Before De Smet Jesuit graduate David Goodwin left the country to play professional hockey, he gave back to his alma mater.

Goodwin, of Des Peres, just graduated from Penn State and is headed to Finland to begin his professional hockey career with the SM-Liiga team Saipa Oy of the Finnish Elite League. But before he left, he served as an assistant coach at De Smet’s Hockey Prospect Camp for middle school students.

“I’m very fortunate to have the opportunities I’ve been given,” said Goodwin, who also lived in Kirkwood and Chesterfield growing up. “I told the boys at camp that if they make a commitment to working hard, they will see the rewards of their efforts.

“I have a ton of passion for De Smet and De Smet hockey and was really excited about the opportunity to help with the camp when coach (Chris) Durso contacted me.”

Goodwin’s career at De Smet ended on a high note. The Spartans, under coach John Murray defeated CBC to win the Challenge Cup in 2010. It’s something Goodwin has not forgotten.

“During my four years at De Smet, I beat CBC one time, and it was in the state championship game my senior year. That was definitely the highlight of my four years,” Goodwin said. “However, in my freshman year, having the opportunity to play on the same team as my brothers, Sam [2007] and Paul [2008] was really special. From a convenience standpoint, I’m sure my parents really enjoyed that season as well.”

Murray remembered Goodwin was torn between playing for De Smet as a senior or St. Louis Blues AAA and the St. Louis Bandits. “I told him that I couldn’t give him through the De Smet program what he would get from the AAA Blues and St. Louis Bandit club. He was pursuing his dream of playing Division 1 college hockey,” Murray said. However, he knew high school hockey could give Goodwin something else.

“What I could give him with De Smet hockey was an opportunity to play with his classmates and compete for the Mid-States high school hockey title,” Murray said. “If he helped his teammates win the title, this would be something that he would take with him the rest of his life.”

Either way, Murray was ready to support him 100 percent.

“I told him to give it the proper thought and just let me know what his decision was because we also needed to move on with our club, with or without him,” Murray said. “Within an hour of our conversation, he called me back and said, ‘Coach, I want to play for De Smet.’ I said to David, ‘we are a better team with you than we are without you. Let’s get to work and win the Mid-States title.’ That is what we did in large part due to the effort and leadership of David Goodwin. I guess the rest is history.”

Goodwin played a big role in the Spartans winning the championship.

“We were the underdog and CBC was the prohibitive favorite,” Murray said. “The third period of the game was defined by David’s play. After CBC took a 4-2 lead early in the third period, David stood up and told his teammates that we were not going to lose this game. He stepped up his game and scored the final three goals including the winner in overtime.”

For Goodwin, playing professional hockey is a dream realized and one he said would not have been possible without the support of the De Smet Jesuit family.

“De Smet allowed me to excel in areas where I have strengths and supported me as I worked to reach my goals,” Goodwin said. He noted that a key part of that support system was the Campus Ministry team, especially Mike Callahan and David’s Kairos 64 co-leaders, with whom he keeps in touch on a regular basis. He also said he remains in touch with his former De Smet coaches, including Quinn.

Following his graduation from De Smet, Goodwin played junior hockey, a requirement to secure recruitment by a Division I school. He joined Penn State’s hockey team during the school’s first year playing Division I hockey.

“I’m proud that we were able to grow at such a rapid rate,” he said. “The Nittany Lions won the Big Ten Tournament in 2017 for the first time in school history.”

Goodwin was a senior and captain of the team, and said he is “so proud of the legacy we left.”

With a 3.65 grade-point average, Goodwin is a three-time Academic All-Big Ten selection and helped the men’s hockey team to a 3.31 grade-point average during the fall 2016 semester. During the 2016-17 season, he became the first Penn State player in program history to record 100 career points. He graduated from Penn State with a degree in Spanish and economics.

“My time at Penn State was exceptional. The academics were top notch and the athletics could not have gone much better,” Goodwin said. “In my senior season, winning the Big Ten Conference and participating in the NCAA tournament was really special. It was a great way to go out.”

Now, professional hockey awaits. Goodwin left for Finland earlier this month.

“Finland is great so far. The hockey has been challenging, yet going well,” Goodwin said. “I already feel my game is improving. The style of hockey is a little different here than in North America. I would say [it’s] a bit more high-pace skating involved and less physical contact. However, I feel like I’m adapting well.”

Away from the rink, the lifestyle suits Goodwin.

“I couldn’t be more happy. The town is very pleasant,” Goodwin said. “There is a neat harbor area with many walking trails that I take advantage of. There’s also a historic fort that overlooks the harbor area which was used in a battle a couple of hundred years ago between Russia and Finland, I enjoy exploring up there as well.

“I’ve been trying to enjoy the nice weather [temperatures in the 60s and 70s] while it lasts because I am well aware the winter is coming soon and will be nothing short of brutal.”

Language has not been a problem, Goodwin said.

“I have learned that overall, the Finns speak good English,” Goodwin said. “All of my teammates can at least speak a little bit of English. During practice and meetings, the instruction from the coaches is all in Finnish. However, myself and a fellow North American teammate [a Canadian] receive translations from other teammates.

“I told myself I would learn a word a week. So far, I’ve learned ‘Hi,’ ‘Thank You,’ and ‘Shoot!’ [as in shoot the puck].”

The season starts soon and Goodwin is ready for action.

“I’m excited for the games to start. I’ve been training hard all summer and I’m simply looking forward to the opportunity to showcase myself on a big professional stage,” Goodwin said. “I feel if I can have a couple good years here in Europe and have good statistics, I could potentially make the jump back to North America and take a shot at the NHL. We’ll see.”

Murray is happy for Goodwin.

“I think this is a great reward for a man who set and achieved his goal,” Murray said.

From : https://westnewsmagazine.com/2017/08/20/85122/de-smets-david-goodwin-ready-to-compete-in-finland