New Jersey Devils center Kevin Rooney talks path to NHL

Kevin Rooney has excelled as a defensive forward and penalty killer with the Devils. Photo: Bruce Bennett/Getty Images

The New Jersey Devils have been forced into a position where they have to play a majority of the AHL team on the NHL roster. In that time, Kevin Rooney has stood out as a future member of the franchise.

New York Hockey Journal recently had a Q&A with the Devils forward.

Earlier this season, you were named captain of the American Hockey League’s Binghamton Devils. What type of leader are you?

“First and foremost, I feel like I’ve always been a pretty good teammate. With a young group in Binghamton, I took it upon myself to take the next step this year and start helping with the development of some of the AHL guys in the organization. For the most part, I feel like I’m a leader by example. I try to do things the right way every day. I’ve never been a big rah-rah, screaming type of guy. I try to take everything day by day and be a good pro every day, on and off the ice. It’s something the team took notice of and it’s an honor and special to be named captain.”

You were a co-captain in your senior season (2015-16) at Providence. What did you take away from that experience?

“I definitely learned a lot that year. I feel like that was the year I was supposed to break out. I had a good junior season and a lot of teams took notice. I went to a couple development camps that summer. Then senior year was a huge learning curve for me. Being a captain and taking that role, I put the team way ahead of myself that year. What I learned was you have to keep doing the same things that made you successful before that, you don’t need to change anything — the way you act around the locker room, the way you play. I tried to do that this year in Binghamton — not change anything, not be too unselfish and continue to improve my game.”

When your college career ended in 2016, you played for the Albany Devils (AHL) for the remainder of the 2015-16 season and the next season, when Rod Pelley was the team’s captain. In New Jersey, Andy Greene is captain. What have you learned from those two players?

“They are two very established guys. I was really lucky to be able to come in and play with Rod. He was similar to me in the sense that he wasn’t a big screamer. He was such a good pro, took care of his body every day and did all the right things on and off the ice. He’s a guy I really learned from. And Andy is kind of similar. He’s a hard-nosed guy, very blue collar, does things the right way. A lot of guys respect him for that.”

Your strength is as a defensive center and penalty killer. How did you take that role and learn to love it?

“I tried to find the right role as soon as I got to Providence. I felt I was good at doing that role and I tried to get better at it every single day there. Once I got to Albany, the coaching staff took note of it right away and was extremely happy. I was a guy who they trusted right out of the gate.

“From there it was just about developing those offensive instincts. Rick Kowalsky (former AHL Devils head coach and now an assistant coach with New Jersey) helped me so much during my first two years playing for him, showing me things I never saw when I was at Providence that can help me offensively. I’m still looking to get better on the offensive side of things; it’s a work in progress. But if you can be trustworthy defensively and if you do things the right way every day, then those offensive chances will come.”

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?

“Treat others the way you want to be treated. The best teams I’ve been on have had great team chemistry and good bonds around the locker room. This group in New Jersey is developing that culture, and it’s something you can definitely see, especially being a guy who’s been called up a few times. It’s not easy going up and down (between the NHL and AHL), but the older guys here take good care of you, and it’s from top down, from (general manager Ray Shero) all the way down through the coaches. When you have that good team culture, good team chemistry within the room, it really does translate onto the ice.”

How does the NHL experience compare and contrast to your expectations?

“At first, you’re star-struck out there. You’re playing against guys every night who you looked up to when you were growing up. It’s definitely a big transition.

“As far as the play, the speed is so much faster and the players’ strength is so much stronger than in the AHL; and the AHL is an excellent hockey league. It’s crazy that up here it’s that much better. The biggest thing I’ve learned so far is the margin for error is so slim. You can make mistakes in Binghamton and get away with them. You have to make sure your details are there in the NHL because if you make one mistake it’s probably going to end up in the back of your net.”

Key facts

Teams: New Jersey Devils, Binghamton Devils (AHL), Albany Devils (AHL), Providence Friars
Hometown: Canton, Mass.
Position: Center
Shoots: Left
Size: 6-2, 190
Age: 25
Notable: Has two goals, one assist in 26 career NHL games with Devils since making NHL debut in March 2017. Has 75 points (28-47-75) in 187 career AHL games, and one goal in four Calder Cup games. Played four seasons at Providence College, assisted on Brandon Tanev’s 2015 NCAA championship game-clincher at TD Garden, won Thomas Eccleston Jr. Award as the Friars’ unsung hero in junior and senior seasons, won Mal Brown Award, given annually “to the male athlete whose career of intercollegiate competition portrayed sportsmanship, courage and honor,” his senior year.

Favorites

Food: Lobster
TV show: “Breaking Bad”
Movie: “The Italian Job”
Actor: Matthew McConaughey
Actress: Jennifer Aniston
Musician: “I’m a big country guy, so I have to go with Kenny Chesney.”
Vacation spot: Cape Cod
Road college rink: Maine
Road AHL rink: Hershey (Giant Center)
Moment of career: “Winning the (2015) national championship with Providence. It was at TD Garden, where I grew up, so it was good to be with all of my family and friends for that one.”

Equipment

Helmet: CCM
Stick: CCM
Gloves: CCM
Skates: Bauer