The Huron Expositor, 1997-01-08, Page 79'h.' Y .sss At
CONNELL, STFWART
& DEVEREAUX
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BANKER
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SEAFORTH
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ONTARIO JUNIOR B CHAMPS Boyd also helped Stratford's Cuiitons win the
• Sutherland Cup for OHA junior B hockey supremacy, after graduating from the local hock-
ey systems. The photograph to the right was taken after he was named major junior hock-
ey's Scholastic Player of the Year at last spring's Memorial Cup.
•
a
Nakin
dre.am -a reai
easily stand out as the best my moral support and my-
player.
yplayer. But Boyd is not about taxi service to different hock -
to show how goxid he is when ey games when 1 • was
it will takeaway from others. younger, I realize they sacri-
He would much rather watch freed a lot.'1 owe them every--
from'
very=from' the' sidelines and con- thing."
gratulate the students on their Mattes His Parents Proud
play after the game." He says one of his greatest_
Gives Credit to Teammates goals is to make•his. parents
•I)enomme. a former physi- proud, which he was able to
cal education teacher, says he do in September during his
enjoys talking to Devereaux time at the Edmonton Oilers,
about the. games. He says training camp,
when he compliments
Devereaux on a play during
the game. the first .thing
Devereaux does is gives
credit to his teammates for
setting up the play for him, or
credits. the coaches for
' putting together a successful
line of players.
Denemme says Devereaux
deserves a lot of credit for his
accomplishments. "i remem-
ber one day in particular. The
'team (Rangers) had a road
game in Sudbury thc night
before- and didn't get home
' until 4 a.m.] saw Boyd at
8:30 for his first class of the
morning. This shows what
matters to Boyd and it shows
he is highly • dedicated
.towards school."
Scholastic Player
In recognition of
Devereaux's accomplish—
ments and strong work ethic
inside the classroom. the
Canadian Hockey League
(CHL) named him the 1995-
96 scholastic player of the
year.
• "I was very surprised to win
it.' says Devereaux. 'It's not
like 1 did anything out of thc
ordinary this past school
year. 1 have always tried to
get good marks. but 1 never
thought they would lead to
winning an award. 1t was a
great honour to be recog-
nized, however it's not on my
mind to achieve again this
year."
Devereaux says his parents
have always supported him
and helped him to do the best
he can in the area of acade-
mics. just as they have sup -
potted him in hockey.
"I would:never have made
it as far as 1 have in.hockey if
it were•not for my parents,"
111' ANDREA BAILLEY
Conestoga College
and in the larger world of
hockey as a skilled and suc-
cessful competitor •who has a
lot to offer any team.
Being dratted by the "You can just see. the fire
Edmonton Oilers this past burning inside him to sue-
summer and recently winning.. seed." says. Brian Hayton. the
a. gold medal at the World -assistant coach of the
Junior Hockey Chainpionship Rangers. "He sets high stars-
__ in Geneva could have dards for himself. and is
changed a modest and dedi- rarely satisfied with his play. •
sated local athlete into an . He leets -there is always.roont
river -confident young man for improvement in his game..
who -allows new-found tame 'despite what others think.",'
to overshadow his •original The determination and
love for the game. drive'to succeed- is one of
Fortunately, this has not Devereaux's attributes that
taken place in the personaliiy appealed most to the
of 18 -year-old Kitchener Edmonton Oilers and a rea-
Ranger Boyd Devereaux.- son he was their first pick m
Not Spoiled By Success the draft.
Despite being chosen by the - Skills and Finesse
Edmonton Oilers in the first "Boyd is a complete pack--
round
ack-round of the 1996 NHL draft . age." says Steve Knowles, a
and scoring for goals for public relations representa-
Team Canada in Geneva, the tive for the Edmonton Oilers. Boyd tiles on his new
young hockey player has not "He does a good job o( emu, Oilers jersey after last
been spoiled by his success. bining skills and finesse with summers NHL draft
Devereaux says he works as his size, and strength. He is a
hard today as he did growing great player and a well- find -it amusing that
up in Seaforth when a career rounded. very nice kid as. •Devereaux•cannot understand
in hockey was a- distant -well.", • why people pay- so much
dream. As.far as the Oilers arc con- attention to him.
The thought that his dream cerned. the only past, of "He is. the type of kid who
of playing in the NHL could Devereaux's..play that could blushes when he's asked for
become a reality didn't seem improve is the amount of -autographs." says Hayton.
possible to Devereaux until aggression he demonstrates "He doesn't mind the media.
his Junior 13 hockey club, the on the ice. However. 'they but he can't understand why
Stratford Cullitons. won the don't feel this factor takes- they focus on him."
league championship in
1995.
He says this was his break-
through year and the point
when people around him
began saying -he had the
potential. to make it in thc
NHL.
"1 guess it was about a year
or two ago that it hit me, this
could actually happen." says
Devereaux. "For years it
seemed .so out of reach, 'but
everything started to fall into
place after the Junior B
championship series."
The Kitchener Rangers rec-
ognized his potential as well.
drafting him in the first round
of the 1995 Ontario Hockey
League (OHL) entry draft.
Devereaux Makes a Nome
With 20 goals and 38
assists for a total of 58 points
during his first OHL season.
Devereaux - hs made a name
,,. i .11' • . 14. 1 1 .
away from the quality of his Kitchener Ranger team cap -
game. , - lain Ryan Pepperall says,
"Sure he could be more"We (the team) often tease
aggressive. but our club- him about the millions of
didn't draft him because we dollars he will be making:
wanted a fighter." says : His face always goes red with
Knowles. "We drafted him embarrassment." •
because of his skills on the "Coming from a small town
ice. such as the way he Ilan- like Seaforth and e hard -
dies the puck. Fighting will working family, Boyd is very
not be his role with our humble about all of his per -
club." sonal accomplishments,"
Class Act says Hayton. "He is quick to
In the little time Devereaux credit the people who are
spent in Edmonton this past close to him with all of his
summer. he demonstrated a successes and he has always
generous side to his character -said he would not be where
by taking part in an he is without their support."
Edmonton street ball tourna- "I have seen him during
ment, which raised money for lunch in the school gym
a local charity. to doing so. watching other students play
he reaffirmed ,for the Oilers floor hockey." says Vince
why he was their number one Denommc. Devereaux's
draft pick. guidance counsellor at St.
"He's just an all-around .Mary's •high school in
class act," says Knowles. Kitchener. "If he were w take
1 11
►
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"I remember how excited i
was when the coach; told me I
would be playing in my first
NHL game the following
-day." says Devereaux. "The_
first thing 1' did was phone'.
home to • my parents in ,
Seaforth to tell them. My dad
has been with me for all 'ot
my ups and downs•in hockey.
so -he •really wanted to be
there. i really wanted him to
be there too. butt knew it '
was impossible. The next
day,- while I was in my room
preparing for the game. 1 got
a knock at the door. It was
my dad.- He flew from
Toronto ' to • Edmonton
overnight tit sec me in my
first NHL game. 1 will never
forget that."
He adds, "1 plan to have a
family some day. 1 intend to
raise my children the way my
father raised me. Hockey will
come second to being a good
person in lift and a good
father to my children."
. Even if he becomes one of
the most successful players to
ever play hockey, Devereaux
says he .will maintain all of
the values his family gave
him and he will never think
of •himself as being better
than anyone else.
"I'm just mc." .he says.
"Notting special. Just a regu-
lar
The staff of
SEAFORTH COMMUNITY
HOSPITAL
WILSON SANITATION
Garbage Removal
r.
/41
Andrea Bailey is in her
thind term of journalism at
Conestoga College in
Kitchener. She sent us this
feature story on Seaforth
native ,Boyd Devereauxs
hockey career.
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