Dylan Walchuk has discovered life's journey is filled with detours.
After a disappointing school experience the native of McBride is enjoying life as a member of the Western Hockey League's Spokane Chiefs.
"Now that I look at it, it was a risk but it's paying off," said Walchuk, after the Chiefs 4-3 overtime loss Saturday to the Prince George Cougars. "I like it here. If I would've known I wouldn't have liked it at Northern Michigan [University], I would've came here when I was 17."
The Chiefs added Walchuk to their protected players' list when he was a 16 year old playing junior B hockey in Nelson, but at the time Walchuk thought hockey was the path to academic success.
Walchuk believed his hockey future was all sewn up after spending two seasons with the British Columbia Hockey League's Vernon Vipers, obtaining a scholarship to Northern Michigan and capturing the RBC Cup in 2010 - the trophy for the Canadian Junior A Hockey League champion.
"Junior A was good for me," said the recently turned 20 year old. "I developed well and we won the national championship playing in Vernon. I had a lot of fun there."
From 2009 to 2011, Walchuk played 111 regular-season games with the Vipers, scoring 43 goals and contributing 103 points. The five-foot-nine, 180-pound centre played in 35 BCHL playoff games, producing 11 goals and 20 points.
A second trip to the RBC Cup last spring didn't produce the same result as in 2010 as the Vipers were dethroned by Ontario's Pembroke Lumber Kings in the final. Perhaps the loss was an omen for his immediate future.
Walchuk left for Northern Michigan in September but was disappointed with the NCAA road he chose when he started his BCHL career - playing six games with the Trail Smoke Eaters, where he notched his first goal and assist.
"It didn't work out of me," said Walchuk. "I didn't like it there. I didn't really like the school. It just wasn't for me."
When he returned to B.C. for Christmas, Walchuk knew he wouldn't return to school and rejoined the Vipers for six games from Dec. 18 to Jan. 7, notching a goal and five assists.
During this time Walchuk spoke with the Chiefs, who at the time were a struggling club battling for a playoff position in the Western Conference of the WHL.
"We've had interest in obtaining him for quite a while," said Chiefs' head coach Don Nachbaur. "To get him at the time of the trading deadline was huge for us because he's really added some offensive depth for us. At the start, I think he was feeling his way into the league, but has been a real impact player for us.
"He's got skill and that's something we desperately needed in our lineup," added Nachbaur. "We're a little thin in that area."
In 27 games with the Chiefs - Walchuk made his WHL debut Jan. 11 - he has seven goals and 19 points, including a goal in the Chiefs' 4-1 win at CN Centre over the Cougars on Friday night.
"It was something special for all the fans to come out from McBride," said Walchuk about his personal cheering section of fans with their signs of encouragement. "I even had family from Edmonton drive down to hang out for the weekend.
"It was pretty awesome," he added. "I could definitely hear it. On the bench the guys were saying, 'Who are all those people? They were pretty surprised with how loud of a cheering section I had."
The Chiefs (35-22-5-3) have won 16 games and lost 12 since Walchuk joined the team and have secured a playoff spot. Currently, Spokane is in a tight battle with the Vancouver Giants (37-25-1-3) for home-ice advantage when the two teams meet in a best-of-seven first round playoff series.
"We want that home-ice advantage because at home we're pretty good this year," said Walchuk. "We've only lost eight games at home this year so we want to start off on home ice. We're going into each game knowing it's a must win."
