Before he commits to an NCAA Division 1 school, the Herring Cove hockey hero is touring four of the prominent U.S. colleges courting the first-round candidate for the 2017 NHL entry draft.

Bowers, whose scheduled excursions include three official campus visits and one unofficial tour, is juggling those trips early in his second season with the Iowa junior A Waterloo Black Hawks of the United States Hockey League.

“I’m going to be taking a few more visits in the next couple of weeks, take in all the information I can, and make a decision in the future where I’ll be attending,” said Bowers, a 17-year-old centre.

“I’ve narrowed it down to four or five schools. I’ve already taken two visits — one official visit so far — and I’m going to take two more official visits. I’m really looking forward to that. It’ll be a lot of fun, I think. It’s an exciting time.”

NCAA schools, of course, aren’t the only teams in the long-term pursuit of Bowers, who, two seasons ago, won the Nova Scotia Major Midget Hockey League scoring championship with the Halifax McDonald’s.

He’s on the NHL radar in a big way. This week, NHL Central Scouting listed him as an A prospect — a potential first-rounder — for next spring’s draft. TSN analyst Craig Button, a former NHL general manager, slotted Bowers 12th overall on the aptly named Craig’s List of draft prospects, just ahead of Halifax Mooseheads’ Swiss centre Nico Hischier.

The Saint John Sea Dogs own Bowers’ QMJHL playing rights after selecting him in the second round of the 2016 draft, a year after the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles chose him fourth overall.

Bowers hasn’t ruled out reporting to Saint John in the future, but for now he plans to continue skating on the U.S. college path.

One of the variables at play is that the NHL team that drafts Bowers next June might want him to experience a pro-like schedule in major junior, especially with a competitive team like the Sea Dogs.

“For now, college is definitely the route that I’m interested in and that I’m going to pursue,” Bowers said this week from Waterloo. “That being said, come June, who knows what will happen.”

He met with Saint John management this summer. Although that organization has since parted ways with general manager Darrell Young, a Halifax native who coached Bowers in lacrosse, Bowers said that personnel change wouldn’t influence his decision.

“I don’t know what happened there or what the situation was, but I wish Darrell the best whatever he does next,” said Bowers, who received that news in August while playing with Team Canada at the Ivan Hlinka Memorial under-18 tournament in the Czech Republic.

“I went out for a meeting with Saint John (earlier) in the summer. It was good. They’re all really good guys and it was nice, but for right now, I think where I’m at is the best spot and I’m really excited for the season.”

Bowers was named to the USHL’s second all-rookie team after scoring 15 goals and 33 points in 56 games last season. He has a goal and three points after four road games this season. Waterloo takes a three-game winning streak into its home-opener Saturday night.

“It’s not something I want to focus on,” Bowers said of his personal point production. “I obviously want to put up wins in the win column, but hopefully this year, I can flourish a little more offensively. I think that if I’m playing well and working hard, I’m going to get that opportunity. So I’m looking forward to that. It should be fun this season.”

On and off the ice, Bowers has experience on his side in his second USHL season. He even has use of a car — courtesy of his billets — to drive to and from the rink and school.

“Yeah, it’s a lot easier this year,” he said. “Last year, my whole family was with me coming down (to Waterloo) — a whole new environment for me. And this year, it’s pretty comfortable. You know the coaching staff, the city and the school. My housing family is the same as last year. So it was a lot easier coming down right away this year and stepping right in.”

Now, as he visits more universities and studies his options, the almost six-foot-two and 185-pound Bowers knows what he wants in an NCAA school.

“I think the main thing for me is determining where I’m going to be the most comfortable and what feels right for me, and where I’m going to develop best,” he said. “I just want to get a feel for the school and the coaching staff and what’s going to be the best for me, with my development and my schooling.”