From age 16 in Vienna, Emil Romig’s route to becoming a University of Denver hockey player took him through Zlin, Czech Republic, Indianapolis and Corpus Christi, Texas.
“Long story,” the senior forward said. “I got lucky.”
The short version is that Romig never gave up on his hockey career and wasn’t afraid to move to unfamiliar countries at a moment’s notice.
An opportunity arose in the Czech Republic, and he took it. Then he jumped at a chance to play junior-A for the Indiana Ice in Indianapolis.
His time in Texas began after every sign told him he should call it a career and go home.
“His self-awareness as a person and how much he’s matured is incredible,” said fourth-year DU coach Jim Montgomery, whose top-ranked Pioneers (15-5-4) visit St. Cloud State (10-11-1) for a two-game series Friday and Saturday.
In 2011-12, Montgomery was the second-year coach for junior-A’s Dubuque Fighting Saints, the defending United States Hockey League champions. In the second round of the playoffs that season, the Ice eliminated Dubuque and Montgomery felt Romig played a big role in the upset.
“He was very noticeable,” Montgomery said. “How hard he worked. His speed. His tenacity on pucks.”
The next season, Montgomery wondered what happened to Romig, who no longer was with Indiana and was cut in the preseason by the Fargo Force, another team in the Tier I USHL. Instead of quitting, Romig dropped a level and took a spot with Corpus Christi of the Tier II North American Hockey League.
At the time, Montgomery didn’t know whether Romig still was in the country.
Then, after the Saints won their second USHL championship in three years under Montgomery, the hottest coaching name in the junior-A ranks replaced George Gwozdecky, who was fired at DU. In the transition, some of Gwozdecky’s recruits went elsewhere and Montgomery’s roster was thin.
Romig’s junior eligibility expired, so he was throwing darts against a wall, trying to find a team. One landed in Denver.
“My second week here, I get a (generic) e-mail from him,” Montgomery said of Romig. “I read his bio and I’m like, ‘This is the same kid.’ So I called him and said, ‘Can you afford to pay (tuition)?’ We didn’t have any scholarship money.”
Romig is a good student, and his parents are doctors in Austria. It was all coming together.
“He got academic money and he’s earned some (athletic) scholarship money since he’s been here,” Montgomery said. “He’s a bright kid and it has worked out great.”
Nearly four years later, Romig is on pace to graduate in June with a degree in finance. He is a senior leader and depth forward for DU, which is in excellent shape to qualify for the NCAA Tournament for the 10th consecutive year.
“I didn’t know much about college hockey when I first came over here and I had some problems at the beginning, when I was talking to schools and I didn’t know anything about it,” he said. “In the end, it worked out perfectly for me. I lucked out.”
Romig, 24, didn’t feel lucky Nov. 12 at North Dakota, when he suffered a broken left leg early in a 3-2 victory. Surgery was required, and a plate and eight screws now stabilize his lower leg.
“I thought I would never play again. I was on the ice and I was sure that I was done,” Romig said. “Normal puck battle. It happens 50 times a game. We’re just battling for a puck. But I got my leg in there and it was (sideways) and a guy fell into it.”
Romig missed eight games and returned to the lineup Dec. 30 at Providence. His five points (two goals) this season have all come in DU’s last four games.
“It all worked out,” Romig said.
Footnote: Sophomore forward Troy Terry, the U.S. world junior championship gold medal hero from Highlands Ranch, is not on DU’s road trip and will miss his second and third games because of an upper-body injury. He is expected back for the playoffs in March.
Romig file
A closer look at Emil Romig:
— Son of Josef and Sibylle Romig
— Played for Austria at the 2011 (Division I) and 2012 (Division I-A) world junior championship
— Has 16 goals in 115 games for the University of Denver
— Is one of seven seniors on the DU team
