He's only 17 and already there's a piece of Dylan Walchuk in the Hockey Hall of Fame.
How many hockey players from McBride have that claim to fame?
It's the stick Walchuk used to score the game-winning goal for the Vernon Vipers a couple weeks ago at the RBC Royal Bank Cup championship in Dauphin, Man., and it's destined for a display case at the hallowed hall in Toronto.
"Me and (Patrick) McGillis went on a 2-on-1 and I looked to pass but he wasn't open so I just took it in and shot and beat (Kings goalie Joe Caligiuri) low blocker," Walchuk said. "I kept the puck and the Hall of Fame took my stick."
Walchuk's goal came 6:28 into the second period and the Vipers backed it up with six more goals in an 8-1 rout over the host Dauphin Kings to wrap up their second straight national championship and a record sixth Canadian junior A championship in the history of the franchise.
"It's pretty amazing," said Walchuk, from his billet home in Vernon. "Having it all sink in and realizing what you did is pretty cool."
See Friday's Citizen for more
