Jack Kurrle made a name for himself growing up in the state of Vermont, where he grew up with the dream of suiting up for the Catamounts or playing his college hockey in Boston. Last month, the Middlesex, Vt., native committed to head coach Kevin Sneddon’s program for the 2022-23 school year.
Kurrle is in the midst of his first hockey season away from home, but he hasn’t missed a beat while skating for the U15 squad at the South Kent Selects Academy in Connecticut. He ranks fourth on the team with 46 points, including 15 goals, in 32 games.
Our New England Hockey Journal College Commitment Q&A series continues with Kurrle this week, discussing his commit to the Catamounts, moving away from home, and some of the people that shaped his hockey career.
How would you describe yourself as a player? Are there NHL players you try to emulate?
"I'm a fast forward, physical, and I play with a lot of passion and grit. As far as players, I'd say Patrice Bergeron. I just like his style of play because he always works hard and he's the one you notice backchecking. He just battles."
You committed to Vermont in late November. What was most attractive about the Catamounts throughout that process?
"For me, since I started playing, I knew I wanted to play at 'The Gut' (Gutterson Fieldhouse) some day. My uncle was my first coach and really set me up to start playing the game. Ever since, as I kept moving up in levels, I started to realize that college hockey was -- I had a chance. Vermont was the top pick, so when they decided to ask if I could come play, it was an easy question."
Who was your uncle, and what influence did he have on you getting involved in the game up there?
"My uncle is Dan Hill, and he was my first coach. I played town hockey in Montpelier, the Central Vermont Skating Association. He was my coach right off the start. As I got into squirt years, I moved into the Glades program, which is a main Vermont program. Brian Bernadet was my first coach for them, and he was the one who really started the whole thing of me wanting to play for UVM because they live right by there. I became friends with his son and we started going to a lot of games. It was just an awesome atmosphere."
What did you take away most from your conversations with the coaches?
"I hadn't had any contact with any college coaches until this year at Selects Academy. UVM assistant coach Kevin Patrick was at almost every game at the beginning of the season. Shortly after, I started getting calls from him and we talked just to get to know each other since we couldn't really talk in person. We continued talking, checking in every couple weeks, and then (head coach Kevin Sneddon) had my dad get in touch with him and it went from there. I called Coach Patrick back right around Thanksgiving, and that's when I decided to tell him yes.
"I just felt comfortable right away. He wanted to get to know me. We had talked for a while to get to know each other before there was an offer, so I think it's just them being there and actually getting to know me so they know they didn't make a mistake down the road."
Is it extra special making this decision as a native Vermonter?
"Yes, for sure. It was definitely a great feeling. I don't know if I could compare anything like that feeling. My coach here at the Selects Academy (Jon Hutcheon) sat right down with me at the beginning of the year and had me list my first few schools. UVM was at the top, so when they made that offer, he was like, 'You should go for it. It's where you've always wanted to be,' so he was super supportive through it all as well.
"Vermont was my first offer. We waited probably a month and a half or two. They didn't put a timetable on it because they wanted me to make sure it was where I wanted to be and I could stay loyal to them. Like I said, UVM has been where I've wanted to be."
What other schools were on that list?
"The Boston schools. BC, BU, Northeastern. UVM and those three were the places I really had my eyes set on. I knew I wanted to be at one of those places, but something about being the hometown guy at UVM definitely set that above the Boston schools."
With that, was being in Hockey East important to you?
"Definitely. Being in Hockey East was important. Living in the state of Vermont was also a huge, huge factor because I grew up and played all of my teams in Vermont until now at the Selects Academy, so the opportunity to move back to Vermont is awesome."
You’ve played a lot of your hockey in Vermont to this point before moving to the South Kent Selects Academy this year. What has been the biggest adjustment for you?
"For hockey, I knew this was the place I had to be. I knew I had to get out and get to a higher-rank team to give me the chance of landing my spot at a Division 1 school. But I think the hardest part was moving away from all the land at home and being able to go out on our four-wheelers or snowmobiles after school. I don't have that same opportunity now."
You're off to a great start this season. What have been the keys to your success, and how have the Selects Academy coaches helped you most even in such a short time?
"Right now, I have the opportunity to play with some of the best players and I've been on a line with Cam MacDonald and Tyler Ribera. We're working well together, so it's been awesome.
The coaches here have really tightened up the program and treated it like a college schedule so we're ready for that next step when we get there. All the way through, my coach has been super helpful with the whole college decision. I don't have an adviser, so he's kind of been the guy that connects us through to call the coach, so it's been awesome because he's on your side as long as you're working hard and doing your job."
