When David Dziurzynski arrived in Port Alberni in August of 2009 he was a young man at a crossroads. David was excited to be joining the Alberni Valley Bulldogs but he was not sure what lay ahead. He did not know what a difference time, the right environment, the right people and the right support could make.
David had been playing Junior hockey for two years and was entering his final year as a 20 year old on a new team the Bulldogs. He had become quite discouraged by his previous experiences in Junior hockey and felt that this could very well be his last year in hockey. He hoped differently but really had no idea what to expect.
?I knew I needed a change and asked to be traded,? said the big forward, ?when I was told I was coming to Port Alberni I had to look it up on the internet because I wasn?t even sure where it was. I was happy to get a fresh start. In many ways I figured it could be my last year of hockey. I didn?t know this would be the best situation imaginable for me.?
In his previous junior years David?s size and strength had pigeon holed him into the role of the tough guy. He didn?t get many opportunities to showcase his diverse and talented skill set and consequently few scouts talked to him. He had also found himself in a situation where education was not a high priority and he didn?t get the support and encouragement he needed. High school had been tough for him and he didn?t feel very confident that he would qualify to play at the university level.
Bulldogs coach Nolan Graham had heard enough to know that David had the potential to be a quality player in the BCHL. He knew David was unhappy where he was and Graham had some contacts in Alberta who could help arrange a trade. David didn?t know Graham or the Bulldogs at all but he had heard good things and knew that the BCHL was an excellent league. Little did either know how they would click and form one of the top junior hockey stories of the season.
When David arrived Bulldogs Education Advisor Tom McEvay found him unsure of himself and very protective of his educational background. ?It took David months to get me his high school transcripts and his SAT records,? said McEvay, ?I could tell he really didn?t see himself going onto the next level in hockey or education and he was embarrassed. He was the only player who didn?t take a course last fall because I am sure he wondered why bother. ?
?I didn?t feel very good about my education background or my ability to go on in school,? said David, ?gradually I got to know Tom and trust him and we had some great talks. He encouraged me and showed me that it was possible for me to move on to the college level. I was assessed and found to have a learning disability and that answered a lot of questions for me and opened some doors I thought were closed. Tom then helped me navigate the requirements of the NCAA and the interest I had from some good schools.?
On the ice it was Graham and assistant coach Paul Esdale who showed great faith in David right out of camp. ?I owe a lot to Nolan and Paul, they helped me believe in myself and gave me every opportunity to prove myself. I wanted to play for them each and every night and every shift. Once I saw what a fantastic place Alberni was to play, hockey was fun again. The fans are unreal, the best I have ever seen and the rink is one of the best junior rinks I have ever played in. ?
When asked what other factors turned things around for him, David was quick to acknowledge his teammates. ?We had a great group of guys on our team and they were the most skilled I had ever played with. I was very lucky to play with Mark and Mitch,? enthused David, ?they were great line mates. Even though Mark was young I learned a lot from him about work ethic and a desire to play the game. Trent Dorais was another teammate I really admired. He would do anything for his teammates. ?
In Junior hockey where you live and your life away from the rink are also critical to success. David revealed, ?I was also extremely fortunate to have the greatest billet family in Nancy and Terry Smeltzer. They were amazing and became my second family and always will be. Having Frank (Slubowski) as my billet brother made things even better since we were so close. Being involved in the Bulldogs in Schools program and helping out at Alberni Elementary was terrific and made me feel like I was making a difference.?
With all these factors working for him David had a fantastic season as did the Bulldogs. Soon schools were asking about him and it was looking more and more likely that he would get a shot to play and go to school in the NCAA Division 1. Toward the end of the season with many NHL scouts watching line mate Mark MacMillan it wasn?t surprising that they started to ask about big number 8.
?I remember one playoff game where there were at least 6 NCAA scouts in the Multiplex and about the same number of NHL scouts,? said McEvay, ?David was high on most of their lists. I don?t think any of us, including David, could have predicted what was going to happen though.?
What did happen was that just a few days after the season ended David was driving home to Lloydminster and he got a call from his family advisor telling him that no fewer than 5 NHL teams were seriously interested in him. The next call came as he neared Banff telling him he had free agent offers from the Canucks, Oilers, Flyers, Coyotes and Senators.
?The Ottawa offer was by far the best as they offered a two way deal between the NHL and the AHL. It was also a three year contract,? related an excited David, ?I accepted and headed to Edmonton to celebrate with some friends. Since it was April 1st some of them thought I was playing an April Fools joke on them when I called. They were pretty pumped when the realized it was true.?
?It is so rare for a player to sign an NHL deal right out of Junior A hockey,? said now head Bulldogs coach Esdale, ?David?s story is so unique that it captures everyone?s imagination. It is kind of a rags to riches plot and shows everyone that anything can happen if you believe in yourself, you work hard and the right support is there for you. We are extremely proud of David and of our organization.?
This past summer David lived and trained with his brother in Saskatoon. He attended the Senators Prospects camp in July and proved himself well. ?The Senators told me they like what they see and they explained what I need to work on. They have indicated they see me playing in Binghamton New York of the AHL this season,? said David, ?my goal is to do well there and hopefully get in a few games in the NHL this season. I want to be in Ottawa fulltime in the next two to three years.?
David continues to impress and is currently at the Ottawa Senators main camp. On Saturday September 25, 2010 Dziurzynski made his NHL Debut in an Exhibition game against the Montreal Canadiens.
When asked who he wanted to thank David was quick to list his family for their tremendous support, coaches G
