UMD men’s hockey alum Jesse Jacques shares first taste of skating with the pros in ECHL

The University of Minnesota Duluth (UMD) men’s hockey season ended on March 12, then about a week afterward graduate forward Jesse Jacques found himself getting a taste of the big leagues.

The Hermantown native quickly laced up his skates with his new squad, the Iowa Heartlanders of the ECHL.

Jacques shared how things have been going since joining the league and the team. “It’s quicker here, and I would just say the game is more consistent. There are a lot of good guys in this league. Nothing against college, but I just mean there’s a lot of consistency in this league, a lot of good guys who just don’t make many mistakes, and if they do, they just get in the right positions.”

He also mentioned that everyone is trying to grow and make it to the next level, and that requires a lot of focus, time, and more.

“Commitment. Obviously, these guys are here and they want to get to the next level, so there’s a lot of commitment. You’ve got to put in a lot of time, and that’s just kind of how it was at UMD and especially Hermantown. It’s just the culture there is so big, it’s like a hockey town, it’s all we’re really known for.”

Jacques skated in 11 games for Iowa before their season came to a close on Saturday. He made an immediate impact scoring four goals with three assists, finishing just two points shy of his final collegiate season where he collected nine points.