Jared Wright walked out of Ball Arena on Tuesday morning with fresh University of Denver merch tucked under his arm.
Wright spent three years with the Pioneers, helping the most-successful program in college hockey collect its record-breaking 10th national championship in 2024. He spent Monday night hanging out with some of his former teammates at an Italian restaurant in Cherry Creek, helping them celebrate title No. 11, won last weekend in Las Vegas.
He’ll spend Tuesday night on the ice for the , playing in his second career Stanley Cup Playoffs game against the Colorado Avalanche.
"I think if you would have told me this a year ago, I'd say you're crazy," Wright said. "But yeah, I've just been having a blast. I think DU prepared me incredibly well, just for pro hockey in general when I started in the AHL and here now and in the playoffs. And I can't say enough good things about David Carle and the Pios. I was so lucky to get recruited there and win a national championship there. It was really a big blessing."
Wright left DU to sign with the Kings after last season. He had a great start to his first year as a professional, scoring 17 goals and 30 points in 54 games for the Ontario Reign in the AHL, but that was just the appetizer.
When the Kings fired Jim Hiller on March 1 and replaced him with D.J. Smith, the organization also recalled three players to make their NHL debut in his first game in charge the following day. Wright was one of them, and he hasn't looked back.
"Skating, compete level, play away from the puck -- all the things I think that you tell young guys when they get drafted and most don't do," Smith said when asked how Wright made the NHL so soon and has stuck around. "Most takes them until they're 24, 25 to get those details in their game. I think most young guys it is score, score, score, and if I score, I'll get to play in the NHL. Well, there's only a select few that get to do that.
"The guys that have those details, don't need to score every night if they can provide those details -- speed forechecking. We think as he continues in his career, he will score. He gets breakaways, gets chances, but what's allowing to him to play is his ability to play away from the puck, his ability to get on the forecheck, his ability to play, especially in the D-zone, beat icings -- all those things that typically young guys take a long time to get to. He got there quick."
Wright played in 24 regular-season games for the Kings. His first was against the Avalanche at Crypto.com Arena, a fun footnote for the Burnsville, Minn., native.
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"It was awesome, the first time just being the Avs," Wright said. "I really look up to Logan O'Connor. When I visited Denver, I sat down with him one-on-one and it was a really eye-opening experience. He won the Stanley Cup when was I there too. He's definitely someone I look up to."
Wright has not scored a goal in the NHL yet. He had four assists in the 24 regular-season games.
As Smith noted, the Kings expect the offense will come. In the meantime, his speed was quite noticeable against the Avalanche in Game 1.
"I'm just trying to stay where my feet are and take it one day at a time with practices and games," Wright said. "Hopefully I can be someone that can be relied upon with the coaches and gain their trust, but I'm not looking too far ahead."
"Stay where your feet are" is a popular phrase across town at Magness Arena. It's one of several that will come up in conversation with members of the Pios over the course a long hockey season.
O'Connor wasn't on the ice that night for Wright's debut in Los Angeles. He was still recovering from an undisclosed issue that popped up after offseason hip surgery.
He was on the ice Sunday afternoon for Game 1 against the Kings. Wright said they didn't say much to each other on the ice, but will look forward to catching up with again after the series is over.
"I had chills going down my back, especially when they were doing the starting lineup and the crowd was going crazy," Wright said of his Stanley Cup Playoffs debut. "You see all the towels. You see it on TV, but when you're actually in the game, you're just like, 'Holy crap. This is the best thing ever.' It was really, really cool."
