NJ native Luke Rowe turning heads at Devils development camp
NEWARK — When Luke Rowe left the ice at Prudential Center on Wednesday evening, he was among the last players to take his equipment off.
As the oldest player at Devils Development Camp, the 24-year-old just got done showing off his skills in front of season ticket holders, as well as family, in a 3-on-3 competition.
It's all part of a long journey in hockey that began at 5 years old and now has Rowe positioned as the only New Jersey-born player at the Devils' camp.
"It's so cool being here," Rowe said. "I grew up coming here coming to games and I still skate here at the practice rink in the summer. I just never thought I'd be on this side of the Prudential Center. It was always public ice and in the locker room for an hour and drive home. I never thought I'd be in the Devils locker room wearing the Devils logo."
It's Rowe's first development camp for an NHL team, and he's soaking in every moment, including playing in front of family and friends locally for the first time since playing in junior hockey as a member of the New Jersey Rockets.
"It's great being able to see family before camp and then being able to see them again before I head back to school," Rowe said.
A Succasunna native, Rowe attended Roxbury High School, playing parts of two seasons with the Gaels during his down time with the Rockets. Following in the footsteps of his grandfather as a pilot in the Army Air Corps, Rowe graduated high school and enrolled in the armed services at the U.S. Air Force Academy. Rowe registered seven goals and 17 assists as a junior for the Falcons, his second season serving as team captain.
It's rare to see players from the Garden State put on a Devils sweater. There are more New Jersey natives in the NHL now (13) than ever before, but only two New Jerseyans have ever played for the hometown Devils: Brick's Jim Dowd and Delbarton alumnus Kenny Agostino of Flanders.
Rowe and his group excelled during the camp's 3-on-3 tournament, reaching the finals of the event. He contributed in multiple ways with a few goals, including one in the final seconds of a round to help his team advance.
Rowe describes his role as a tough and gritty defenseman who likes to use physical play to disrupt opportunities for opponents.
"When given an opportunity, I'll use my shot to create offense," Rowe said. "I wouldn't say I'm a guy that'll go end to end. I like the physical side of hockey and I like the simple plays and, as we say in school, to move the chains. Just get the puck north and help our forwards create."
Rowe's ultimate goal is to become an HH-60 helicopter pilot, but his career in hockey is far from over. He still has a year of eligibility left at Air Force and remains on the radar of NHL teams. If he is able to make an NHL roster one day, he would be the first player in league history to be a cadet in the Air Force before becoming a professional hockey player.
"That would be such an honor," Rowe said. "We'll see. There's a long road ahead with that. I've got to graduate first and see what happens after that. If you asked me a year or two ago, I never would have thought about that, but I'm here and the professional opportunity is there and it's exciting."
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Luke Rowe: Roxbury native impressing at NJ Devils development camp
