While the scenery might look different for freshman forward Max Sauvé in central Pennsylvania, the Acushnet, Massachusetts native says he is just focusing on developing himself as a player, while maintaining his busy schedule both on and off the ice.
"It is definitely a little different," Sauvé said. "Where I'm from it's pretty quiet, but here it's definitely fast-paced and a good atmosphere. I love it so far."
Sauvé grew up in Acushnet, located near Cape Cod on the southern shores of Massachusetts. He played at Tabor Academy, a school known for producing both Division I and NHL players, including Todd Reirden, who was recently named head coach of the Washington Capitals in June.
Sauvé spent two seasons at Tabor where he racked up 63 points in 59 games, before joining the South Shore Kings of the USPHL for the 2016-17 season. Last year, Sauvé took a prep year at Avon Old Farms in Connecticut where he put up 22 points in 23 games.
"The prep school game is fast," Sauvé said. "It's nothing compared to college but definitely fast-paced. My game is speed and I try to play as quick as possible. I knew college would be fast and prep school definitely helped me out with that."
For Sauvé, it was a somewhat unexpected arrival in Happy Valley. While he originally thought he would return to junior hockey, Sauvé said he was simply blown away after touring Penn State's facilities.
"It was the end of last year and I thought I'd be playing juniors again," Sauvé said. "After the season had happened, I had my mind set on juniors up until about a month left in school."
"Towards the end, I was speaking to other schools and (Penn State head) coach (Guy) Gadowsky called me and asked if I wanted to take a tour. I came here on the tour and I just couldn't say no. It was a dream come true and I never thought it would happen like it did."
Sauvé also feels that the competitive environment of prep school has helped him make the adjustment to the college lifestyle from both an academic and on-ice standpoint.
"Prep school has a rigorous schedule," Sauvé said. "Like here, school and hockey are equal. It was definitely a good transition in an academic aspect. When I got here at first, campus seemed pretty big, and there were a lot of workouts and schoolwork and I had to take a step back for a second.
"But you have to think to yourself that you're here for a reason, so it was tough at the beginning but I'm definitely used to it now."
Even with preparing to take on collegiate-level talent, Sauvé acknowledged the degree of difficulty that exists from playing against competition below him compared to the NCAA level that he will face this season.
"It sounds cliché, but it's so much faster and the guys are much stronger," Sauvé said. "I went from playing teenagers to playing guys in their mid-twenties who are some of the best players in the country. It has been a big adjustment to be honest, but I feel like my speed is there and I'm just getting ready to play."
Growing up in Massachusetts, Sauvé had a plethora of both collegiate and NHL players to look up to as role models. But it was a speedy left wing from New Jersey who came to Boston College and immediately got Sauvé's attention.
"My role model is Johnny Gaudreau," Sauvé said of the former Hobey Baker Award winner.
"One hundred percent. He's a small guy like me but he's fast and so smart when he plays. He is definitely someone I look up to at the NHL level."
As for the Blue and White, Sauvé mentioned that there are a pair of players in particular that have helped with the adjustment to Penn State as mentors to the first-year player.
"I would say as far as I carry myself off the rink, I look up to my mentor Alex Limoges for sure," Sauvé said. "He's been great, he reached out to me as soon as I met him and he's been super helpful. I've also been looking up to Brandon Biro on the ice because he plays very fast. That's a big part of my game."
Even as he grew up and saw capacity crowds at Hockey East arenas around the Northeast, Sauvé couldn't contain his excitement for getting to play in front of the fans at Pegula Ice Arena this season.
"I haven't seen a game yet, but I'm excited for the first game," Sauvé said. "I've seen pictures and videos of the 'White Out', and it is definitely something to look forward to. I can't wait."
