Winnipeg Jets prospect Domenic DiVincentiis talks season goals with AHL All-Star Game, Calder Cup and NHL Debut in new exclusive interview with The Hockey News.
For Winnipeg Jets fans, they don’t have to look too far when it comes to goaltending as they’ve had the league’s best goaltender with Connor Hellebuyck and the top ranked defense for two straight seasons. Goaltending is low on the Jets list of worries heading into next season and with their superstar netminder signed on for six more years, it likely won’t be something to think about for quite some time.
However, fans can have added insurance with their already loaded backend in the fact that the Jets have several goaltenders in their prospect pipeline that are just starting their pro development journey. Once prepared, there’s going to be more than one option for the starting job once Hellebuyck is done. One of these prospects is 21-year-old Domenic DiVincentiis, who is coming off his first pro season with the Manitoba Moose and did quite well.
After posting a decent 13-12-3 record with a 2.84 goals against average and a .906 save percentage, DiVincentiis continues to rise up the prospect rankings for the Jets, ranking behind recent AHL add Isaac Poulter and Jets prospect Thomas Milic for Winnipeg’s third goalie position, according to EliteProspects.
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The trend may be going in the direction of DiVincentiis as if an injury occurs, Poulter and Milic both put up worse numbers last season, meaning he could get the first call-up and make his NHL debut. In an exclusive interview with The Hockey News, DiVincentiis tells us that he believes he can make it to the NHL this season and that it’s his main goal for the season.
“I think being able to get the opportunity to make my NHL debut would be pretty special,” DiVincentiis explained “I think it’s in reasonable play, and being able to do that would be, you know, such a such an honor for myself and for my family, and that would be one goal for me, Another goal would be making the all-star game for the AHL, being there for a full season, and ultimately winning a Calder Cup.”
The Bolton, Ontario native noted he’s looking to achieve his goals by working extra hard during the off-season while getting in sessions with NHL talent to get up to speed and be able to adapt to the quickness of the game when hopefully being called upon this season. He also noted later on that the ECHL and AHL have done a good job preparing him for the subtle increases in jumps for each skill level and that it’s helped him be successful so far.
“Being on the ice, tried to get on the ice two to three times a week, every week, whether that was with my goalie coach and then I had a session or two with a couple of the NHL guys from my gym that I would hop on the ice there with them,” DiVincentiis said “You got to be comfortable being uncomfortable and I think for me going down there to the ECHL put me in a position to make sure that I take initiative on things to be a professional hockey player and I think they did a great job at that and putting me in that position to better myself and get some more pro games under my belt because at the end of the day, that’s how you’re going to make your jump from from the AHL to the NHL, is trying to get as many pro games under your belt, making sure that you’re prepared for that next jump.”
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With 48 pro starts under his belt so far, DiVincentiis is starting to get acclimated with the style and pace of play while some of the other notable names around him have seen more roadblocks. Milic, DiVincentiis’ goalie partner with the Manitoba Moose and Norfolk Admirals, was at one point the top goalie prospect in the organization and one of the most notable prospects at the position in the sport after debuting in the AHL with a stellar 19-9-2 record, a 2.72 GAA and a .900 save percentage. The 22-year-old BC native saw hardships in his sophomore season however, as he finished with a 5-12-4 record, a 3.44 GAA and a .877 save percentage with the Moose.
DiVincentiis noted the slump as relatively normal as “the hockey world is not always uphill and there’s going to be bumps along the way” and he reaffirmed that Milic is still a “phenomenal goaltender” and he’s looking forward to their tandem hopefully being back together next season. When talking about the down season, DiVincentiis reflected on his everyday mindset that he picked up during his time in the OHL with the North Bay Battalion as his head coach Ryan Oulahen and the rest of the coaching staff instilled the motto of improving one per cent every day. He explains how his willingness to stay on for extra skates with other players on the team can help the team play better as a unit and that a better overall team is what can help him stay as consistent as he does.
“I try to do the extra, and I try to stay on the ice extra, and compete and make sure that, I’m getting myself and the players better, so that we go out there and we win games together, because it’s a team sport,” DiVincentiis stated “So my numbers and my stats were a result of both myself and the team and I thought they always did an incredible job in front of me throughout the season, allowing me to finish the season off strong with a shutout and the numbers I had.”
The journey of DiVincentiis and the other goalie prospects in the system can give Winnipeg fans hope as they want to stay as competitive as possible for as long as possible and having a stable goaltender is one of the biggest contributors to that. Once Hellebuyck and backup Eric Comrie see their time in a meaningful role with the franchise, the Jets will be ready with more young blood waiting in the wings. This transition to the new guard could come sooner than later as prospects like DiVincentiis already have the NHL on their mind in the near future.
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