Former Watertown goalie on road to NHL job

By John Torsiello Republican-American

Jared DeMichiel, formerly of Harwinton and a member of the Watertown Youth Hockey Association, continues on his dream quest of playing in the National Hockey league.

The recently graduated star goaltender for the Rochester Institute of Technology recently signed a free agent contract with the Hershey Bears, the American Hockey League affiliate of the Washington Capitals of the NHL.

The 25-year-old led RIT to an unexpected trip last spring to the NCAA Division I Frozen Four, where it lost to Wisconsin in the semifinals. He posted a sterling 2.09 goals-against average this year, recording six shutouts.

DeMichiel, who moved from Harwinton to Avon as a 16-year-old attending Avon Old Farms prep school, is in Rochester this summer working out with collegiate, NHL and AHL players in preparation for the opening of pro training camps in September.

“It was really exciting to get signed,” said DeMichiel, who attended St. Paul in Bristol for one year before transferring to Avon Old Farms. “I wish training camp was today so I could get right at it.”

DeMichiel has been told he will be given a shot to compete for the fourth goaltender spot on the Capitals’ depth chart, which would be the backup netminder role at Hershey. If that doesn’t work out, he will likely start the season with the Capitals’ East Coast Hockey League affiliate in Charleston, S.C., the South Carolina Stingrays.

“I have been invited to attend the NHL camp and was told I could compete for the fourth spot on the goalie roster. They usually carry six goalies in the organization, two each at the NHL, AHL and ECHL levels. After the NHL training camp, I’ll go to the Hershey training camp and just continue to work and train hard and get better.”

DeMichiel, who won 27 games with RIT this past season and was chosen Atlantic Hockey Association Goaltender of the Week several times, grabbed the starting goaltender position in college as a junior, going on to post a 13-

6 record and a 2.70 goals-against average that year. He played in six games, with four starts, as a sophomore and showed signs of things to come when he stopped 28 shots in a win over Holy Cross, and made 30 saves in a tie with then nationally ranked Niagara.

DeMichiel also played two years of top level junior hockey after graduating from Avon Old Farms and prior to attending RIT, where he majored in business management.

He was in negotiations with several teams prior to signing with Hershey.

“St. Louis, Edmonton and Ottawa were talking to me, and St. Louis and Ottawa offered me something. But I liked what Hershey and Washington could do for me. It was a nice offer and I looked at their depth chart for goalies and it seemed like the Caps and Hershey were the best fit for me.”

DeMichiel was told by the Capitals’ scouts that they liked several things about his playing style and ability.

“They liked how I handle myself in net and kept things simple. And they liked the way I played the puck and communicated with teammates. And I played on a winning team and had to make saves to keep my team in games.”

If he winds up in Hershey, DeMichiel will have a chance to play close to home on a number of occasions, with the Bears skating against the Hartford Wolf Pack, as well as teams in Bridgeport, Springfield, Mass., Worcester, Mass., Lowell, Mass., Albany, N.Y. and Rochester, N.Y., the latter the city where he played his college hockey.