Luke Janus commits to RPI

The '04 forward from Winnipeg will add dynamic speed to RPI's forward group

RPI commit Luke Janus waits for a faceoff (photo: Rayme Thomson)

luke.janus @janus_luke

I am proud and honoured to announce my commitment to play NCAA Division 1 hockey and further my education at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Thank you to my family, teammates, coaches, advisor, and everyone else who has helped me get to this point. Can’t wait to get started!

About 3 weeks ago, RPI picked up a commitment from ‘04 forward Luke Janus. Janus is a LW currently listed at 6’0” and 165 LBs and is playing for the Winnipeg Blues in the MJHL. He has 20 goals, 32 assists and 52 points in 51 games this season. His 52 points are 12th in the league and 3rd in the league for U19 skaters. Janus also leads the league in points among rookie skaters and was named to named to both the MJHL Top Prospects Showcase and 2023 MJHL-SJHL Showcase, according to the MJHL’s press release on his commitment.

Janus has absolutely electric speed and skating on the ice. His first few steps are powerful, and he gets up to top speed in a hurry. Once he has a head of steam with the puck, there are basically no defensemen that can keep up with him, and he turns them around with ease. Janus loves taking the puck to the slot and to the net and generates numerous scoring chances (2.6 per game and 0.36 xG per game via InStat) this way. He’s also got good hands in the open ice, which paired with his speed, makes him excellent at zone entries. Janus draws a ton of penalties with these skills (0.55 per game) as when the opponents cannot keep up with him, it forces them to get more aggressive with their sticks. His shot is quick and powerful, and he also has a very hard one-timer that he likes hammering on the power play.

With this skill set, it is easy to get excited about Janus and what he will bring to the table when he gets to RPI. His tools give him a lot of scoring upside, but his skating and his compete will also allow him to play lower in the lineup. His versatility to play anywhere in the lineup will allow him to crack the lineup even as a freshman since he can fill a bottom of the lineup type of role to start. Then, he also has the upside to develop into more of a scoring role.

With his ‘04 birthdate, we are projecting Janus to spend one more year in junior hockey following this season and to enroll in 2024. This extra year should allow him to refine his exciting raw skills and come to RPI ready to play. We can’t wait to keep watching him and look forward to seeing him in the Cherry and White. Congratulations to Luke and his family!