Former Tigers goaltender Zahara officially signs with Brooks Bandits

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Hicks, committed to the NCAA‘s Tennessee State University Tigers for the 2025-26 season was announced as signed by the WHL‘s Victoria Royals last Friday.

The signing of Hicks was largely made possible by the NCAA allowing current and former CHL players to play Division I hockey beginning in the fall of 2025.

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READ: NCAA lifts eligibility ban in allowing Canadian Hockey League players to compete at US colleges

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The Bandits who have been committed to helping players achieve NCAA scholarships weren’t signing former major junior players until the new rule came into place.

Julian Fantino, a 20-year old forward who played 178 games in the Ontario Hockey League was the first former major junior player to play for the Bandits in quite some time.

He signed with the club on Nov. 29, 2024 and will now be joined by Zahara as one of two players on the Bandits roster with CHL experience.

Zahara, a native of Rocky View, Alta. has a strong history of hockey in Medicine Hat having spent time with the South Alberta Hockey Academy from 2021 to 2023 and getting into games with the Tigers between 2021 and 2024.

Zahara started the 2024-25 season with the Tigers before being traded to the Wenatchee Wild on Oct. 16 and re-acquired on Dec. 12.

He made one start for the Tigers after returning at 4-1 loss to the Lethbridge Hurricanes on Dec. 15 where he made 27 saves.

Zahara played in 34 games for the Tigers in his career with a record of 16 wins, eight losses, three overtime losses, and two shootout losses.

During his time in Wenatchee this season Zahara tended the net in 11 games, with three wins, seven loss, a 4.05 goals against average, and an .884 save percentage.

Over Zahara’s WHL Career he has a 3.54 goals against average and .886 save percentage in the regular season and a 2.91 goals against average and .909 save percentage in four playoff games.

Zahara was an 8th round draft pick of the Medicine Hat Tigers in the 2020 WHL Prospect Draft.