In our Campus Conversations, we sit down one-on-one with some of our alumni playing Division-I NCAA hockey. They offer candid comments and insight into the world of hockey after high school, including life in juniors and the process of getting to the next level. Check out their first-hand accounts of triumphs and successes as well as struggles and failures along their journey to playing college hockey.

This week, we feature Cranbrook-Kingswood alum and current Boston College captain, Christopher Brown.

A 2014 graduate, Brown played four seasons of varsity hockey for Cranbrook where he played in 110 games, scoring 69 goals and 178 points during his high school career. As a junior, he helped the Cranes to their 16th state championship in 2013 and was named to the MI-HS Dream Team in 2014 as a senior.

After earning four varsity letters at Cranbrook, Brown was drafted in the sixth round of the 2014 NHL Draft by the Buffalo Sabres. He made the jump to the USHL the following season, where he spent the majority with Green Bay before being traded to Tri-City. That would be his only year of junior hockey as Brown moved onto Boston College and NCAA’s storied Hockey East Conference. Now in his junior year with the Eagles, Brown has been named a team captain and has 13 goals and 40 points in his college career.

Hockey is in Christopher’s blood and he has grown up surrounded by the sport as his father, Doug, played 15 seasons in the NHL, including seven with the Detroit Red Wings. Christopher’s older brother Patrick -- also a Cranbrook-Kingswood alum -- currently plays in the AHL for the Charlotte Checkers and has been a constant source of motivation as the younger Brown looks to follow in his brother’s footsteps.

This Week’s Campus Convo with Christopher Brown:

Hub: Michigan is one of a few states with several different successful options for hockey, from Triple-A and high school as well. What prompted you to go the high school route as opposed to other choices that were available?

CB: “My brother played for Cranbrook as well and we were always four years apart, so i never got to play with him. That worked out well for him, he ended up at [Boston College] and now he’s playing professionally for Carolina up and down in their system.

“I went to Cranbrook my whole life. It’s the only school I’ve been to except for [Boston College] and I just really enjoyed playing for my school and in front of my friends. You don’t get many fans or that interaction of the community when you play Triple-A. I just loved being able to, in between classes, being able to go down and skate at Cranbrook and be a part of that school and community.”

Hub: You also competed in the MDHL in addition to the high school season, what did those off-season alternatives offer you and your development as a hockey player?

“A lot of people choose Triple-A or their argument is that ‘you don’t play enough games in high school hockey.’ I can see the argument there, but with the MDHL you get an extra 15-to-20 games and you get to play against the best line from every high school team. So it’s great competition and you’ve got a lot of good coaches that are familiar with pro hockey and junior hockey. It’s a good little step before your regular season.”

Hub: Aside from your dad, who had the biggest influence on your amateur hockey career?

“It was great to have an older brother go through it before me and learn from his mistakes. He always wished that he had someone older than him to pull from.

“Obviously being at Cranbrook with the coaching staff there, Coach Weidenbach was great. He really did a lot for me and teaching me how to be not only a good hockey player but a good person and respecting the community. He always preached being a good teammate on and off the ice.”

Hub: What was the most important step for you in your career that helped in your development?

“Playing that one year of juniors between college and high school -- playing in the USHL for Green Bay -- that was a big thing that I really enjoyed. I thought I needed it for my game to develop and also for my size to get bigger for this jump...So I think taking your time and being ready to play at the college level is a big thing.”

Hub: What was the biggest surprise to you making the jump from high school to juniors and then juniors to college?

“It’s more a business, coaches are coaching for their jobs and players are trying to earn money to go to school or trying to find pro contracts. So not only are you teammates but you’re playing against them in practice, competing every day to make the lineup and hopefully have a career in this sport.”

Hub: You were named a captain for Boston College this year, where does that rank amongst your hockey achievements and what does it mean to you?

“It’s definitely up there, being a captain of any college team, let alone Boston College with this great history and great captains, great success stories here. It was a huge honor. My brother was a captain here and it was something I really respected him for and thought he did a great job with it. I’m just very honored, very excited to lead the team this year.”

Hub: So what’s next for Christopher? What goals are you setting for yourself now?

“I definitely want to pursue a career in hockey. I’ve watched my brother go through the process and it’s something that I think I would enjoy; that battle to make it to the NHL. My rights are owned by Buffalo, so that’s definitely in the back of my mind but right now I’m just focused on getting better every day and being ready for that jump to the next level.”