Matt Weinstein

mweinstein@gannett.com | @SteinTime44

Jerry D'Amigo is entering his fifth professional hockey season.

He made his NHL debut this past season with Toronto.

D'Amigo was traded to Columbus this offseason.

Jerry D'Amigo achieved his dream of reaching the National Hockey League the past season; now he's focused on staying there.

After spending his first four professional seasons in the Toronto Maple Leafs organization, the Johnson City native is now a member of the Columbus Blue Jackets following an offseason trade and he knows an opportunity is there to make the roster.

"It's going to be fun," D'Amigo said Wednesday after helping out at the Southern Tier Goalie School at Chenango Ice Rink. "It's a clean slate for me to go in there and try to impress people. Nothing's for sure that I have a spot there; I have to earn it so I'm looking to just work as hard as I can to try and impress them and show them I want to be in there in Columbus."

D'Amigo has been training hard this offseason for the opportunity to begin the year with the NHL club. He is working with Rob Baxter at the BX training center downtown and is also doing hot yoga and bike workouts.

"I've been putting in the work and the effort," D'Amigo said. "You don't want to go into training camp out of shape or feeling like you're not ready for it so I'm trying to prepare myself for it the best I can."

D'Amigo is coming off his best professional season, scoring a career-high 20 goals and adding 13 assists in 51 regular-season games with the Marlies of the American Hockey League. He also had a goal and two assists in 22 games with the Maple Leafs. He made his NHL debut on Dec. 5 against Dallas and had two separate stints in the NHL.

D'Amigo re-joined the Marlies for the AHL playoffs and finished with 14 points (6 goals, 8 assists) in 14 games.

The 23-year-old D'Amigo was acquired by Columbus along with a conditional seventh-round pick in the 2015 draft from the Maple Leafs in exchange for forward Matt Frattin on July 1. A restricted free agent at the time of the trade, D'Amigo signed a one-year, two-way contract with Columbus shortly after the trade.

D'Amigo said his time in Toronto was special but it is now time to look toward the future.

"It was my starting point; I learned a lot of things," D'Amigo said. "I had a lot of ups and downs you learn and you get better from those things. From all those experiences — my first NHL game and my first NHL goal — those things kind of all build up to make me a better player and better person so that's what I can take from (Toronto).

"I got a little (NHL) experience under my belt and that helps me out but at the same time it's still a new thing going in (to Columbus) kind of blinded. I don't really know a lot of guys but I expect to make the best of it and make the best for myself."

D'Amigo has not spent much time in Columbus yet but has heard great things about the city. He is also excited to join a team stocked with young talent. The Blue Jackets made the playoffs for the first time in five seasons in 2013-14.

"With what they did in the playoffs last year there's a lot of buzz going around them," D'Amigo said. "They're up and coming, a lot of young talent to make a stand in the Eastern Conference. I'm looking forward to it and hopefully I can do my part to be on the team this year."