Maine Mariners rookie forward soaking in big moments from unexpected season

FALMOUTH — Wyllum Deveaux enjoyed a flurry of firsts on the ice last weekend.

A rookie forward with the Maine Mariners, Deveaux scored his first playoff goal in his first playoff game – a 2-1 victory over the Adirondack Thunder on April 19 in Game 1 of an ECHL opening-round series.

The following morning, Deveaux departed from Glens Falls, New York, and headed to Bridgeport, Connecticut, where he made his AHL debut with the Providence Bruins that night. A day later, a car sent by the Mariners returned Deveaux to Glens Falls, where he played in Game 2 of the ECHL series, which the Thunder won, 2-0.

“You go from a playoff environment Friday to your first call-up on Saturday, then back for Game 2 on Sunday. I was just super excited to get the opportunity with Providence. The whole weekend was special,” Deveaux said after Maine’s practice Thursday morning at Family Ice Center.

Maine is set to host Adirondack at Cross Insurance Arena at 7:15 p.m. Friday in Game 3 of the best-of-seven series, which is tied 1-1. Games 4 and 5 are Saturday (6 p.m.) and Sunday (3 p.m.).

A weekend that many would call hectic was the experience of a lifetime, Deveaux said as he recounted the start of the playoffs. After all, the 23-year old Harvard alum was a longshot to make the Mariners’ roster in the first place. Now, as Maine takes part in the ECHL playoffs for the third consecutive season, Deveaux has emerged as an important player in the lineup.

“We were in a spot where we needed to backload camp, honestly. He was just almost like a camp player,” said Terrence Wallin, Maine’s head coach and general manager. “He just worked himself into our lineup. … He commits to his craft. It’s a special thing to watch, and for him to get an AHL chance, I’m pretty proud of him. He’s earned it all the way.”

A 6-foot-2, 205-pound physical wing, Deveaux scored 13 goals and added 11 assists in 46 regular-season games. He played four years at Harvard, with four goals and three assists in 90 career games. Wallin said Deveaux has provided a bigger offensive spark than the team expected. His biggest asset is his versatility; Wallin called Deveaux the Mariners’ Swiss Army Knife.

Maine Mariners rookie forward Wyllum Deveaux walks off the ice after practice Thursday at Family Ice Center in Falmouth. Ben McCanna/Staff Photographer

“He can play on the back end (defense) if we need him to. He can play center and both wings,” Wallin said. “He’s kind of Mr. Simple and Mr. Versatile, and that’s found him a lot of success this year. That’s what’s going to make him a good pro.”

Last season, he played three games in the ECHL with the Wheeling Nailers. He did not register a point – nor was he offered a contract to return.

Deveaux spent last summer working out in Boston or at his home in Nova Scotia, skating seven or eight times each week. In Boston, he worked with Pierre McGuire, a former coach and commentator, as well as Mark Fusco, who won the 1983 Hobey Baker Award as college hockey’s top player while playing for Harvard. Late last summer, the Mariners invited Deveaux to their preseason camp.

“Coming out of college, I didn’t play that much, and I was kind of disappointed with the end of my college career. I wanted to be a professional hockey player,” Deveaux said. “I knew when I got in the locker room, I wanted to make this team and I’d do whatever it took. I’m just grateful to be here.”

Mariners forward Tyler Drevitch got to know Deveaux a little last season when both played in Wheeling. The pair have often played on a line together this season. Deveaux was raw, Drevitch said, but his talent was apparent.

“He brings a lot of energy to the team. He brings a lot of space with the way he forechecks and plays with a physical edge. His hockey IQ is so high,” said Drevitch, who’s in his fourth season of pro hockey.

Maine Mariners rookie forward Wyllum Deveaux taps the puck on goal after taking a pass from a teammate during practice Thursday at Family Ice Center in Falmouth. Ben McCanna/Staff Photographer

Drevitch cited Deveaux’s second-period goal in Game 1 of the Adirondack series as an example of that hockey IQ. Deveaux forechecked, never took his eye off the puck, and was able to scoop it off the side of the net and stuff it home for the goal.

“It makes it real easy to play with him. I can trust him in all situations and know he’s going to get the job done. He’s pretty dialed in on the details of our game,” Drevitch said.

It’s that hockey IQ and gritty style of play that earned Deveaux a call-up to Providence. In Saturday’s game against the Bridgeport Islanders, Deveaux made himself known when he got into a fight with Bridgeport defenseman Paul LaDue. Earlier in the game, LaDue got into a scrum with Providence defenseman Mason Lohrei.

“I took the guy’s number, and made sure if I crossed his path again, I’d let him know we’re here,” Deveaux said. “It’s about sticking up for your teammates. You want to put everything on the line for your team. The team is first, always.”

Deveaux has immersed himself in the Portland community, often volunteering to visit the Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital or visit a school on behalf of the Mariners. Wallin checks the signup sheets the team puts out for players to volunteer for community service, and sees Devereaux’s name most of the time.

“We’re fortunate to play hockey. A lot of people are in tough situations,” Deveaux said. “It’s an awesome community, Portland. They’ve been very welcoming with the whole team. It’s easy for me to give back to the community when you have such great people in the community. Going to the hospital, and going to school visits, there’s a lot of people who have supported me along the way and I want to make sure I give back to my community, wherever it is.”