The puck stops here

For Dustyn Tkachyk’s hockey career, there are plenty of questions which lie ahead.
But the 15-year-old goalie is hoping to find some of those answers within the next month or so. It will be a crucial time in both his budding hockey career–and his future.
And then there will be some cold, hard decisions to be made.
Tkachyk, fresh off being selected as one of six players to represent the Northwest region at the Ontario under-17 tryout camp in Toronto coming up June 23-27, will be eagerly watching to see if his name is chosen at next month’s Ontario Hockey League’s draft.
If it is, it could mean a change of scenery for Tkachyk, who spent time last season with the local Bantam ‘AA’ B•Macs and the ‘AAA’ Sioux Hawks. He knows full well he might end up playing anywhere from southern Ontario to Saskatchewan next season.
And it would be a move Tkachyk would gladly make. While most kids his age are looking to don the black-and-gold colours of the Muskies, he has bigger fish to fry. He wants to play junior hockey.
That’s his goal.
“Next year all depends on this year [and] if I get drafted and I go to their camp,” said the 5’8”, 140-pounder.
Tkachyk said he would be open to playing junior hockey in either Manitoba or Ontario next season. He attended the Portage Terriers camp two years ago and showed his stuff at the Waywayseecappo Wolverines camp last year.
Both teams belong to the Manitoba Junior Hockey League.
Brad Fairnington, his coach with the B•Macs the past two seasons, said Tkachyk has all the tools needed to take his game to the next level–whether it be in the junior ranks or U.S. collegiate.
“Definitely, there’s no doubt in my mind, that if he has the schooling, he can go on to play NCAA hockey,” said Fairnington, noting Tkachyk posted a pair of shutouts for the B•Macs en route to a gold medal at a tournament in Park Rapids, Mn. this past season.
“He’s proved he’s the best goalie in Northwestern Ontario. He’s the type of goalie that can steal a game for you,” Fairnington added.
Tkachyk laid claim to being the best Bantam goalie in the area at a four-day regional camp in Thunder Bay earlier this month, beating out eight others for the one spot.
Greg Batters, a camp co-ordinator, said he was impressed with the play of Tkachyk, adding the goaltending coach there noted the “quality of goalies was high.”
“From the opening evaluation game to the third evaluation, his play was noticeable,” said Batters, noting eight evaluators were on hand to judge the talent.
“The boy was stopping the puck. From the opening day to the close, he impressed the evaluators and his play was consistent,” he remarked. “I don’t know who his coaches are but they’ve done a good job.”
Meanwhile, Tkachyk said he likes facing the calibre of players who attended the regional camp and admitted he’s “excited” about the prospects of the provincial tryout at York University.
“They’re faster players, better players, and it was really nice [to be there] because you learn lots,” said Tkachyk, adding he plays both a butterfly and standup style.
“They showed us stuff and I just went out and played my game,” he continued. “I’m very excited and very honoured [to have this opportunity].”