Junior forward Jack Devine came to Denver as a scrawny, soft-spoken, platinum-blonde 17-year-old who had obvious skill on the ice, but was far from the finished article. Now, as a junior he is establishing himself as one of the best wingers in college hockey, scoring 13 points in his first six games this season. 

Devine was introduced to hockey at a young age by his family, specifically his two older sisters Taylor and Katie, who both played while he was growing up in the suburbs of Chicago. 

After spending time in the US National Team Development Program, Devine was on the radar of many big college programs. Devine said he chose Denver because of “the both academic and athletic programs.” 

Head Coach David Carle and his coaching staff were also a driving force to his decision. 

“I loved the coaches while touring here, and I thought this was the best place to call home,” Devine said.

When he came to Denver at 17 years old, there were a number of highly skilled, older players in his position, so the youngster had to fight for his minutes. As a freshman, Devine mostly played in a third-line role, where he showed flashes of immense talent, but was not one of the main men. He racked up 19 points in 36 games on a DU team that would go on to win the National Championship. 

“It was an incredible feeling, something I dreamed of as a kid,” he said. However, he continued, “winning one only makes me hungrier to win again this year.” 

Following his freshman year, Devine was draft eligible, and he was selected in the seventh round, despite many projecting him to go at least a couple of rounds earlier than that. This could end up being a blessing in disguise for Devine, who was selected by the Florida Panthers, who made the Stanley Cup final last season. Devine was not overly bothered by this snub and is mainly focused on DU and the season ahead. 

“I was lucky to be drafted by such a great organization like Florida, and that is something for me to be excited about in the future, but for now I am focused on Denver and winning another National Championship,” Devine said.

Devine’s explosion in production started in the second half of his sophomore season, when he scored 15 of his 31 points in an eight-game stretch at the end of the campaign before the whole team went quiet in their shutout losses against Colorado College and Cornell in the conference and national tournament. This production bump aligned with Devine’s placement on a line with fellow junior forward Massimo Rizzo, an elite playmaking center. Devine called Rizzo “one of the best players I have ever played with.” 

“He is super smart and intelligent. For us, it has been important to build chemistry in training camp, and that has shown up in the beginning of the season,” he said. 

Devine and Rizzo are the only two players in the country who are averaging over two points per game while playing at least five games this season, a reflection of how lethal of a tandem they are. 

Devine pointed out two parts of his game that have improved the most: skating and strength. He credited strength coach Matt Shaw for helping him work to develop his body. 

“For me, I came in as a younger guy, a 17-year-old, so now that I am a couple years older, I have been continually developing my body and getting stronger,” he said. 

The development is noticeable, with Devine, who is now 20, having a visibly more filled-out frame. Skating was the other thing that has drastically improved in his game. 

“On the ice, the biggest thing is continually improving my skating. I am a guy who can continue to work on getting quicker and faster. That is an area where I have noticed big strides,” he said. 

When watching Devine, it is easy to see that improved skating was a point of emphasis. As a freshman, Devine would crouch a lot when he skated, especially when he had the puck. Now as a junior, he has a more upright, natural stride making it easier for him to keep his head up for a shot or pass. 

With these ingredients in place, Devine looks set to have a monster breakout year and potentially make the Florida Panthers look very smart for drafting him with the fifth-to-last pick in the 2022 NHL Draft.