DePaul was one of a bevy of American players to come from Eveleth in the 1940s, He got his start at Illinois under Vic Heyliger but, half way through his first varsity season, he left the team abruptly. He was rumored to have fallen below the necessary GPA and headed to Akron to continue his career.[1] After World War II he resurfaced in college hockey. Illinois had discontinued its program but DePaul found a landing spot closer to home with Minnesota under the guidance of . DePaul played three seasons for the Gophers, leading the team in scoring each campaign.[2] He was named team captain for his senior season and inducted into the Minnesota Athletic Hall of Fame in 2015.[3]