DENVER — It was a divine weekend for DU Pioneers forward Jack Devine.
After a seven point, two-game performance over the weekend, the sophomore was named the NCHC Forward of the Week.
“I thought it was a nice accomplishment,” said Devine. “Obviously I gotta give credit to my teammates and all that they did for me this weekend and obviously the coaching staff. I think it’s an accumulation of all the hard work. I think it has to do with working hard and trusting the process of the coaching staff.”
Pioneers head coach David Carle has seen growth in his young forward, “It’s really nice to see a young person get rewarded for doing things the right way,” smiled Carle. “Obviously it helps make our team more dangerous and we just hope that continues for him.”
Devine sort of became a Pioneer way before he officially did last season. The now national champ is originally from Illinois and it just so happens that he was in the United Center stands in Chicago, watching the Pios celebrate their eighth national title, in April of 2017.
“It was kind of crazy. I looked back on it a couple months ago when we won [the 2022 National Championship] and kinda showed my parents some pictures and other people of me and my dad sitting at the championship game. I just thought like for me it was like, wow I see this team win and the culture there and I wanna play here.”
Over the summer, Devine was drafted by the Florida Panthers in the seventh round, a childhood dream realized. But he’s not thinking about that yet.
“When I’m here, I’m 100% bought into the program because that’s the team I play for and that’s the team I represent and when the time comes, I’ll think about pro. It is a dream of mine and hopefully I get there but while I’m at Denver the focus is on winning a National Championship.”
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