In this edition of the Alumni Spotlight, we shift back to the blue-line with a look at another NCAA Division I commitment with the Jr. Blues on his resume in Adam Roeder.
A St. Louis native who played his youth hockey for the St. Louis AAA Blues and at Chaminade College Prep, Roeder joined the Jr. Blues in 2013-14 as a high-school senior. He adapted incredibly well to his new surroundings, scoring nine goals and 22 assists with a +9 rating as the Jr. Blues made it to the Silver Cup Finals. His success in a Jr. Blues uniform did not go unnoticed, either by the NA3HL who named him to both the First All-Rookie and Second All-Star teams, or by higher-level clubs as the Janesville Jets, then as now one of the North American Hockey League’s top clubs, tendered Roeder for the 2014-15 season.
Roeder made an instant impact with the Wisconsin club, scoring 13 points (two goals, 11 assists) in 39 games as the Jets made it to the Robertson Cup semifinals in 2014-15. His scoring numbers improved in his second campaign as he posted six goals and ten assists for 16 points, but nothing could predict his breakout 2016-17 season. The year began with the announcement that Adam had been elected club captain by his Janesville teammates and coaches, and ended with another trip to the Robertson Cup semifinals. In between, Roeder netted the highest point total in his junior-hockey career with 32 (7G, 25A), recorded a career-high +29 rating, and added seven assists in the Jets’ playoff run. Adam was also named to the Central Division team for the NAHL Top Prospects tournament, as well as a selection to the 2017 All-Tournament Team for the Robertson Cup. Capping off the year was a letter of intent to play at WCHA power Northern Michigan, a former NCAA Frozen Four champion and producer of such NHL talent as Dallas Drake and Mike Santorelli.
In an article celebrating his commitment (link here), then-Jets head coach Joe Dibble noted that “Adam is a great kid who might be the best example of what this league[…]aim[s] to do. He has fought so hard over his career to achieve what he has. In his time with us we’ve watched him develop as a player and as a human being, and he obviously proved that by leading this team to [the Robertson Cup in] Duluth. He leads with respect for his teammates, his coaches, and the game.”
St. Louis head coach Chris Flaugher said that “Adam’s a great example of how hard work always will pay off in the end. To see his growth over the past four years that we’ve known him has been incredibly exciting for us, and we’re incredibly proud to have played a role in getting him to NMU. We’re incredibly confident he’ll succeed there, just like he did with us and with Janesville.”
