One never knows where hockey will take them. That could be especially true for longtime Jr. Ducks defenseman Francois Devilliers.

The 2005 birth year committed to the U.S. Air Force Academy earlier this year, and in the process became the 77th player with ties to the Jr. Ducks to make an NCAA Division I college commitment.

"It's a big honor," Devilliers said this week. "My eyes were never set on a school like that. I wasn't open to that until they recruited me. All the benefits lined up. I liked the community and their coaching staff."

Devilliers caught the attention of the Falcons' coaching staff with a breakout campaign during his first season of junior hockey with the New Mexico Wolves of the North American Hockey League. The strong-skating, puck-moving Devilliers had 16 points through 42 games and was one of the top three in scoring among Wolves defensemen.

He played six games for Lincoln of the United States Hockey League during the past two seasons. The Stars picked him in the third round of the 2021 Phase I draft.

His Love of Hockey Took Hold in Orange County

Devilliers was introduced to hockey at a young age, and his time with the Jr. Ducks cultivated it. What's more amazing is the sport was nowhere near his family's radar.

"My parents are from South Africa and knew nothing about it," Devilliers said. "I played several sports when I was younger. One day, a family friend introduced me to roller hockey when I was 5 or 6. I grew to love the game. 

"I made the transition to ice at 7."

He started playing for the Jr. Ducks 8U program and took off.

His aptitude for defense was recognized by a pair of longtime Jr. Ducks coaches who know the position well — longtime NHLer Jason Marshall and Hockey Hall of Famer Scott Niedermayer. 

"They sparked that fire in me," Devilliers said. "Scott was such a great skater and puck handler and had such great vision. I try to model my game after him. Jason was steady and strong. They both know the game so well."

Devilliers' Game Grew With Jr. Ducks

From there, Devilliers played several seasons for Sandy Gasseau and T.J. Miller, both of whom were Division I defensemen, Gasseau at St. Cloud State and Miller at Northern Michigan. Both later played professionally as well. Devilliers also credited all of the skills work he did with Alex Kim and Craig Johnson.

"The Jr. Ducks coaches developed me. They emphasized creativity within structure," Devilliers said. "That's what I liked about the coaching staff. All of them developed me in a way that got me prepared for the next steps.

"I want to thank all of them."

Collectively His Group Is Moving Up

Devilliers was part of a 2005 cohort with the Jr. Ducks that has several other players who have made Division I commitments, including Christian Kim (Michigan State), Philippe Lalonde (Dartmouth), Zeev Buium (Denver), or are playing juniors and most likely will. 

"Our team was really good," Devilliers recalled. "We were second-ranked in the nation at one point. We got a lot of exposure through playing in Boston, Chicago and elsewhere. A lot of guys are committed to colleges and more will be. It's a testament to how hard our group worked and our coaches."

Devilliers is scheduled to join another former Jr. Ducks defenseman, Kyle Isenberg, at Air Force in the fall of 2025. In addition, the Falcons have a third Jr. Duck, junior center Andrew DeCarlo currently on their roster.