Playing hockey at the University of Maine is an experience that players don’t forget, no matter where they go when they leave.

For Joey Diamond, nothing since has compared.

“I miss the fans the most. You know, fans at UMaine: There’s nothing like them anywhere else I’ve been,” Diamond said. “Walking to games, getting to games, everything about it, I miss. I miss being a part of campus.”

Diamond, who graduated in the Spring of 2013, enjoyed four successful years at UMaine. Diamond led the team with 25 goals in the 2011-2012 season and served as a captain for his fourth year, contributing 24 points.

After graduating with a degree in child development and family relations, Diamond went on to play for the Bridgeport Sound Tigers of the American Hockey League, a minor-league affiliate of the New York Islanders. From there, Diamond played for the Stockton Thunder, a AA Islanders affiliate based in Stockton, Cali.

“It was a good experience, a great experience for me. Most of last year was with the Sound Tigers and it was great to get that experience playing in the AHL,” Diamond said. “Then getting out to California and playing with the Thunder was great. I had never gone out to Cali before so getting to do that was a lot of fun and some great experience.”

Diamond has been successful in his post-UMaine endeavors, scoring 17 goals in a season and a half with Bridgeport before tearing it up in Stockton, scoring nine points in just eleven games. He has had success, but it has not come easy for the young forward.

“The season is a lot longer and there are a lot more games so that’s something I had to get used to,” Diamond admitted. “We play 40 more games here than we do in college so the season’s a lot longer and the game is a lot faster so it was definitely a jump, but I thought I handled myself pretty well. It is also easier going into next year knowing what to expect.”

Even through the transition from college to the pros, Diamond has kept his confidence. He still has just as much faith in his abilities as he did when he was skating at the Alfond.

“The way I’ve played has always gotten me to where I want to be,” he said. “As long as people on the next level like the way I play, I think it’ll serve me well.”

No matter how far Diamond goes, Maine is never far from his mind.

“There’s no place like Maine in my eyes,” Diamond said.