The Don Mills Flyers are a storied hockey organization with a rich history of developing talented players who have gone on to achieve success at the junior, collegiate, and professional levels. From their community-based roots to their modern-day dominance in the Greater Toronto Hockey League (GTHL), the Flyers have consistently fostered a culture of excellence and development.
Early Years and Community Roots
At one time, the Don Mills Flyers association also operated "AA" and "A" teams under the Don Mills North Stars banner, with teams ranging from ages 9 to 18. The North Stars had a strong community base. It was a sad day when the GTHL forced clubs with Major AAA, AA, and A teams to make a decision "one or the other", but not both.
The Don Mills Flyers continue to be run in an efficient and effective manner. All those involved work extremely hard in order to foster and promote all that is taught, and hopefully learned, through our great Canadian game of ice hockey.
The Stephen Denis St. George Dufton Scholarship Award
The Stephen Denis St. George Dufton Scholarship Award was founded by the Don Mills Flyers in 1968. In his youth, George Dufton was an outstanding student and athlete, and won a scholarship to university, but his family did not have the additional funds for him to attend.
During the Great Depression of the 1930's, George went to work in a tannery and never had the opportunity to attend university. This scholarship fund was established on his behalf to provide an opportunity to those who excel in hockey and at school.
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NHL Alumni and Success Stories
The Don Mills Flyers have produced NHL stars like Anson Carter, Kris Draper, and Scott Mellanby to name a few. Most recently they have seen a surge in first round NHL draft picks in Mitch Marner (4th overall, 2015), Max Domi (12th overall, 2013) and Darnell Nurse (7th overall, 2013).
However, while Don Mills does have a history of sending players to the NCAA, the majority of their prospects take the OHL route and have gone on to have great careers. Deveaux decided last week that he would follow in the footsteps of another Don Mills alumni Dominic Moore and commit to Harvard University.
Wyllum Deveaux: A Unique Path
Wyllum Deveaux is not your average Harvard commit, his road to Cambridge was unique. He grew up in Nova Scotia with his family but moved at the age of 14 to play bantam and minor midget hockey in the most revered league in North America, the Greater Toronto Hockey League.
He joined the storied Don Mills Flyers, one of the elite bantam and minor midget programs in the Toronto area. We caught up with Wyllum and asked him about his decision.
Q: You have an interesting background coming from the Nova Scotia area, then heading to Don Mills Flyers for Bantams and Midget Minor hockey and the Hill Academy. Explain your youth career and why you made the moves you have made up to this point.
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A: It’s been a fun ride getting the opportunities to play where I played over the past couple of seasons. Hockey in Nova Scotia was lots of fun and there have been so many people from there that have been influential in my hockey career.
The amount of knowledgeable hockey people from Nova Scotia is so impressive and I am lucky to have learned and developed under their watch. Led by SMU coach Trevor Steinburg, they have made me the hockey player I am today. When I got the opportunity from my current coach Daniel Bochner to come play for Don Mills, I really looked into it and realized that it was a great opportunity hockey wise.
The Don Mills organization was great. It gave me lots of exposure and it was quite cool to play for such a great organization with such amazing alumni. Also, I have had great and memorable experience studying at Hill Academy.
Q: While playing in the GTMMHL, I am sure you received a lot of pressure to play in the OHL. You were certainly a top/middle round talent, but fell to the later rounds. Did you tell OHL teams you were leaning towards college hockey? Is it difficult to go against the grain as many of your teammates will end up playing in the CHL?
A: Yes, I did receive lots of pressure but in the end I felt college was the best route for me. This is by no means a slight towards the OHL because it is an incredible league. It was probably one of the toughest decisions in my life so far.
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My decision was made well ahead of the draft and I was clear with every team (that asked) that I was definitely going the NCAA route. The teams were very respectful of my decision which reflects well on them, because there is a lot of great people in that league and I see how hard scouts work year round. I feel my playmaking ability and play below the goal line is what makes me as a player. I love to make plays that help teammates bury the puck, but of course I also love to bury goals myself. I’m at my best when I’m playing an up-tempo puck possession game.
Q: Explain your college recruitment process. When did colleges start reaching out to you?
A: I first started talking to colleges last spring while playing in the Pre-Draft tournament where I was exploring Prep schools. Later that fall, I went on my first visit to a few schools in and around the Boston area, touring several unbelievable campuses, including Harvard. This was my first real exposure to college hockey in the United States and I was amazed by the hockey itself, the facilities and the people we met.
The schools were like nothing I had ever seen before and the facilities were unbelievable. It was great hearing what the different coaches had to say as well; they were all great coaches and had a lot to offer. I also talked to several other schools throughout this past winter season, but was always focused on the east coast schools. Harvard was the first school I visited and for me Harvard has been my dream since a very young age. I’ve wanted to play hockey there since meeting Craig MacDonald, Harvard alum, who was playing for Tampa Bay at the time. So after that visit I was convinced that’s where I wanted to go even though I kept my options open through the winter season.
Q: There are a lot of young, talented 2000 birth year hockey players who have recently committed to Harvard such as Bode Wilde, Jack Drury, Oliver Wahlstrom and now yourself. Why NCAA over OHL? You obviously have opportunities to do either, what made you chose the NCAA route?
2018-2019 Minor Midget Season
Perhaps it was only fitting that the biggest goal the Don Mills Flyers scored in their remarkable 2018-19 season came in overtime off the stick of Brennan Othmann on assists from Shane Wright and Brandt Clarke.
Depending upon how things shake out at the Ontario League draft April 6, there’s a chance those three players could be the top three picks.
With a Jan. 5 birthday, Wright missed the cutoff for this year’s OHL draft by only five days, but managed to be included in this year’s draft by being granted exceptional status by Hockey Canada. And he certainly has done nothing to dispel the notion that he is exceptional. He led the OHL Cup in scoring with eight goals and 18 points in seven games, while Othmann finished second with 8-6-14 totals. Clarke was the top-scoring defenseman in the tournament with two goals and 11 points.
The Flyers have been talked about as one of the best minor midget teams the province has ever produced. They were so dominant that they lost only one game this season and when they fell behind 4-1 in the second period to the Red Wings in the OHL Cup, it marked the first time this season they had faced a three-goal deficit.
With a team that dominant, it should come as no surprise that there is a bevy of top prospects in its ranks. Liam Arnsby, who plays a physical game and set up the tying goal by winning a battle in the corner, should also go in the first round, as should Francesca Arcuri.
National Development team later this month. He has already committed to Boston University. “And I think he’s actually serious about it,” said Flyers coach Marc Slawson. “So, that might drop him (in the draft).”
As far as Wright is concerned, Slawson has had him for the past three seasons and is confident the player will live up to his exceptional status billing. “Shane’s skating, stickhandling, his vision, his 200-foot game, his defensive side of the puck is outstanding,” Slawson said.
“And that’s what Hockey Canada recognized, but then they had to dig deeper and find more about him as a person. Here we are in mid-November, and the GTHL’s Don Mills Flyers are continuing to prove to be a historic team.
Indeed, the Flyers 2003-born team has been consistently dominant for the past several years. Combined, they boast three GTHL Regular Season Championships, three GTHL Playoff Championships, and two OHF Provincial Championships over the past three seasons.
Now in the 2018-19 Minor Midget campaign, Don Mills appears set to smash records and leave a lasting impression as one of the greatest teams in Ontario history. Through nearly three months of the season, the Flyers have captured two major tournament titles, the Toronto Titans Early Bird and the Wendy Dufton Memorial, and have cruised to a combined 34-0-0 record.
Arguably the top American 15U team in the OHL region this year, the Mission have had impressive showings at two major tournaments thus far, including a Final appearance at the Titans Early Bird, which was wrapped up in a highly competitive 3-0 loss to Don Mills.
Key Players and Team Chemistry
On the winning goal in 4-on-4 overtime, Wright took the puck along the right side and fed Othmann for a one-timer from the slot, a common occurrence for the pair.
“It sure feels good because he’s my best buddy,” Wright said of Othmann. “He’s my best friend. Three years in a row, we’ve been playing on the same line and we connected right from the start.”
“No words can explain our chemistry,” Othmann said. “It’s unbelievable. Next year, we’ll go our separate ways and it will be tough, but for sure we’ll be best friends for life. We started off the year really well and the draft stocks for all three of us kept going higher and higher. People say 1-2-3 and that would be amazing. I can’t believe this moment is almost here. I’ve been dreaming about for 10 years now.”
The OHL Cup Final
It was only fitting that the biggest goal the Don Mills Flyers scored in their remarkable 2018-19 season came in overtime off the stick of Brennan Othmann on assists from Shane Wright and Brandt Clarke. The Flyers are a tightly-knit group, one that was brought together that much more by the death of their goalie, Roy Pejcinovski, in a triple homicide on March 14, 2018, one year and one week before they won the OHL Cup.
The Flyers 2003-born team has been consistently dominant for the past several years. Combined, they boast three GTHL Regular Season Championships, three GTHL Playoff Championships, and two OHF Provincial Championships over the past three seasons. Now in the 2018-19 Minor Midget campaign, Don Mills appears set to smash records and leave a lasting impression as one of the greatest teams in Ontario history. Through nearly three months of the season, the Flyers have captured two major tournament titles, the Toronto Titans Early Bird and the Wendy Dufton Memorial, and have cruised to a combined 34-0-0 record.
Don Mills Flyers Alumni in the NHL
Here is a table showcasing some of the notable Don Mills Flyers alumni who have played in the NHL:
| Player Name | NHL Teams | Games Played | Goals | Assists | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shawn Antoski | Van, Phi, Pit, Ana | 183 | 3 | 5 | 8 |
| Michael Bunting | Ari, Tor, Car, Pitt | 268 | 76 | 103 | 179 |
| Anson Carter | Wsh, Bos, Edm, NYR, LA, Van, Col, Car | 674 | 202 | 219 | 421 |
| Gino Cavallini | Cal, StL, Que | 593 | 114 | 159 | 273 |
| Paul Cavallini | Wsh, StL, Dal | 564 | 56 | 177 | 233 |
| Trevor Daley | Dal, Chi, Pit, Det | 1058 | 99 | 220 | 319 |
| Jason Dawe | Buf, NYI, Mtl, NYR | 366 | 86 | 90 | 176 |
| Max Domi | Ari, Mtl, CBJ, Car, Chi, Dal, Tor | 661 | 130 | 302 | 432 |
| Kris Draper | Wpg, Det | 1157 | 161 | 203 | 364 |
| Ray Emery (G) | Ott, Phi, Ana, Chi | 287 | 0 | 4 | 4 |
| John Madden | NJ, Chi, Min, Fla | 898 | 165 | 183 | 348 |
| Mitch Marner | Tor | 585 | 196 | 467 | 663 |
| Scott Mellanby | Phi, Edm, Fla, StL, Atl | 1431 | 364 | 476 | 840 |