Originally from the South, first-year forward Devin Brink often found himself traveling to pursue his hockey career. Years of traveling around for hockey have paid off for Brink, as he has become a key factor behind the Ice Knights’ success. (Ash Dean/Photo Editor)
They may all wear the same uniform, but the personal journeys of the Geneseo Ice Knights vary quite a bit, each adding a certain amount of personality to the team. First-year forward Devin Brink has been a significant addition to the Ice Knight’s family this year, as his hockey journey may not be as traditional as his teammates’.
Brink’s fascination with ice hockey began when he was five years old after having watched his first National Hockey League game. Young Brink watched the Washington Capitals take on the Detroit Red Wings and he has had a passion for the sport ever since.
“Ever since then it sparked an interest,” Brink said. “After that, I went to a local rink in Maryland and it just shot off from there”
Unlike most hockey players, Brink was brought up in an area where hockey was not exactly the most accessible sport. Born in Washington D.C., Brink lived in Maryland until he reached the sixth grade.
Though the particular Maryland area where the Brink family resided may not have been known for hockey, they made sure to get their son to practice, traveling approximately an hour to and from the rink.
When Brink moved to Virginia in the seventh grade, his hockey career became a little easier to maintain because there were more playing opportunities presented. During this time, Brink fluctuated between AA and AAA travel hockey teams, ultimately deciding to play AA as he claimed it to “be a better fit.”
While hockey may have been his favorite sport, Brink did not limit himself athletically—he played lacrosse for his public high school, as well.
Knowing that he wanted to take the next step in his hockey career, Brink considered attending and playing for a prep high school. Playing for a prep school is not an opportunity that many young hockey players have, for it allows the athletes to not only develop athletically, but academically as well.
After looking at five prep schools in two days with his mother, Brink chose to attend Trinity Pawling, an all-boys boarding school. Trinity Pawling has a renowned hockey program in the New England Founders league and has a reputation for sending players off to Division I and III teams.
As a result of attending prep school, Brink had to go through five years of high school—three years at his public school in Virginia and two years at Trinity Pawling. From there, Brink expanded his hockey career to Philadelphia, where he played in the United States Premier Hockey League for the Philadelphia Flyers.
Brink played for the Flyers for two years, where he met current Geneseo teammate sophomore forward Zach Lynes. The two men played for the Flyers before becoming Ice Knights together.
Upon his first visit to Geneseo, Brink knew that it was where he wanted to play collegiate hockey.
“Geneseo is actually the only school that I visited,” Brink said. “I just had really good vibes while I was here.”
Everything about the campus seemed to fit what Brink had wanted—it was the right size, navigating the campus was simple and it was close enough to his home in Virginia.
Though he is still rather new to the Ice Knights, Brink has certainly proved that he has what it takes to play hockey for Geneseo. During a 5-2 victory over SUNYAC rival SUNY Brockport, Brink contributed to the win with his first collegiate hat trick.
While this has the potential to be an ego booster for any athlete, Brink remains modest, saying that he has contributed to the Ice Knights more than he expected.
“I really didn’t see myself coming in and making a difference that much,” Brink said. “But I have and I’m pretty happy with it. Happy, but not satisfied … because you can never be fully satisfied.”
For now, Brink is majoring in business, but he plans on changing to economics. He is unsure of what he wants to do after Geneseo—he doesn’t like to think that far ahead. For Brink, it is more important to live in the moment rather than plan his future; so in the meantime, he is focusing on his schoolwork and how he can contribute to his fellow Ice Knights.