Jack Millar spent four seasons playing NCAA Division I college hockey for Colorado College.

Once his senior season with the Tigers ended last month, the Westminster native saw his career continue at the professional level when he signed with the AHL’s Ontario Reign.

“Ontario had kind of been interested from the second half of the year and chatting with my advisor,” said Millar. “Wasn’t the team that was interested the most but another option or two fell through the cracks or didn’t feel like a good fit and this one popped up. My advisor and I agreed it was an opportunity we didn’t want to pass on.”

Playing for Colorado College, a team that narrowly missed the NCAA Tournament this season, Millar said his biggest improvements over his time with the Tigers were “confidence and stick detail.”

“As a bigger guy, it was important for me to gain confidence and poise with the puck to make plays and break pressure to get out of the zone,” explained Millar. “Stick detail was huge because ending plays and breaking them up gets a lot harder as you move up levels. Those two things are really important for me and my game.

“Highlights at CC were probably sweeping at North Dakota this year, opening up a new rink on campus (Ed Robson Arena), and helping turn a program around and become a college hockey contender again.”

Looking ahead, the Hyland Hills Jaguars, Arvada Hockey Association and Rocky Mountain RoughRiders alum has a positive perspective going forward.

“Outlook for the remainder of the season is to just learn,” Millar said. “Currently around the Ontario team and just trying to soak up as much information and tools as I can to give myself the best opportunity for success next season.

“The plan is to play hockey for the foreseeable future. It’s very rare to be able to play pro hockey and I want to soak up as much of it as I can and keep playing. My major was business and economics, but I’ll put that on the shelf for right now and focus on hockey.”

Photo/Casey B. Gibson

— Matt Mackinder

(April 18, 2024)