UNH Commit Liam Devlin: A Smooth-Handed, Cerebral Playmaker

Liam Devlin
2021 UNH Commit

"Liam Devlin is a crafty distributor who both sees the ice well and is able to kick start the St. Sebastian offense with possession. Strong on the puck but great at closing down space on the forecheck. Should pair well with the other strikers coming onboard for UNH." Mark Bilotta, Neutral Zone

Liam Devlin Forward, 5'11", 180 lbs. Shoots Left Hometown: Needham, Massachusetts DOB: 1-7-2001 Turned 17 in January 2017 National Collegiate Development Conference Draft: South Shore Kings Neutral Zone Rating: 3.75 out of 5 Stars Current Teams: St. Sebastian's School & Boston Jr. Eagles U18                        ~ Winger Commits to UNH: September, 2018 at Age 17 years, 8 months.

Interview

I had an opportunity to interview Liam Devlin, via email, about his hockey career and commitment to UNH:

Mike Lowry ("C-H-C"): Congratulations on your commitment to play for the University of New Hampshire. What are the main reasons you chose UNH?

Liam Devlin: The reasons that I chose UNH are because of the coaching staff, the great hockey tradition, the beautiful campus and the interest the coaches showed in me as a hockey player. When I visited UNH, I was more than impressed with Coach Souza and Coach Giuliano’s tour.
Along with falling in love with all that the campus and hockey program had to offer, as a family, we felt that the coaches really believed in me as a player and as a person. I knew they were going to help me get to the next level in hockey, and I wanted to be part of their team so that I could make an impact. Also, the rink and all of the facilities exceeded our expectations.

Mike Lowry: What other college programs were you considering? Which schools did you visit and which ones made an offer to you?

Liam Devlin: During my recruiting process, in addition to UNH, I visited an Ivy, two AHA conference schools and another Hockey East college, all which extended offers to me.

Lowry: Have you and the UNH coaches agreed on a target date for you to enroll as a freshman at UNH and join the team?

Devlin: When I visited UNH’s campus, Coach Souza said that I should go ahead and graduate from St. Sebastian’s, and then following my senior year, I would play one year of juniors before coming in to UNH as a freshman.

Lowry: At this stage in your hockey development, what are the strengths of your game? What areas are you trying to improve?

Devlin: I’d say that the main strengths of my game are my ability to move the puck, creating offense, being able to shoot and pose a scoring threat at all times in the offensive zone, and making the players around me better.
I think that the main areas of my game that need improvement are making plays on the wall in the defensive zone, along with defensive zone coverage. Also, even though I have been putting in work in the weight room, there is always room to get bigger and stronger.

Lowry: Over the last three summers, you participated in the USA Hockey Selects Player Development Camps. How do you think your skills compare with the other top US forwards born in 2001? In which skill area have you shown the most improvement?

Devlin: Throughout the USA Hockey camps, I have always believed that my skills are comparable to other top end 2001 players. We have all either played together or against each other over the years, and I always have been a strong competitor. As the years have gone by and I keep developing, any gap that separated me from the top named players has become much smaller.
The area of my game that has improved the most has been my strength on the puck. Earlier in the USA Hockey camps, I may not have been as strong, and it was easier to be knocked off the puck. But with more work in the gym and attention to my diet, I have been able to add strength to my game, and it is harder for defenders to take the puck away from me.

Lowry: Perhaps the biggest highlight of your youth hockey career came in a semifinal game at the 2016 USA Hockey U14 Tier I National Championship. The Boston Junior Eagles advanced to the Championship game thanks to your overtime goal against the Little Caesars team. Would you describe what that goal and the entire tournament experience was like? (Video Credit: Adam Harrington)



Devlin: I’ve been asked the question about what is the most memorable hockey experience before. Every time, I refer back to scoring the OT winner vs Little Caesars in the 2016 USA Hockey Nationals semifinal game in Anchorage, Alaska. That was the most exciting tournament that I have ever been a part of because I was on a team with a bunch of my best friends, who I still consider my best friends to this day.
During that tournament, we were considered the underdogs, and almost every critic didn’t even have us advancing out of our bracket. It felt great to prove the doubters wrong and make it all the way to the championship, even though we didn’t win the whole thing. The experience I had in Anchorage will always remain with me and last for a lifetime.

Lowry: You're currently playing for the Boston Jr. Eagles U18 Elite team for the fall season as you prepare for your junior season with the St. Sebastian's School in the New England Prep School Ice Hockey Association. You were drafted by the South Shore Kings of the National Collegiate Development Conference in January, 2017. Did you consider playing junior hockey this season? What factors lead to your decision to return to play for St. Seb's?

Devlin: I have always said that unless hockey determines that I should leave St. Sebastian's, I will graduate from there. I believe that we will be one of, if not the best teams in prep hockey, and I’m really looking forward to the upcoming season.
With almost all of our main guys returning besides the seniors we graduated, the two who left to play juniors and our starting goalie who went to the National Team Development Program, I am confident that we have what it takes to win the majority of our games and make it to the end of the season tournament.

Lowry: Do you plan to play in either the United States Hockey League, British Columbia Hockey League, or North American Hockey League before you come to UNH?

Devlin: As of right now, I am not sure which league I would play in following my senior year. Coach Souza said whether it’s somewhere in Canada or the USHL, whatever is the best fit, he will help me make that decision.

Lowry: When do you plan to graduate from high school? What are your academic strengths and interests? Have you thought about what you might major in when you enroll at UNH?

Devlin: I plan to graduate from high school in 2020. My academic strengths are math and science. Right now, I am leaning toward majoring in business or finance.

Neutral Zone Scouting Reports

From 2017 Beantown Classic
"Liam has slick hands and excellent edges. He can control the puck and change directions quickly and that made him tough to defend. When he finds space, watch out. He was direct and creative in transition where he got to full speed quickly. He scored a goal on a 2v1 where he caught a pass from Colangelo, held and dragged it to his backhand and scored. He has soft, slick or fast hands depending on the situation and can use them at top speed. He made spin moves on the rush, used his backhand to distribute, possessed the puck and was around a lot of positive plays. Play without the puck and in his end was just above average but that will be more important once prep hockey starts. Here, he showed off his skills and skating and we liked what we saw."

From the 2018 USA Hockey Select 17 National Development Camp
"Devlin is a much improved and more complete player this year than his past two national camps as a 15 and 16-year-old. He’s a gifted puck carrier and likes to play with poise and possession; but he’s stronger on his skates, he’s hard to separate from the puck and he’s got a more potent shot. He’s a heads up shooter who looks where he wants to score and has real power behind his wrist shot and snap shot. He passes the puck firmly and on tape and was able to trick defenders in the corners and in tight areas with quick juke moves and clever stick skill. His lone goal on the week happened from driving the net hard which was missing from his game a year ago. A smooth handed cerebral playmaker with added strength and confidence. He’ll return to St. Sebastian’s next season and be one of the top uncommitted forwards in prep hockey."

Youth Hockey & Prep School Statistics

Player	Season	Team	League	GP	Goals	Asst	Pts	PIM
Liam Devlin  (F)	2018-19	St. Sebastian's School	NE Prep	-	-	-	-	-
		Boston Jr. Eagles	EHF Selects	11	3	5	8	8
			18U Regionals	3	3	0	3	-
	2017-18	St. Sebastian's School	NE Prep	28	9	17	26	-
			Playoffs	2	1	0	1	-
		Boston Little Bruins	MA Selects U18	7	2	1	3	-
			USA Selects 17	5	1	2	3	2
	2016-17	St. Sebastian's School	NE Prep	27	4	11	15	-
			Playoffs	2	0	1	1	-
			USA Selects 16	5	1	1	2	-
	2015-16	Boston Jr. Eagles	14U Nationals	5	1	2	3	4
		All-American	World Selects U15 Inv	5	2	4	6	0
			USA Selects 15	3	0	1	1	0