VIDEO: 2016 Hobey Baker Winner Discusses Junior Hockey in U.S.

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VIDEO: 2016 Hobey Baker Winner Discusses Junior Hockey in U.S.

By Mike Klein, 05/02/16, 2:45PM EDT

With an NHL contract on the horizon for 2016 Hobey Baker Winner Jimmy Vesey, it seems unusual that five years ago, he faced the same dilemma as many players will this summer. After going undrafted that year, his first of eligibility, he too had to make a decision that would undoubtedly impact his future. Although he had already committed to Harvard University, the draft snub made him realize that while he would be a member of the Crimson, he still had a long way to go to guarantee himself a spot in the lineup every night.

Ultimately, Vesey chose to leave the Belmont Hill School for the South Shore Kings prior to what would have been his senior season. Vesey grew up in a hockey family, as his father Jim played at Merrimack and logged 15 games in the NHL and younger brother Nolan played with the Kings and is now a sophomore at Maine, but prior to his year with the Kings, he admits he did not take the sport as seriously as he could have.

Once he made the jump to junior hockey, Vesey began an intense workout regimen that would better prepare him for competition against older and more developed players in juniors and college. The off-ice work paid off to the tune of 48 goals and 43 assists (91 points) in 45 games. After the season, he was selected in the third round of the NHL Entry Draft.

His success continued at Harvard, as the North Reading, MA, native tallied 80 goals and 64 assists (144 total points) in 128 games in his four years with the Crimson. He earned First Team All-American honors in 2015 and 2016 as well as the Walter Brown Award in both seasons. He was named a top-three finalist for the Hobey Baker Award in 2015 and won the award as a senior in 2016. Vesey also earned a gold medal with Team USA in the 2013 IIHF World Under-20 Championships and a bronze medal in the IIHF Men’s World Championships in 2015.

Vesey sat down with the USPHL Network in February to talk about his experiences in a two-part interview series. In Part One, he discussed his experiences playing youth hockey in Massachusetts, why he chose the South Shore Kings to further his development, and why an aspiring NCAA hockey player should choose the USPHL. Part Two covers his dreams of playing in the NHL while growing up in a hockey family, preparation for the academic demands of college hockey, how he fit in on the Kings as a rookie, and his friendships and some silly memories of his year with the Kings. Vesey also offers advice to players who have their sights set on college hockey in both parts.

As hundreds of young players look for advice on how to take the next step in their hockey careers, the 2016 Hobey Baker Award winner offers his own: the USPHL was the right place for him and the best place to play for a young prospect.