Each year, millions of serious athletes worldwide have the same ultimate goal as it relates to their athletic pursuits. That goal is to turn pro in their respective sport. For many, those aspirations never amount to anything more than unfulfilled dreams, a “pipe dream” if you will.   But, for Wilkes-Barre/ Scranton Penguins defenseman Brain Dumoulin the dream to play professional hockey came true at the age of 21 when he made his pro debut with Wilkes-Barre / Scranton.  One year later, Dumoulin was in the NHL, lacing up for the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Growing up in Biddeford, Maine, it was almost by chance that Dumoulin began playing hockey. In fact, Dumoulin and his older brother John were the first members of their family to even play the sport.

“I started playing hockey when I was three. My parents said I always had a lot of energy growing up so they wanted to get me involved in something,” said Dumoulin. “Hockey is really the only organized team sport that you can play at such a young age and that’s why we started to play.”

Dumoulin, like many professional athletes was always a very good player as he raised through the hockey ranks, but once he began playing high school hockey, his performance attracted attention from college coaches. It became evident that Dumoulin wasn’t just a “good” hockey player, but a great player who had the potential to use hockey to make a career for himself.  

“I think it was my sophomore year in high school when schools started recruiting me. I had a really good season and our team had a really good season as well,” said Dumoulin. “Providence College was the first school to recruit me. That’s when I started to realize I could earn a scholarship and continue to play in college and maybe even professionally.”

After three seasons at Biddeford High School Dumoulin made a change that would undoubtedly help better prepare him for his college career. Instead of playing his final season at Biddeford High, he decided to spend his season playing for Sean Tremblay and the New Hampshire Junior Monarchs in the Eastern Junior Hockey League (EJHL) who were also based out of Biddeford.

After a season with the Junior Monarchs, it was time for Dumoulin to decide where to play his college hockey. He decided Boston College, who plays in the very prestigious Hockey East, was the perfect fit both academically and athletically.

“Academics were very important. I studied in the business school with a concentration in marketing,” said Dumoulin.

With regard to the athletic program, Dumoulin said, “I really liked that it was so close to where we lived in Maine so my parents would be able to come watch me play. When I committed there, they had just won the National Championship so I knew they were a winning program who knew what it took to win.”

A trip to Chestnut Hill for a campus tour officially sealed the deal and Dumoulin committed to be a Boston College Eagle. “When I visited, I absolutely loved everything about it and knew that’s where I wanted to be.”

As it turned out, Boston College was the perfect fit, where Dumoulin flourished both on and off the ice.

 “It was great from a hockey standpoint and a school standpoint.  We had nine of us in the freshman class.  It was awesome getting to know all of them and we’re still best friends to this day. We really got lucky with the group of guys we had.” Dumoulin continued, “Academics were definitely challenging, but not overly difficult. Everything outside of hockey was good.”

He went on to say, “As far as hockey was concerned, our team was very good.  Everybody worked incredibly hard and they challenged me a lot and I definitely got a lot better during my freshman year.”

Improving as a hockey player wasn’t as simple as increasing his speed or adding a few miles per hour to his slap shot.  Actually improving meant transitioning to a different brand of hockey than Dumoulin had experienced in Biddeford. His approach to the transition mirrored that of the age old adage that “practice makes perfect.”

“There was definitely an adjustment at the beginning, if I made a mistake though, I wouldn’t dwell on it, I would work on it until it wasn’t a mistake anymore.”

Dumoulin also went on to praise the Boston College coaching staff for their teaching techniques, which acknowledge that young players will make mistakes.

“It really helped my confidence that I could make a mistake and not be taken out of the lineup.  I just had to keep playing and work through it. There were some ups and downs obviously, but overall, it was a very good season. ”

Calling Dumoulin’s first season as a BC Eagle “good” is certainly an understatement. En route to becoming a National Champion in 2010, the young defenseman saw action in all 42 games and totaled 22 points during that span. His play was worthy of numerous honors including selection to the Hockey East All-Rookie Team and recipient of BC’s Bernie Burke Outstanding Freshman Award. Additionally, his strong play during the Eagles NCAA Tournament run earned him All-Tournament honors at the NCAA Frozen Four in Detroit.

“Winning the National Championship as a freshman was amazing.  We had such a good, hardworking team. Being able to get that out of the way as a freshman was awesome.”

Now a sophomore, Dumoulin couldn’t deny that there were certainly some feelings of added pressure that comes with being a defending champion.

“It definitely sets your standards high when you have a first season like we did, winning all three major tournaments and ultimately the National Championship, but it also makes you want another title even more.”

Despite the high expectations and probably the most talented squad Dumoulin played on during his tenure at BC, the Eagles were unsuccessful in their quest to repeat as National Champions.

“Losing to Colorado College was definitely a letdown. Colorado had a great team that worked well together that night, and just played better than us.  It’s tough to lose in the first round after such a good season but I think that ultimately helped us going into my junior year having dealt with that loss.”

A successful sophomore season left Dumoulin with a big decision to make during the offseason. Either leave BC after two seasons and fight his way through the professional ranks to the NHL or return to Chestnut Hill and try to win a second National Championship.  Dumoulin chose the latter.

“I had the option to turn pro at the end of my sophomore season, but my degree was too important,” Dumoulin said. “If I would have turned pro after sophomore year it would have taken me a very long time and been tough to get my degree.”

Although academics played a big part in Dumoulin’s decision to return for his junior campaign, there was more to it than that.

 “I really wanted to win again. After winning as a freshman and losing so early as a sophomore, I really wanted to go out on a high note.”

Dumoulin and his teammates began the 2012 season hungry for their second title in three seasons, and ready to avenge their premature exit in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. 

After a surprisingly average start to the season, the Eagles found themselves barely above .500 more than halfway through the season.  “After we were swept by Maine, our coach (Jerry) York and captain Tommy Cross challenged us, they called all of us out, saying we need to do a better job.  After that, we went 19-0 to finish the season and won the National Championship.”

In addition to a second title, Dumoulin’s final season at BC also brought with it numerous individual accolades including All-Hockey East First Team, AHCA East First-Team All-American, Hobey Baker Award Finalist, Hockey East All-Tournament Team, and NCAA All-Tournament Team 2012 season. While he appreciates all the honors, he humbly acknowledges that without his teammates none of it would be possible.

“When you play with great players around you it makes everyone look better,” said Dumoulin. “I received a lot of accolades but I couldn’t have done it without my teammates.”

Dumoulin did exactly as he had planned to do, win one last title and go out on top before turning pro. Now all that was left to do was sign his contract with the Carolina Hurricanes who had drafted him three years prior with the 51^st overall pick in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft in Montreal, Quebec. A day he remembers fondly.

“The Draft was awesome, a really cool experience. It was crazy to see just how fast names were going off the board,” Dumoulin said. “I was very excited to go to Carolina. After meeting their staff it was easy to see they were committed and really wanted me.”

After just two months in the Hurricanes system, Dumoulin found out first-hand that the NHL is a business first and foremost when he was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins in June of 2012.

For the next year and a half Dumoulin found a home with the Penguins’ American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.

On December 14, 2013, Dumoulin got the call he had dreamed of since he was a little kid. He was being called up to Pittsburgh for a game against the Detroit Red Wings where he made his NHL debut.

“They told me at the morning skate in Detroit I was going to play. I didn’t know who for, I just went to the rink ready to play,” Dumoulin said. “About eight minutes before the game, I looked over and noticed (Kris) Letang wasn’t there, he had an elbow infection and wasn’t playing.”

Dumoulin continued, “Not finding out I was really going to play until eight minutes before was a good thing actually because it took the nerves out of it. We ended up winning the game which was awesome. It was a really, really good experience for my first game.”

Just two days later, Dumoulin tallied his first NHL point at home off of Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Jonathan Bernier

“It was a weird deflection, I didn’t know if it was my goal or assist or what, but it was a cool feeling to get your first assist.”

Dumoulin’s first goal came at Tampa Bay on December 15, 2014 against Evgeni Nabokov in a nationally televised contest. Not only did the entire world get the opportunity to watch Brian Dumoulin record his first NHL goal but also two very proud parents relished the momentous occasion as well. The puck commemorating the achievement is currently on display in his parents’ living room.

WATCH: Brian Dumoulin score his first NHL goal

At the end of the 2014-15 season, with eight total NHL games to his name, Dumoulin got another call from Pittsburgh, this time he was called up from the AHL to play on the biggest stage the game has to offer, the Stanley Cup Playoffs, where he saw the ice in five games.

“It was awesome to get the opportunity to do something that some guys never get the opportunity to do during an entire career,” Dumoulin said. “The atmosphere was amazing, the crowd was electric. I really learned a lot and it was valuable to get this experience so early in my career.”

Dumoulin has risen through the ranks of professional hockey quickly, by 23 he made it to the NHL, scored his first goal, and played in the Stanley Cup Playoffs alongside some of the NHL’s top talent in Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. In the face of all of it, he remains determined and levelheaded.

 “When you first get called up to Pittsburgh, you see all the stars and it sinks in a little,” Dumoulin said. “At the same time though, you have to keep it in check and realize you are here to do a job. You can’t be star struck by them because you have to play with them and help try to make them better.”

If you ask any player in the NHL they will tell you they would love to play with players like Crosby and Malkin. Those that have played with and against the two headed monster will tell you the same thing….. that it can be intimidating at times. 

“It can be a little nerve-racking, especially when we’re losing,” Dumoulin said. “These guys want to win so badly and you want to do everything in your power to help them. There’s always that pressure to be better to help your team win.”

As for what the future holds for Dumoulin and his NHL career, Dumoulin says,

“I look at it like stepping stones, playing in my first NHL game, getting my first goal, become a full-time NHL player, have a good season, win a playoff series and ultimately a Stanley Cup.  I’ve been able to achieve these goals but I’m not satisfied, you can always improve.”

As far as a life after hockey is concerned, Dumoulin admitted he hasn’t given it much thought.  He has two classes remaining to earn his degree from BC, which he expects to finish by the summer of 2016. For now, hockey is the focus, especially with the season fast approaching.

“I want to make the team out of training camp, that’s always my goal.”

But, he is interested in learning more about the union aspect to the game and possibly getting more involved with the Professional Hockey Players’ Association (PHPA) or NHLPA down the line.

“The labor union is one thing I really wish I knew more about. This will be my fourth year pro and we’ve always had great Player Reps who really look out for us,” Dumoulin said. “I’m still learning about the PHPA and the NHLPA but it’s definitely something I’d like to get more involved in, it’s very important for us players.”

Although it is still very early and having just turned 24 last week, the future looks bright for the talented defenseman who is blossoming right before our eyes. In three years as a pro Dumoulin has made remarkable strides in both Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and Pittsburgh and is happy to be a member of the Penguins organization.

“The Penguins organization is committed to winning, which is great. It adds pressure and they expect you to be accountable but it makes you better,” Dumoulin said. “It helps make you a better player having that pressure, that accountability, that commitment to winning. Throughout the whole organization it’s just tremendous. It really makes you want to be here.”