Chilliwack’s Dylan Devers played a huge role helping Team B.C. grab gold at the 2018 National Aboriginal Hockey Championship in Membertou, Nova Scotia.
Down 5-2 to Team Saskatchewan in the May 12 gold medal game, Devers and his crew posted three unanswered goals to send the match to overtime.
Devers scored what is now being referred to as the ‘Miracle of Membertou’ with just one second on the clock.
With the Team B.C. goalie pulled for the extra man and time ticking down, Devers went to the net as linemate Haydn Delorme (Port Moody) uncorked a slap shot from the left wing. Saskatchewan goalie Tanner Martin made the stop but left the puck on the doorstep for Devers to pop home.
“To be honest, I felt a little numb after I tied it up. I was scared we didn’t score in time for it to count but I saw the ref signal the goal then celebrated with teammates and got ready for overtime,” Devers said. “It took everyone a couple of minutes to calm down.”
With the prairie boys still reeling as extra time began, Team B.C. took just 1:45 to complete the comeback. Breckin Erichuk dug the puck out of a scrum along the right wing wall and passed to Devers in the slot. His hot shot whistled over Martin’s glove into the top corner of the net, setting off a helmet throwing, player leaping celebration.
“I got the puck in the high slot and shot where I normally shoot, high glove,” Devers said. “I had that feeling when the puck came off my stick that we won the gold medal.”
The exciting moment was shared in front of a nationwide television audience on Coach’s Corner with Don Cherry during last Saturday’s Hockey Night in Canada broadcast.
Devers played major midget hockey with the Fraser Valley Thunderbirds this season and also plays high school hockey for Sardis secondary school.
He collected two goals and five points in the NAHC tournament, which ran May 6-12.
Team B.C. went 2-1-1 in round-robin play with wins over New Brunswick and Atlantic and a tie vs Alberta.
Devers picked up an assist in a 4-3 playoff win over Manitoba that landed Team B.C. in the final.
Devers was not the only Chilliwack connection on Team B.C.
Lara Mussell-Savage heads up the program in her role as Director of Sport with the Indigenous Sport and Physical Activity and Recreation Council. Tana Mussell, also from Chilliwack, acted as the team’s manager.
“Team BC is an experience I will never forget,” Devers said. “The NAHC hockey championships as well as Membertou, Nova Scotia will hold a lot of great memories for me.
“I would like to thank our coaches, managers and trainers for all their efforts. They brought a group of players together who didn’t know each other and turned us into a team.”
eric.welsh@theprogress.com