By Dave Dyer

Staff Writer

In less than a year, Brian Dumoulin has gone from having the eye of the tiger to having the eye of a hurricane.

Dumoulin, the former star defenseman for the Biddeford Tigers hockey team was selected by the Carolina Hurricanes with the 51st overall pick in the second round of the National Hockey League (NHL) Entry Draft June 19.

Dumoulin, 17, traveled with his family to Montreal, Canada, where the two-day draft event was hosted. He said it took some time before his name was called, including sitting through the entire first day of the draft.

“We got through the first round, which took four hours,” Dumoulin said. “In the morning we got to the Bell Centre and there were not even five minutes in between picks. I knew I’d be drafted at some point. Carolina drafted me and I couldn’t be happier.”

After being drafted, Dumoulin said he had a chance to meet with Carolina management in their suite at the Bell Centre.

“After I got drafted I met with the [general manager] and the [assistant general manager] and they had nothing but great things to say,” Dumoulin said.

Dumoulin was a member of two state championship hockey teams with the Tigers in 2007 and 2008. He decided to forgo his senior year of hockey at Biddeford to play for the New Hampshire Monarchs of the Eastern Junior Hockey League. 

In 46 games, Dumoulin scored eight goals and added 27 assists, helping the Monarchs defeat the Jersey Hitmen to win the USA Hockey Tier III Junior A National Championship.

After the season, Dumoulin was invited to the NHL Combine in Toronto, where he had to participate in physical tests in front of NHL scouts.

Dumoulin said the hardest test in the combine was the “VO2 max test,” which involves riding a stationary bike for 12 minutes, with riders needing to keep a certain level of RPM’s on the bike, even while more resistance is added throughout the length of the test.

“It’s a killer,” Dumoulin said. “You ride it to the point of failure, but it shows how bad you want to put on an NHL sweater.”

According to the NHL Web site, Dumoulin, who is 6-foot-3-inches tall and weighs 195 pounds, had the longest wingspan at 80 inches and also the lowest percentage of body fat at six percent.

Dumoulin signed his letter of intent to play hockey at Boston College on a full, four-year athletic scholarship in November. He had similar offers from the University of Maine at Orono, the University of New Hampshire, Providence College and Northeastern University.

Dumoulin said even though he has been selected by the Hurricanes, he will honor his scholarship and play for Boston College. He said the Hurricanes own his NHL playing rights for four years, and by rule have until August after his senior year to sign him to a contract or he will be a free agent.

Dumoulin said he made the decision to stay in school before the draft, and said that playing for the Eagles and head coach Jerry York will help better develop his skills for the NHL. He said he is also excited about the fact that 10 NHL draft picks will play at Boston College next season.

“I definitely need to work on my defensive skills,” Dumoulin said. “But I also need to work on my foot speed and to not be tentative with the puck.” 

Biddeford hockey coach Jamie Gagnon said in a previous interview that Dumoulin has a bright future in hockey.

“He plays and practices the right way,” Gagnon said. “He’s certainly been the most talented player, but he’s also the most humble. You could tell from the first day freshman year that his poise with the puck was special. He was the guy you wanted to have the puck with the game on the line.”

Gagnon said the key for Dumoulin’s success to continue is to keep working hard.

“He certainly has the size,” Gagnon said. “He has great potential as long as he continues to do things the right way. I just keep telling him to stay hungry and stay humble.”

Dumoulin is the second hockey player born in the state of Maine to be recently drafted into the NHL. He joins Matt Duffy of Windham, who played his college hockey at the University of Maine at Orono and was selected by the Florida Panthers in the fourth round of the 2005 draft.

Dumoulin said he thinks the competition in Maine has gotten better through the years and more local players will be on college and NHL rosters in the future.

“I definitely think Maine hockey is on the rise,” Dumoulin said. “[Monarchs goalie and Kennebunk resident] Brian Billet is going with me to [Boston College] next season and he’ll be on NHL draft lists next year.”

Dumoulin said he is excited about being drafted, but that it’s only the start of what he would like to accomplish.

“It feels pretty good that someone knows I can develop with them,” he said. “It’s just the start of reaching my dream as a pro athlete.” 

Staff writer Dave Dyer can be reached at 282-4337 ext. 219