Jack Dugan took a bet on himself – and now he’s hoping for a second shot at the NHL

Jack Dugan (Josh Gales/Fort Wayne Comets)

Credit: Josh Gales/Fort Wayne Comets

What happens when a top NHL prospect falls between the cracks?

That’s the question many have about Jack Dugan, a fifth-round pick by the Vegas Golden Knights in 2017. By the end of his second sophomore year at Providence College in 2019-20, many considered him to be Vegas’ most NHL-ready prospect.

Many scouts thought he would become a part of the team’s core as they sought to stay in their Stanley Cup run when it was in its infancy.

But it’s 2024. Dugan is 26. He hasn’t played a single NHL game yet. He just spent last year on an ECHL contract.

So, what happened?

*Jack Dugan (Daniel DeLoach / The Observer-Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK)*

Dugan was a bit of a longshot to make the NHL from the very start of his junior career. He skated with the Northwood prep school program in Lake Placid, New York in his draft year. In two years, he had 52 goals and 133 points in just 96 games, with his 1.39 points-per-game average shattering anything ever accomplished at Northwood.

Not many prep kids get drafted beyond a few from Shattuck’s St. Mary’s each year, so finding a way to stand out when most American-born prospects are plying their craft in the USHL can be tricky. But before Dugan made his debut with the Chicago Steel, Golden Knights selected Dugan in the fifth round – a selection that, shortly after, looked like one heck of a find.

After making it to the USHL’s first all-star team as a rookie in 2017-18, Dugan embarked on a two-year run with Providence College. He was named to Hockey East’s all-rookie team in 2018-19 after finishing second in scoring with Providence with 39 points in 41 games.

But his sophomore year was something special. Dugan led the entire country in scoring with 42 assists and 52 points, making him a finalist for the Hobey Baker, awarded to the top male college hockey player. Scott Perunovich won it, but Dugan looked like a legitimate NHL threat after just two years in the NCAA.

Scouts thought Dugan had the pure strength and playmaking abilities to become a solid NHLer. Confidence was never an issue, allowing him to produce at a high level everywhere he went. Breaking the 40-assist barrier in the NCAA is a big deal, especially on a team like Providence that didn’t have a handful of NHL-caliber goal-scorers for Dugan to pass to. Scouts also noted how smart he was with the puck in general, and that would have been enough to overcome some deficiencies in his footwork to make his way into the Golden Knights lineup.

And it almost happened immediately after he turned pro. He started the year with the Golden Knights to kick off 2020-21, but he didn’t play before quickly getting sent down to the AHL’s Henderson Silver Knights to get his first real pro experience at just 21.

Dugan immediately impressed, finishing second in Silver Knights scoring behind AHL veteran Danny O’Regan (37 points) with 10 goals and 33 points in 37 games. That was more than what current Golden Knights forwards Paul Cotter and Pavel Dorofeyev managed to put up, among others.

But injuries started to creep in as a second-year player. He was dealing with something that was unknown to start the year before breaking his hand, limiting him to just 18 points in 35 games. Dugan said by the time he was fully healthy near the end of the year, the team had moved on, utilizing other players in the top six.

After once looking like a player with legitimate middle-six potential for Vegas, Dugan wasn’t brought back for 2022-23. He instead signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Utica Comets to try and get back on track. Dugan was fully healthy and hoping stand out – instead, he had just 11 goals and 27 points in 51 games before ending up with the Chicago Wolves. He had just two assists in eight games, with the Carolina Hurricanes electing to let him go in free agency.

Despite a tough season, Dugan still believed in himself. But the summer came and passed, and he still found himself on the outside looking in.

“At this time last year, I thought I’d be hearing from NHL teams, or if not, American league teams,” Dugan said. “I didn’t hear from either.

On Oct. 3, Dugan signed an ECHL contract with the Fort Wayne Komets for 2023-24. It was his first pro deal without an NHL connection.

There’s a bit of a difference between fighting for an NHL roster spot in one of the most illustrious cities in the world and traveling on buses for hours to go play small market games in the ECHL. It could have been brutal mentally for someone who came so close to tasting the big show, especially since Dugan isn’t a spring chicken in hockey terms.

And Fort Wayne isn’t exactly the Swiss Alps. It’s not like wining and dining in Rome. It doesn’t bring in the big money like SHL or KHL. But for Dugan, the path made sense for one reason: visibility. He knew how hard it would have been for him to go to Europe and hope to get another chance back in North America. It’s rare to see it happen.

So when the Komets came calling, Dugan wanted to not just prove to teams that he could still play – but prove it to himself, as well.

“For me, I wanted to show I could still compete,” Dugan said. “The last few years was a little bit of tough sledding. It was getting hard to play. So I just wanted to show everybody what I could do.”

Dugan went on to finish fifth in ECHL scoring with 80 points in 70 games. Nobody had more assists than his 60. But the most fascinating aspect of it all? He still managed to get 169 penalty minutes. He’s always been competitive and willing to finish a check at all costs, but you typically see stat lines like that these days.

“Definitely a lot of that came after plays,” Dugan said, with a laugh.

It’s never easy going from the ECHL up to the NHL, but we’ve seen other players deemed longshots do it in recent years. Edmonton’s Vincent Desharnais, Toronto’s Bobby McMann, Vancouver’s Dakota Joshua and Florida’s Carter Verhaeghe are among some of the more notable alum to shine bright in the NHL, not to mention a handful of NHL starting goalies. It’s still, statistically, a longshot, but it’s a place where names can be made.

So why didn’t Dugan made it? He admitted he has a fiery personality and that could rub some people the wrong way. Some scouts have been worried about his conditioning in the past – others didn’t think he had the skating ability to hang in the NHL. When a player builds a reputation with flaws like that, it can hurt.

“You saw the numbers, and you got excited,” one scout said. “But was the work ethic always there? That’s a different story.”

At his age, it’s difficult to make true steps forward, especially after going down to the ECHL at a time period where most others would have gone to Europe to chase money or retire altogether. But Dugan believes he’s done enough to warrant another chance in the big leagues. He said he’s worked a lot on his 200-foot game over the past few years, trying to find to ways to stay relevant in a lineup beyond just scoring. He also said he used to be more of a perimeter player, something scouts agreed with. These days, Dugan said he’s worked on finding ways to push through opponents to make plays happen.

Dugan’s passionate, physical presence that made him so popular in college hasn’t changed. But even if the past year’s PIM total suggests otherwise, he says he’s working on maturing as he’s gotten older.

“I’m a fiery guy, I’m a competitive guy, especially when I was a little bit younger,” Dugan said. “I feel like I’ve done a bit of maturing in that area.”

Dugan isn’t sure what’s next for him. He’s still hopeful about getting another NHL or AHL deal and getting another crack at making his debut in The Show. But after finishing his first year in the ECHL in April, he’s unsure where his career will go. He’s been spending the early days of the offseason in the New York area working on his golf game before getting back into the full swing of things soon.

When you’re not an NHLer with a long-term deal, the summer can be anxiety-inducing. So much of your future is out of your control, and Dugan knows that as well as anyone. He’s not taking any opportunity for granted, and he’s not blaming anyone for anything in his career. Dugan knows he’s in control of his fate, and he still believes he can get the job done.

He’s not giving up on his dream just yet.

“I just hope I can go somewhere where I can play again and prove I can be beneficial to an organization.”

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Jack Dugan took a bet on himself – and now he’s hoping for a second shot at the NHL

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