Defenseman Luke Rowe is completely different from some other participant who has ever placed on an Ontario Reign sweater.
He’s doing one thing solely a handful of hockey gamers have ever executed, play professionally after attending a United States Service Academy.
Rowe attended the Air Drive Academy from 2019-24, suiting up for the Falcons throughout 4 NCAA seasons. Air Drive, together with Military, are the one two establishments within the US that subject Division I males’s hockey groups whereas additionally commissioning graduates as officers within the army.
Now as a member of the Reign, the blueliner is profiting from a coverage that was enacted in 2019, endorsed by the secretary of protection that made it doable for exceptionally gifted athletes who’ve graduated from a army service academy to pursue employment as skilled sports activities athletes following commencement.
To take action, athletes want a contract or a binding dedication from a sports activities workforce, just like the AHL deal Rowe signed with the Reign final February. He initially signed with Ontario for what was left of the 2023-24 marketing campaign however agreed to an extension for the 2024-25 12 months and has appeared in 15 complete video games up to now, scoring a objective and three assists.
A local of Succasunna, N.J., Rowe performed junior hockey near dwelling for the New Jersey Rockets and Boston Jr. Bruins packages and knew he needed to proceed his profession on the NCAA stage.
“I positively had some room to develop,” Rowe mentioned of his thought course of as he was making ready to finish highschool. “I used to be speaking to colleges and simply hopeful that I may get someplace.”
Throughout that point his older brother was attending Florida State and visiting the large college in Tallahassee was an eye-opener for him.
“I noticed the individual that it may make you develop into and possibly the dearth thereof within the sense that you simply simply have a lot free time,” Rowe mentioned. “It’s your first time away from dwelling and quite a lot of youngsters make errors and I didn’t really need that. It was too free for me; I needed extra regiment.”
He reached out to Air Drive and attended a prospect camp when he was 17.
“I fell in love with the place; it was superior,” Rowe mentioned of his first time in Colorado Springs. “You hear all the respect and legacy and custom behind it, and also you get the chance to serve your nation on the finish and it was only a slam dunk for me. To not point out the friendships that everybody talks about and the bonds that you simply make and the individual that you develop into on the opposite finish.”
When Rowe determined to move west and play on the blue line at Air Drive, he additionally dedicated to function a commissioned army officer instantly upon commencement. The coverage for skilled athletes didn’t exist but.
“I dedicated there absolutely realizing that my hockey profession would come to an finish after 4 years and I’d go, and I’d serve,” Rowe mentioned. I used to be completely satisfied to do it and I nonetheless am, I’m excited to serve, however when that modified I assumed ‘Alright, possibly there may be potential right here’”.
Then earlier than his senior season, which was his third because the workforce’s captain, Rowe attended an NHL Improvement Camp with the New Jersey Devils. The expertise acquired him pondering {that a} skilled hockey profession was one thing he may pursue.
He proceeded to have his finest offensive 12 months, scoring 29 factors in 35 video games with six targets and 23 assists. On the time of his signing, his level complete ranked ninth-best amongst all NCAA defenders, and his assists have been tenth, in addition to the second-most on his workforce.
Although this new coverage is in place, it hasn’t been usually that Air Drive grads have both been supplied a contract or made the selection to pursue one. The final Air Drive hockey participant to signal with an expert workforce was ahead Brady Tomlak, who performed two seasons within the ECHL from 2020-22. Goaltender Billy Christopoulos is one other current grad who completed his faculty profession in 2019 earlier than enjoying 12 AHL video games and 80 ECHL contests throughout a three-year professional profession.
One other netminder, Shane Starrett, signed a two-year NHL entry-level contract with the Edmonton Oilers in 2017. Starrett remains to be energetic with the ECHL’s Maine Mariners this 12 months. No Air Drive participant has ever made it to the Nationwide Hockey League.
Rowe’s day-to-day routine on the academy consisted of a 6:15 a.m. wakeup name earlier than class started at 7:15. Throughout his senior 12 months, he added a further function as a squadron commander, which included a morning accountability formation to maintain leaders knowledgeable on essential updates thrice per week.
Members of the hockey workforce are in school till lunch earlier than they’re launched for athletic duties. Rowe mentioned he’d be in school till 11:23 a.m., then would kind up and march to lunch, with everybody getting round 20 minutes to eat family-style. Afterward there could be a briefing for all of the cadets with a speaker of the day, after which the hockey workforce practices, has a exercise with weightlifting, medical therapy if mandatory and a workforce video session which Rowe mentioned would finish near 7 p.m. Then he’d nonetheless must eat dinner and work on homework earlier than attending to mattress and making ready for the subsequent day.
“You attempt to get in mattress as early as you possibly can, but it surely didn’t occur an excessive amount of the place I used to be in mattress earlier than midnight,” Rowe mentioned with a smirk after recounting what his typical day could be like.
Whether or not it’s a results of having gone via the coaching for a army place, or simply his pure vitality and enthusiasm, the way in which Rowe approaches every day on the rink is not like anybody else. That fervor can be obvious to his defensive coach, Chris Hajt.
“Nicely, he positively has a routine,” Hajt mentioned. He’s so ready for all the pieces he does. He has his method of preparing for video games or making ready his each day routine within the health club or on the ice, and he’s prepared to take path and pay attention. Not that the opposite guys aren’t, however you possibly can inform he’s so dialed in on it and really intense.”
At any time when Rowe’s time as an expert hockey participant involves an finish, he’ll head to San Antonio, Tex. and start coaching to function a drone pilot. His focus and depth Hajt talked about was heightened on the academy.
“They’re simply firing a hearth hose at you, and you’ve got a dixie cup,” Rowe mentioned. “And also you’ve simply acquired to catch the essential stuff in that cup. You’re not going to get all of it, you’re not going to achieve all the pieces, however that’s what they need you to study is that it’s a must to prioritize. It’s all about time administration. Not doing all the pieces 50% however doing essential stuff 100%, ensuring that’s signed sealed and delivered. It’s correct, it’s skilled, it’s correct after which simply making an attempt to get all the pieces executed and realizing that you simply’re going to fail.”
Hajt added that he can nearly see the wheels handing over Rowe’s head when he’s explaining an idea to him or going over video from a earlier recreation. And instantly he’s interested by how he can implement enhancements to his preparation after which use them in a recreation.
“He’s been via some real-life situations and been capable of expertise various things that every one of us haven’t executed,” Hajt mentioned. “He needs to have a plan. He needs to know the solutions. He needs to have the ability to have a look at issues and analyze it after which put it to place it to make use of.”
The Reign are getting set to acknowledge army members within the Inland Empire neighborhood on Friday night time, each energetic responsibility and veterans, throughout their annual Salute To Service recreation after they tackle the Texas Stars. With Rowe as a member of the roster, this 12 months’s recreation has just a little further round it.
“It positively brings much more consciousness, having him on the workforce,” Hajt mentioned. “We’re so grateful for our army, our veterans and everybody who’s presently serving.”
Utilizing some suggestions from Rowe within the design course of, the Reign will put on specialty jerseys on Friday which have a nod to the Air Drive. A becoming option to honor one of many rookies who’s nonetheless dedicated to serving our nation every time his time in hockey involves an finish.
“There’s a reasonably large army neighborhood out right here and individuals are so supportive,” Rowe mentioned. “It’s humorous as a result of they arrive and present gratitude to look at you play hockey however your gratitude to them, you possibly can’t even verbalize it. I’m excited and it’s an honor for me to share that and specific my gratitude to the people who find themselves serving, who’ve served, and who’ve sacrificed.”
