Troad from Division III college ice hockey to the NHL is not exactly paved with five-star resorts.

Waltham High alumnus Kyle Thomas is doing his best to navigate that road with the hopes of one day reaching the ultimate destination.

Thomas was a scoring star for the Hawks as a lightning-quick forward now almost a decade ago. He headed to Division III in Vermont in 2009 for his freshman year where he scored 23 goals and was named ECAC Rookie of the Year.

By the time he graduated, he had been invited to two NHL Developmental Camps with the Minnesota Wild, was named a Second Team CCM Division III All-America and won a national championship with the Cadets.

Now bigger and stronger – up to nearly 200 pounds after he estimated he played at between 140 and 145 when he skated with the Hawks – he felt he was ready to take his shot at professional hockey.

Then an injury got in the way. A torn meniscus cost him almost all of his first season and hampered his play to start his second. But two years removed from the injury, he said he is finally feeling more like himself as he plays for the Fort Wayne Komets of the ECHL in the ECHL playoffs.

“My first year was not exactly what I expected,” he said. “It took a longer road to get back and then I had to adjust. This year, I had a good year for myself.

“It’s been a lot better. I am a lot more comfortable and used to the pro style a lot more.”

His increased comfort level showed on the stat sheet as he scored 15 goals with 25 assists to rank third on the team in points through 61 regular season games. He was chosen as the Komets’ Rookie of the Year, Most Improved Player and received the Mr. Hustle Award at the end of the regular season.

“I definitely feel a lot stronger,” he said as he prepared to make the trip from Indiana to Cincinnati on Monday night for Wednesday’s playoff game. “I gained a little more size the year before going to Norwich and then I’ve put on more and more weight. I just try to be as powerful getting to the net with my speed now as I can.”

Thomas, now 26 years old, is hoping his breakout season opens up some eyes across the scouting wing of the league and gives him another – perhaps bigger – opportunity next year. As a Colorado Avalanche affiliate, Thomas is a member of that organization through the end of the Komets’ playoff run, then can either resign with the organization or be open to a chance to play at the high minors like the American Hockey League.

“I am just trying to move up,” he said. “I think I had a good year this year. Hopefully, that opens some doors.”

The Komets play a 72-game regular season that mirrors an NHL season. Only instead of playing on national television in the biggest cities in America, they made regular trips to Greenville, South Carolina to play the Swamp Rabbits, Moline, Illinois to play the Quad City Mallards, Wheeling, West Virginia to play the Nailers and Kalamazoo, Michigan to play the Wings.

Still, while Indiana is a lot different from where Thomas grew up and went to college in New England, he said he is impressed with the way the fans of Fort Wayne embrace the franchise and its players.

“It’s nice,” he said. “I like it. They care of us. The organization is great. The fans are great. Our attendance this year was one of the top numbers in the league. I’ve enjoyed it here a lot.”

Thomas has certainly made the most of his time there with the hope that earns him a chance to take another step closer to one day playing in an NHL game.

“In college I didn’t know what to expect,” he said. “That’s why those Developmental Camps were good. They tell you what it’s like and what it takes to be a pro. They are honest with you. Obviously, I never played for Minnesota, but I took a lot from those camps.”