching vacancy. 

Four years into his gig, the Ducks are a part of the American Collegiate Hockey Association at the Division II level with aspirations to move higher. After back-to-back Pac-8 Conference championships, Orr has the Ducks on the fast track to the NCAA.

However, before the Ducks can make that leap, a few things need to happen. 

The first requirement is to keep winning. 

“[It’s attributed to] a lot of recruiting, a lot of hard work,” Orr said. “We came in and took care of the program, realizing that if we wanted to do this, we had to start recruiting.” 

Orr, a native of Maple Creek, Saskatchewan, used his hockey connections to set up a recruiting network across Canada and the United States, making a determined effort to tap into an enormous talent pool.

A beneficiary of that recruiting drive was team co-president, defenseman Austin Pultz. 

“I liked coach’s enthusiasm and how motivated he is to build the program,” Pultz, a native of Calgary, Alberta, said. “I came down to Eugene and liked it down here as well, so that made it an easy decision.” 

Orr believes Eugene presents a prime destination for recruits, noting spots for immediate playing time, comparatively mild weather for recruits from his home country and the University’s colossal support for its athletic programs. 

Raising that support is the next step to moving up the ranks of the ACHA. 

Over the last few years, crowds have grown drastically at The Rink Exchange, where the Ducks play their home games.

“When I first came here… we weren’t a great hockey team, maybe getting five to 10 fans at our games,” Orr said. “Now, on some nights, we are getting 500 or 600 fans, and that’s with limited marketing and a limited budget in general.” 

Outside of Eugene, some of the strongest support comes from Medford, Oregon, where the Ducks have played in front of multiple sold-out crowds.

“The hockey community in Oregon is bigger than people think,” Pultz said. He cited the ability of the Portland Winterhawks junior ice hockey team to gain a following as evidence of the state’s interest in the sport. 

Looking to build the public backing even further, the Ducks plan on playing an outdoor event in Bend and future events in Portland.

Outside of what they can control, logistical issues arise in the team’s quest to join the NCAA — mainly, funding.

The university provides a small allocation to the team, but not nearly enough to cover all expenses or build up Division I caliber facilities. Since it is a club team, no scholarships are provided to players. 

The team earns a solid amount from home games and merchandise sales, but needs more to take the program to the next level.

“We’re not that far off, we just need someone with deep pockets or someone well-connected to notice what we’re doing and decide to help out,” Orr said. “We are able to make it work, but if we can get donations, the more the merrier. With what we are trying to do, we’ll need to be able to leave the West Coast, which means plane tickets [and other expenses].” 

Unfortunately, like other sports, COVID-19 forced the 2020-21 hockey season to be canceled, but that hasn’t stopped Orr from building on the momentum from the last couple of seasons.

Interest in Oregon hockey is at an all time high, and the recruiting train is going stronger than ever.            

“We are going to have a powerhouse when we come back,” Orr said. “Three years from now, I would love to be competing for national championships at the ACHA Division I level, to keep building towards our vision. When this thing goes NCAA, which it will, the Oregon Ducks will be a championship-caliber team.”

A club sport in name only, the Ducks are ultra-competitive and motivated to make the jump first to ACHA Division I, then on to the NCAA.