Former Nelson Leaf concludes junior hockey career with Spokane
By The Nelson Daily Sports
Former Nelson Leafs sniper Dylan Walchuk saw his junior hockey career come to an end Saturday night when the Spokane Chiefs lost 5-0 to the Portland Winterhawks in Game four 4 of the WHL Western Conference Semi-Finals.
Walchuk played as a 16-year-old rookie for the Leafs in the 2008-09 season, leading Nelson in playoff scoring — 16 goals, 10 assists for 26 points — to pace the Heritage City franchise to the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League title.
Walchuk came to the Leafs after being cut from his major midget team.
He finished third in Leaf scoring with 29 goals and 36 assists in 49 games.
The McBride, B.C. native also toiled six games for Trail Smoke Eaters.
Walchuk played his first two years in Vernon (2009-2011) before earning a scholarship to the University of Northern Michigan for the 2011-12 season.
In 2011 Walchuk led the Vernon Vipers of the British Columbia Hockey League in points with 56, including 24 goals and 32 assists.
He added another 13 goals and 20 points in 24 playoff games as Vernon finished as a runner-up in the Royal Bank Cup Championship, the Canadian Junior A National Title, one year after winning it.
As a 17-year-old in 2009-10, Walchuk had 19 goals and 47 points in 56 games and was a member of the Vipers’ 2010 Royal Bank Cup Championship
The 5-foot, nine-inch speedster returned in December 2011 to the Vipers to play 19 games before signing on with Spokane Chiefs to finish out the season.
Walchuk played 70 games for Spokane Chiefs this season collected — 19-39-58 — and eight playoff games collected — 0-3-3.
In 117 regular season games with the Vipers Walchuk picked up 44 goals and 65 assists for 109 points.
