DiVincentiis ready for next step in development

(Photo courtesy of: Jonathan Kozub)

Two years have already passed since the Winnipeg Jets selected Dominic DiVincentiis in the draft. Since that time, DiVincentiis is a combined 63-18-6 with the Ontario Hockey League’s North Bay Battalion. The 20-year-old discussed how much he has changed as a person and as a player over the past two seasons at Jets development camp earlier this month.

“Just coming into this organization as a young guy being around the pros each and every day starting from the trainers to the coaches, and all the way down to main camp with the actual players. You pick up a lot of things that they do, and you try to go back to junior and be one of them and be a pro and act like a pro each and every day,” said DiVincentiis.

“And I think from 16-year-old me being drafted now 20 years old, it's four years. It's not that much time but in that time you try to make yourself act like a pro and understand that you are a pro and in order to be a pro in the NHL one day you got to start from a young age and I think from 16 to now I've changed a lot and in positive ways and you learn a lot throughout that growth but there's always still more that you can work on and get better at each and every day.”

A good sign about the growth in DiVincentiis came in the spring, as North Bay was one of the favourites to get to the OHL Finals, winning the Central Division and finishing second in the East Conference. The Jets prospect played outstanding in the opening game of the postseason but got injured in the next game and did not play again because of that injury. The Ontario product put his personal feelings aside and helped cheer on his teammates who went all the way to the conference finals, eventually losing in seven games to Oshawa.

“Part of being a pro is focusing on helping your team and helping your teammates get better each and every day. And I think with the injury I really learned how to take my leadership to another level and help the team internally in the dressing room,” said DiVincentiis.

“Stick with each other through the ups and downs we had as a team this year. And I think that's ultimately what brought us success this year was the fact that our whole team was able to come together and be one and we fought for each other each and every day. And you know, I couldn't be proud of the team we had this year.”

By all accounts, it looks like DiVincentiis will be making the jump to the pros this upcoming season, which means that his time in North Bay has come to an end.

“My dad always said to me ‘Take your time because time is gonna go by fast and you're gonna be starting your first game in the OHL and you're going to be getting drafted to the NHL. So, take it step by step and slowly’ And as a kid, you really want to rush into becoming a pro,” said DiVincentiis.

“But now that you're not going back to that organization that you've been with since you were 16. And now you're moving to pro it's like, you go back in your head, and you see all the memories that you had, and with all your teammates and all the guys, you've been with every day. You have a billet family. Bill, it's siblings, you know, it's just a second family, like I said, and it's an emotional one, right? But I mean you cherish those moments when you have them, and I still talk to almost every single guy on my team. And like I said before, we're all brothers and we're planning on going back to North Bay as a group over the summer here.”

The future between the pipes for the Jets seems taken care of with DiVincentiis and fellow prospect Thomas Milic, who made his pro debut last season with both the Norfolk Admirals and the Manitoba Moose. Milic helped lead the Moose from the basement of the AHL Central Division to a postseason berth. The two goaltenders are great friends off the ice despite the fact they are competing for playing time within the organization.

“Obviously, he was the best goalie in the WHL when he played there. It's not a secret to know that he's a fantastic goalie and an even better person off the ice. We've been together for a couple years now and the organization here and I feel like every time we see each other, we're like best buds off the ice. Hopefully we're playing on the same team together and you want to have that good friendship and tandem together because that's what's gonna allow you to push each other every day,” said DiVincentiis.

“But like you said, you have that internal battling and, and compete against each other. And I feel like you know, when we're on the ice, we're competing against each other, we're pushing each other, but ultimately, it's all in good spirits. And that's how you're gonna end up making each other better and pushing each other to the next level. But he's a phenomenal, phenomenal guy to be around. He's super funny. He's a great guy, but I hope he says the same about me. We get along pretty well together.”