My name is James Duerr and I am from Chicago, Illinois. I am a sophomore at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where I play Division 1 hockey and major in Finance. I started skating when I was just three years old, and by five, I was already playing organized hockey. My dad, who played growing up, is the one who got me into the sport, and both of my parents have sacrificed an incredible amount over the years to help me pursue this path. From the days when I could barely stay on my feet to now playing college hockey, none of it would’ve been possible without their support.
I’m writing this for the younger generation of hockey players—to share my story, the lessons I’ve learned, and the things I wish I had known earlier. Whether you’re just starting out or already dreaming of playing junior or college hockey, I hope my personal experiences help guide you, encourage you, or even just remind you that you’re not alone on the journey.
Just to give you a little background: I started in learn-to-skate programs when I was three, then joined Silver Mites around age five. Back then, I didn’t love practice, but I lived for the weekend games. Scoring goals was all I cared about. At age seven, I joined my first travel team, playing AA for the Chicago Hawks. That’s when I really started to fall in love with the game of hockey. The hotels, mini-sticks, teammates, and nonstop games made every weekend feel like a dream. I stayed with the Hawks for three years until I was eligible for AAA, and at age 10, I joined the Chicago Fury, following in my older brother’s footsteps. That was a big jump for me. It taught me that being a hockey player is more than just showing up on the ice. It’s about how you train, how you eat, how you carry yourself as a teammate, and how you handle adversity.
The next year, both my brother and I joined the Chicago Mission, where I played for four seasons. I then decided to attend Shattuck-St. Mary’s in Minnesota for my sophomore and junior years of high school, a boarding school with some of the best hockey talent in the country. It was an incredible experience, but also a challenging one. COVID cut my sophomore season short, and strict quarantine guidelines made junior year difficult. As much as I loved Shattuck, I decided to return home for my senior year and play 18U for the Chicago Mission and graduate from my local high school.
During that season, I tendered with the Janesville Jets of the NAHL. But after attending the USHL Green Bay Gamblers’ main camp that summer, I made the team despite not being drafted. I spent two seasons with Green Bay Gamblers before making the jump to UMass, where I just finished my freshman season playing Division 1 college hockey.
It’s been a long road, and it’s far from over, but there’s a lot I’ve learned along the way. So instead of just telling my story, I want to answer some of the biggest questions I wish I had asked when I was younger.
What’s one thing you wish you had focused on earlier in your development?
If you look at the best players in the NHL right now, almost all of them are elite skaters. And skating isn’t just about straight-line speed. It’s edgework, acceleration out of turns, lateral movement, transitions, body control. It’s the foundation of everything.
When I was younger, I was always an “ok” skater, but never an elite one. Looking back, I wish I had worked with a figure skating or power skating coach much earlier. I didn’t start putting serious focus on skating until I was about 12 or 13 years old.
My dad had actually been recommended a power skating coach for my brother and me. His name was Matt McIlvane. At the time, he was coaching overseas for Red Bull in Germany, but he was originally from the Chicago area and would come back in the summer. Matt is now the head coach of the San Diego Gulls in the AHL, but back then, he ran early morning sessions that completely changed how I thought about skating.
We’d wake up around 6 a.m., two or three times a week, and do an hour of skating with Coach Matt. After that, we’d go upstairs in the rink and do what he called “low work.” Basically leg-focused off-ice strength that left me gassed! He used to explain skating with this analogy I’ll never forget. He said it should be like a duck swimming in a pond. From the surface, ducks look calm and smooth, gliding along without much effort. But underneath the water, their legs are going 1,000 miles an hour. That’s how skating should be. Your upper body stays controlled and relaxed, while your legs do all the work.
Before I started working with Matt, I was constantly moving my upper body around, thinking that meant I was skating and working harder. But I wasn’t efficient, and I wasn’t powerful. He taught me that true skating power comes from the legs. The upper body is just along for the ride.
I worked with him for about four years, until he took a full-time head coaching job in Germany and wasn’t able to come back in the summers anymore. Those years with him made a huge difference in my development. My skating improved dramatically, and it changed how I played. I’m really glad I prioritized it. I just wish I had done it sooner.
If you’re a younger player reading this, my advice is simple, work on your skating all the time. If you’re not a strong skater, don’t ignore it. Get help. Work with a figure skating or power skating coach. Or if you don’t have access to one, go on YouTube. There are edgework and power skating drills you can watch and then practice during stick and puck sessions. And if you’re already a good skater, keep working. Stay sharp. Being able to blow by defenders or skate yourself out of trouble is an elite skill.
Connor McDavid is an unbelievable playmaker with great hands, but the reason he’s on another level is because of his skating. It’s what unlocks everything else in his game.
What were some of the biggest disappointments or challenges in your hockey journey, and how did you handle them?
My second year playing for the Chicago Mission, when I was 12 years old, is when I really started to take hockey seriously. That summer, I began training at a gym called GetFast, going three to four times a week. I skated throughout the summer, shot pucks almost every day, and fully committed to improving. Up to that point, I hadn’t really trained much in a gym setting, so this was all new and exciting.
During my Mission years, I was always somewhere in the middle of the pack. I was never the best player, but I wasn’t the worst either. What frustrated me was seeing other kids, who didn’t put in even half the work I did, playing better than me and getting more ice time and opportunities. I remember how disappointed I’d feel after a long week of workouts, skating, and shooting, only to watch someone else who barely trained still stand out more than I did.
Everyone kept telling me, “It’ll catch up to them. Your hard work will pay off.” But at the time, it didn’t feel that way. I didn’t see the results right away and I started to question whether all the effort was even worth it.
Looking back, I had two options. I could’ve said, “Forget it,” and stopped working so hard since it felt like effort wasn’t changing anything. Or I could keep grinding, trusting the process, and betting on myself. I chose the second option, and I’m forever grateful I did.
When I got to Shattuck-St. Mary’s, I showed up on campus around 6 feet tall but only 150 pounds. I was skinny and knew I needed to add size and strength. Our team only had two mandatory lifts per week, but I was in the gym five days a week, sometimes even doing a second workout after the team lift. I was sore at almost every practice during my two years there. I’m pretty sure I played most of my games sore too. Looking back, maybe that was a little overkill, but I don’t regret it at all.
The truth is, I didn’t see immediate results at Shattuck. But when I went back to play for the Chicago Mission 18U in my senior year, everything started to click. I could feel how much stronger, faster, and more confident I was on and off the ice. That’s when I really noticed I had passed up a lot of players who were way ahead of me when we were younger. The difference? I always put in the work.
My advice to younger players is this: focus less on the immediate results and more on the process. Get better every single day. You might not see a huge change in a year or two, but give it three or four years, and you’ll look back and realize how far you’ve come. You’ll pass up players who didn’t have the same drive and determination you did. If you want to compete at the highest levels of the game, hard work is not optional.
Another major disappointment during my hockey career was not being selected in the USHL Draft. The first time I was eligible was after my U15 year. I didn’t have a great season statistically, so I wasn’t necessarily expecting to be picked, but it still hurt. A lot of my close friends and teammates were drafted, and I wasn’t. That stung.
After my U16 season, I was eligible for the Phase II Draft, and once again, I was passed on. I didn’t have a ton of points that year either, and I understood that production plays a big role in getting drafted. Still, I knew my game was coming along. I believed I could play in the USHL and contribute but the scouts passed over me again.
Before I was tendered by the Janesville Jets, I actually got called up to play a few games for them one weekend. That short stint was a huge opportunity for me, and I played really well. I knew I had to make the most of it because you don’t get a ton of chances to prove yourself at the junior level, especially as a younger guy. I treated every shift like it was a tryout, and it paid off. After that call-up, they tendered me for the following season, which was a big moment in my career and gave me a lot of confidence and.
During my 18U year with the Chicago Mission, I had a strong season and finally started to produce offensively. That helped my draft stock, and being tendered by Janesville gave me confidence. But my goal had always been to play in the USHL, the best junior league in the United States. I really thought I had a chance of getting drafted that year. But despite having a strong season, not many teams ever reached out, and once again, I wasn’t selected. It was extremely disappointing.
At that point, I had accepted that I would likely play next season in the NAHL and try to work my way up to the USHL the next season. I still believed I was good enough and I talked to my advisor about it. He encouraged me to at least attend one USHL main camp and try to earn a spot, even though making a team through an open tryout is extremely rare.
The Green Bay Gamblers had been the worst team in the league the previous year and had just hired a new coach from the US National Development program, Mike Leone. That seemed like my best shot. I signed up for their main camp and went in with one goal: to leave no doubt. I had three years of frustration and motivation built up from being passed over again and again. One of my favorite quotes is, “play so good they can’t ignore you,” and that’s exactly what I set out to do.
I knew the coach would likely favor returning players and draft picks, but I was going to make it impossible for him to cut me. I gave everything I had, and against most odds, I made the team. I went on to play two full seasons with the Green Bay Gamblers, and that experience helped shape the player I am today.
That camp in Green Bay was another situation where I had to step up and take advantage of an opportunity, just like I did in Janesville. In your hockey career, you’re going to have moments where the spotlight is on you and you have to deliver. I was ready in those moments because of all the work I put in beforehand. You never know when your chance will come, but when it does, you have to be ready to seize it.
Most of the guys on my college team were drafted into the USHL. I wasn’t, but I still made it. That’s why I always tell younger players not to give up. Everyone’s path is different. Keep believing in yourself, keep showing up, and keep putting in the work. Don’t let the draft define your worth. Let your game do the talking.
What do college coaches or junior teams look for beyond skill?
Skill will get you noticed, but there are so many other attributes that college coaches and junior teams look for before and beyond skill. You must have a good baseline skill set, but these other things can carry you a long way and have made me who I am today. Some examples are physicality, backchecking, blocking shots, attitude, consistency and leadership. The list goes on, and there is no shortage of ways you can stand out, but these examples I listed are the ones that hit home for me.
Like I said throughout my AAA career, I was never one of the top kids on my team until my 18U year. I was always somewhere in the middle of the pack skill-wise, but I grew in many areas of my game other than skill that have shaped by playing style today. The first one I am going to touch on is hard work. This is a no-brainer. If you want to stand out compared to your teammates and opponents, you have to give maximum effort every single shift. That was always the way I played, and probably like most people, it used to make me so mad when guys who had a ton of skill didn’t work hard but got more recognition than me. Trust me, it catches up to those guys, and if you want to have an upper edge in a tryout or game or whatever the situation, working hard is a non-negotiable to stand out.
This goes hand in hand with hard work; coaches and teams look for guys who backcheck. It takes no skills whatsoever, but when a coach sees you skate as hard as you possibly can down the ice and blow up a play, he will notice. This is something I have always done, which has allowed me to get attention and recognition from colleges and junior teams, other than my skills.
Something that took me a few years to add to my game was physicality. I was able to start checking my U13 year, but I didn’t add it to my game for many years. I was always under the impression that some guys are physical and some guys aren’t, and that is okay, which is completely wrong. There are only very few Patrick Kane-type players in the world who are so skilled that they can get away with not playing physical. During my U13-U15 years, I never played the body, and my coaches never said anything to me. In my U16 year, my coach Rich Metro at Shattuck was adamant with me that I had to play physical, or I would not play very much. If I didn’t finish my check or let someone go by me without hitting him, he would let me know right when I got back to the bench. I had never had this type of coaching before, and at first, I took it personally and thought he just didn’t like me as a player, but eventually I learned he was doing this to help me. Towards the end of the year, I was finishing all my checks and playing with an edge and some meanness. It was difficult at the moment to get the criticism, but looking back, it made me a much better and more complete hockey player. Now at UMass, whether you are on the first line or the fourth line, you have to play hard and physical. Just because you are a skilled guy doesn’t give you the free pass. A skill guy who can play physical is a lot better than someone more skilled but doesn’t play physical. This has to be an integral part of your game if you want to play at the highest levels and it will be demanded by your coaches.
Another thing you can do to stand out is blocking shots, which shows coaches immediately what type of person and player you are—selfless. Because you are willing to sacrifice your body for the betterment of the team. When I played in the USHL for the Green Bay Gamblers I was on the penalty kill and you were expected to block shots all the time. I blocked so many shots because I wanted to keep my spot on the penalty kill and help our team win. There aren’t many players that like getting pelted with a puck, so that’s something you can do to stand out and earn the respect of your teammates and coaches.
The next three things take absolutely zero skill at all: attitude, consistency and leadership. Your attitude matters so much more than you realize. Having good body language, being coachable, and being a great teammate are all things that college and junior coaches look for from a player. They want guys that aren’t going to be issues and are good for team culture. Even if you don’t think they notice, they do, they notice everything!
Consistency is both on the ice and off the ice. You must bring the same energy and compete to every practice and game. Obviously some games you play better than others, but you can’t be unreliable. Your bad games can’t be terrible, and they certainly can’t be often. You want to be consistent to where your coach can trust to play you at all times of the game because you have proven it to him over and over again.
The last thing is leadership. Some guys are more talkative and lead that way and some guys are quieter and lead by example. Leading is not always what you say but what you do. When teammates see you working hard and finishing checks, it motivates them to do the same. Coaches are always looking for leaders as they are the most valuable members of the team. Leaders are looked up to by the rest of the team.
There are so many ways that junior and college coaches look at what you can add to your game other than skill. The more attributes you can add to both your game on the ice and how you act off the ice, the more valuable you will be to a coach. Skill helps, but these other things can take you a long way.
How can understanding your role help a team be more successful overall?
This is something that took me a while to learn, but it is so important to know your role on your team. When I was younger, I sort of just played the way I wanted to play and didn’t have a role on whatever team I was playing on. Your role can change year to year, and you have to be ready to adapt at all times. You have to find what separates you from the rest of your teammates and how you can do it at your very best. Because if everybody on your team is chipping away at what you each individually do best, your team will have a lot of success.
The first year I started to understand my role was my U16 year at Shattuck. Like I said, I came into that year not having played a physical style of hockey. We had a skilled team full of players who could put up a lot of points. I still had to produce some sort of offense, but I needed to help my team in a way that others weren’t. I was never going to put up a point per game; I simply was not as good as our top guys. I was on the 3rd/4th line for most of the year, and I was on our penalty kill. For me to help my team, I had to be an excellent penalty killer, and I took great pride in that responsibility. I had to play physical, which by the end of the year I was, and I had to play sound defense, which I did as well. Our skilled players were relied on to score goals, and I was relied on to kill penalties, play physical, and play strong defensively, which are things they were not as good at and I had to fill that role to contribute to being a complete team.
My advice to younger players would be that every year, you need to figure out what your role is and be the best at it. If you are unsure of what your role is, meet with your coach. Ask your coach, “What role do you need me to play this year? What do you need me to do to make our team successful?”
My 18U year was a little different for me. I was one of the more skilled forwards on my team, and I was relied on to score goals. Just because I was scoring goals doesn’t mean I couldn’t do the other things as well. I wasn’t just a goal scorer; I was a 2-way power forward, but I did understand that my team needed me to score to win, so I prioritized that.
My two years in Green Bay were a little bit different. We had so much offensive firepower, similar to my U16 year at Shattuck, so I played a very similar role as I did then. I killed penalties, brought energy, and played physical.
My freshman year at UMass was also a little bit different. I was healthy scratched my first 7 games of the season, which was frustrating but expected coming in as a freshman. During that time, my role was to bring a ton of positive energy to practice and in the locker room, and be a great teammate, and to be ready when it was my opportunity to play in a game. Nobody wants to be around the guy who isn’t playing and complains, and lets his frustration show to his teammates.
Once I got in the lineup and started playing consistently, we already had a good group of penalty killers, so that wasn’t going to be my role unless something changed. I was a fourth-line center for most of the year, so I had to play with desperation, play physical and bring energy. I understood my role as a freshman on and off the ice and on a team of elite future professional hockey players.
Looking into next year, we lost some key guys on our team, and I know I’m going to have the opportunity to step up and play a bigger role. I am focusing this summer on gaining more weight and muscle so I can be a power forward for our team. My role is going to be a power forward who brings lots of energy and provides more offense. That is what my coaches need out of me, and that is what my teammates need out of me. My job is to be that player and deliver consistently for my team.
Your role might change a little from year to year, but it is important to understand who you are as a player and what you can do to be impactful for your team. If you are only a skill guy but don’t produce any points, you are practically useless. You have to bring something to the table, whether you play 2 minutes a night or 30 minutes a night.
How important are workouts, nutrition, and extra off-ice habits like shooting pucks and watching video if you want to play at a high level?
Workouts, nutrition, recovery, shooting pucks, and watching video are all crucial parts of becoming a better hockey player and separating yourself from the competition. I think working out is just as important for success as the work you put in on the ice. It takes a lot of sacrifice and time out of your day to consistently put in work at the gym. For me, the summer is when I see the most growth physically. During the season, you have to focus on maintaining strength while also avoiding soreness and fatigue so you can perform in games. The season is about staying sharp and healthy while the summer is when you can really push for gains.
A typical week for me in the summer includes four workouts on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. I’m usually in the gym for two to three hours. I start every session with about twenty to thirty minutes of preparation that includes rolling out, stretching, mobility work and a dynamic warmup. This is something I never used to do before college. I used to just walk into the gym and start lifting right away. Looking back, I wish I had prioritized taking care of my body earlier in my hockey career. After playing a full college season, I’ve realized how important it is to prepare and recover properly to avoid injury and perform at your best.
My workouts include a wide variety of exercises like sprints, medicine ball throws, hurdles, core work, cleans, snatches, cable exercises, split squats, single-leg squats, bench press, dumbbell rows and pull-ups. We finish every workout on the bike. These bike finishers are hard, especially after a long workout, but they matter. The bike helps your conditioning and mental toughness. When you can push through pain at the end of a workout, you’ll be more prepared to push through during a game. In the third period, at the end of a long shift, you’ll know your opponent didn’t do what you did all summer, and you’ll have the edge. Putting in consistent work at the gym has been a huge part of my development, and I can’t stress enough how important it is in your development.
Nutrition is also a major piece of the puzzle. I’ve always eaten pretty healthy, but it took some trial and error to figure out what worked best for me. When I was younger, I would just eat whatever before or after practices and games. Eventually, I started noticing how different foods made me feel on the ice. As I got older, I developed a routine for what I eat during the week and on game days. Everyone’s body is different, so it takes time to learn what works. For example, I realized that when I ate a lot of dairy the day before or the day of a game, I felt more out of breath. That might not be the case for someone else, but it was for me.
On game days, I like to eat a big meal with pasta, chicken, and marinara sauce about six hours before puck drop. I used to eat about three hours before games, but I felt too full. Eating earlier helps me feel light and ready to go. I’ll have something small like a banana or a Clif Bar closer to game time for some extra fuel. Hydration is also extremely important. I drink a lot of water before every workout, practice and game so I don’t cramp or lose energy.
A big part of nutrition is figuring out what works best for you. If you’re unsure about anything, whether it’s protein powders, pregame meals, or what to eat during intermissions, ask teammates or coaches. I’ve picked up a lot just by watching older guys and trying new things myself. Learn from others, test what works, and build your own routine.
Shooting pucks at home is another simple habit that helped me a lot growing up. It’s one of the easiest ways to improve your shot and build confidence with the puck. You don’t need a perfect setup, but you do need to be committed. I shoot pucks. I shoot a lot of pucks, honestly, several hundred pucks every day! Just do the math – if you are shooting 200 pucks x 300 days a year, that’s likely 60,000 more pucks than kids you compete against. All you need is a net, a few pucks, and the discipline to shoot every day. Over time, you’ll notice your shot becoming harder, quicker, and more accurate. The same goes for stickhandling. Doing extra reps every day adds up and separates you from the others.
Watching video is another habit that has helped my development. At UMass, we go over both team and individual film, and I also review my own shifts on my own time. Watching video helps me break down plays, recognize mistakes, and prepare for similar situations in future games. Being able to learn from your mistakes and study your habits is something that makes a big difference over the course of a season.
In closing, I hope that some of my experiences, disappointments and accomplishments help you in your journey. There is no easy. The game of hockey at the highest levels requires you perform and contribute to your team, every shift of every game and at every practice. And the preparation to allow you that opportunity requires tremendous sacrifice, relentless hard work, and perseverance. You will frequently question if it is worth it. And we all know there are no guarantees. But if you give 110% of yourself, you stand a fighting chance against the others with that same drive, love for the game of hockey and passion to be the very best you can be.
Good luck!
