This semester, Jordan Bernier ’22 and I are completing an honors Senior Year Experience (SYE) for the Performance and Communications department under the guidance of Juraj Kittler. We’re working to complete a four-part short documentary series profiling various student-athletes on campus amid their season. Our hope is to offer fans a window into the lives of these individuals’ busy schedules as college athletes and representatives of the school.
Our first episode was released this morning, and it features David Jankowski ’22, a center on the men’s hockey team, who, as one of only four four-year seniors, serves as one of the team captains. Jankowski and I sat down to discuss his family roots in hockey, his time playing juniors and his four years at St. Lawrence.
Jankowski comes from a long line of hockey players, including eight-time Stanley Cup champion Red Kelly, and began playing at a very young age. Although he admits that he “was a pretty tough customer” at first, the Ontario native eventually came around and fell in love with the game that brought him to Appleton Arena.
And because Jankowski suffered a back injury his sophomore year and watched as the COVID-19 pandemic had a major impact on his junior year season, his experience has been unlike anyone else’s. However, his commitment to the sport paid off last March when the men’s hockey team won the ECAC Championship for the first time in 20 years—in which Jankowski scored the game-winning overtime goal to top Quinnipiac 3-2.
Ever humble, the captain credited goaltender Emil Zetterquist with being the bigger part of winning that game, and he said that while it was “special” to score the game-winner, it was just “a product of what everyone else did around [him] too.”
But, unfortunately for Jankowski and his teammates, they were forced to turn down the automatic bid they received for the NCAA Division I Championship after a member of their coaching staff tested positive for COVID. The often composed skater appeared emotional when discussing that moment— referring to it as one of the biggest heartbreaks of his hockey career.
However, with the support of his teammates and coaches, who shared the heartbreak with him, he was able to focus on the incredible season the team had just completed. “The relationships I’ve built with my teammates, the coaches, everyone involved in the program, and just being able to be a part of that community is something really special,” he said, “and something not a lot of people get to realize.”
As he reflected on his fleeting time in a Saints jersey, Jankowski mentioned how special the relationships he has with Zetterquist, Jeff Clarke and Kaden Pickering are to him. As the only four-year members of the program, the quartet has gone through a lot together, and Jankowski said they have a “brotherhood” they will carry with them forever.
To watch the full interview with Jankowski, head to our Instagram, @morethanthescore_slu, or YouTube Channel, “More Than The Score.” Be sure to follow us on Instagram to catch our remaining three episodes as they are released throughout the semester!