Canucks prospect Kieren Dervin will make one of his hockey dreams a reality next month when he arrives at the University of Michigan to begin his NCAA career with the Wolverines.
He’s excited about the challenge of playing college hockey, and as a competitor, there’s one thing that Dervin is most looking forward to in the Wolverines’ program.
“Winning. I want to win,” Dervin said.
“They’re a good team, so hopefully we can get it done, but I'm just looking forward to getting down there and playing the first game.”
Michigan is coming off a 31-8-1 season, including a 17-6-1 record in Big Ten play. The Wolverines captured the conference championship and advanced to the Frozen Four before falling to the eventual national champions, Denver University.
Dervin visited Ann Arbor in late June to meet his new teammates and become familiar with the campus. Now, with August 19th circled on the calendar, he’s preparing to move south and begin the next stage of his development.
As the Ottawa, Ontario native prepares for his first NCAA season, he's focused on adapting to the speed of the college game. Training with a group from home over the summer, much of his work has centred on making quicker decisions in game-like situations.
“Being in a lot of game-like scenarios like two-on-ones down low or one-on-ones down low, just being able to make those reads as quick as possible,” Dervin shared as examples.
The 19-year-old built confidence throughout last season with the OHL’s Kingston Frontenacs, where he earned top-line minutes while contributing on both special teams units. He finished the regular season with 17 goals and 25 assists for 42 points in 53 games.
Development Camp also gave Dervin another opportunity to work face-to-face with Canucks development coaches Mike Komisarek and Mikael Samuelsson, relationships he built over last season.
“It's definitely a lot easier just having them right here, and you can go talk to them whenever,” Dervin said. “They're not afraid to come over to you and tell you what you can do better, and likewise, you shouldn't be afraid to go over to them and ask them a few tips on things.”
Returning for his second development camp, the experience was familiar. Along with reconnecting with coaching staff, Dervin has stayed in touch with fellow Canucks prospects Riley Patterson and Anthony Romani.
“After the camp last year, I tried to keep in touch with a lot of guys throughout the season, and obviously coming in here second year, you feel a lot more comfortable,” he said.
“They’re really great friendships that will last a long time, hopefully as we get into the next level here.”
As Dervin heads from Ottawa to Ann Arbor next month, he’ll take another step in his development. Playing in one of college hockey’s top programs will give him the opportunity to test himself against elite competition while continuing to build the habits and relationships that have become an important part of his growth as a Canucks prospect.
