By Warren Kozireski —
The Jamestown (NY) Rebels of the NAHL have been gone because the summer time of 2022, however former Buffalo Jr. Sabres Jak Vaarwerk helps preserve their reminiscence alive as he facilities one of many high strains for the College of Massachusetts-Lowell River Hawks.
Vaarwerk barely left house after spending 4 seasons with the Jr. Sabres capped by netting 82 factors over 79 video games his last two seasons.
Then it was an hour south to Jamestown the place the 6’0”, 180 lb. 21-year-old sophomore scored 53 factors in 56 common season video games and added 14 factors in 9 playoff video games.
That acquired the eye of USHL scouts as he was the highest choose in Section II of their draft and was chosen by Des Moines.
“I performed just about till I used to be 18 in Buffalo…I actually didn’t know what I used to be doing with hockey for my first 18 years to sincere, so I didn’t know the place it was going to take me,” Vaarwerk mentioned whereas taking part in within the Adirondack Invitational in Lake Placid Thanksgiving weekend.
“To have the ability to get an opportunity at Jamestown and have success to the place I’m now, I’m grateful for. Covid occurred and 18-U I used to be barely taking part in 30 video games a 12 months and didn’t actually have any affords or appears to be like, so I didn’t actually know the place hockey would take me at that time.
“Ever since then I’ve had the arrogance to simply preserve constructing my recreation to the place we are actually.”
45 factors in 61 video games later and he walked onto the suburban Boston campus the place he was named the River Hawks Rookie of the Yr final season after his 5 goal-ten help season.
Seeing ice time on each the ability play and penalty killing items this 12 months, Vaarwerk stands tied for fourth on the workforce with eight factors within the first 15 video games.
“I really feel like we’re all connecting, final 12 months (8-23-4) was a fluke so I really feel like we realized from it and we’re simply doing our factor as a workforce working onerous each recreation…and discovering methods to win.
“It’s a confidence factor; as a lot as you retain constructing your confidence the extra you’re going to have success and that’s what I’ve been attempting to do. Studying from final 12 months, having a slower begin and selecting it up.
“It’s getting the coaches confidence. In every single place I am going you all the time begin on the backside of the line-up, and it is advisable to develop and discover your house and succeed at wherever they put you and from there you simply continue to grow.”
Although seemingly a late-bloomer, Vaarwerk has seen his inventory rise quickly over the previous three years and that earned him an invitation to the Buffalo Sabres Improvement camp final summer time.
“I needed to go to a improvement camp, however no workforce was reaching out. Lastly, from taking part in with the Jr. Sabres till I used to be 18, they gave me an opportunity. I simply needed to be taught from everybody that’s there.”
Subsequent step helps his River Hawks earn an NCAA playoff spot. And turning extra heads within the course of.
(Photographs supplied by UMass-Lowell Athletic Dept. and Males’s Ice Hockey Group)
