The '03 native of WIlmington, MA joined the Wizards in early November, and made an immediate impact from the moment he arrived. Overall, in 25 total Eastern Hockey League (EHL) games to date), O'Connell has tallied 37 points to his credit on 18 goals and 19 assists.

"Aidan has been such a huge piece to our offense from the moment he arrived," said Wizards head coach and general manager Kory Falite. "Stevenson is getting a tremendous goal scorer, but more importantly, they are getting a better person. We know he will continue to grow his game, and that he will have success at the next level."

Stevenson has established itself as one of the top programs in all of NCAA Division III hockey, and the EHL is fortunate for the relationship they've established with the Mustangs' program. In total, the EHL has committed 28 players to Stevenson, dating back to the inception of the program.

Also, it's worth mentioning, Stevenson was one of the six NCAA institutions that lined up against the EHL this past October, as part of the All-Star College Series. The Mustangs took on the league's Central/South All-Star Team, and as has become customary with all of the league's NCAA exhibition games, the experience also included a tour of everything the school has to offer.

"I’m very excited to commit to Stevenson University to continue my academic and athletic careers," said O'Connell. "First, I want to thank my parents and family for all the hard work and sacrifice over the years to help get me to this point. I would not be the person I am today without you guys. I also want to thank the East Coast Wizards organization and coaching staff for welcoming me in with open arms this year and making it an unbelievable year. Lastly, I want to thank the coaching staff at Stevenson; Coach [Dominick] Dawes, Coach [Cole] Bell, and Coach [Brad] Powell for this tremendous opportunity. I could not be more excited to get started this fall!

With this decision now official, O'Connell will turn his full attention towards the remainder of the regular season, as the Wizards are part of the tight race at the top of the East Division standings. If the playoffs began today, O'Connell and his teammates would enter as the #2 seed, earning themselves a First Round matchup with the defending champion, Boston Jr. Rangers.

Learn more about the Wizards on the team's official website, and check out the full 2023-24 NCAA commitment list.