Darren Zary
Saskatoon StarPhoenix
HUMBOLDT — Dayne Beuker’s family home backs the No. 3 tee box on the Humboldt Golf Course.
A hockey rink, surprisingly, isn’t anywhere near.
Even though he lists golf as his “favourite hobby” on his Hockey USA National Team Development Program team profile, Beuker stick-handles more on the ice, than on the putting greens, these days.
“I haven’t golfed (the Humboldt course) yet this summer,” laments Beuker, who led Team USA under-17s in scoring last season with 14 goals and 25 assists for 39 points in 57 games.
“I love golf — I’m not too good but it’s definitely fun.”
Golf is taking a backseat to hockey, and for good reason.
Beuker is on course for a bright future hockey wise.
Born in Germany to an American mom (Tori) and Canadian dad (Dean), Beuker is German, American and Canadian — a hockey hat-trick like no other — so he had multiple passports and hockey pathways, from which to choose, when charting his hockey future.
He chose, and got picked, to play for the United States.
And he’s not looking back.
Beuker will be entering his second year in the two-year NTDP residency, based in Detroit, Mich., while his parents remain back in Saskatchewan.
He weighed his options but it was tough to pass up the golden opportunity — all expense paid — to play for the United States.
“Even living in Canada most of my life, I’ve always kind of seen myself as an American,” offers Beuker, who played all of his minor hockey in Humboldt. “I’ve always cheered for them in any sports I’ve watched and I’ve always kind of wanted to live there. It wasn’t too hard of a decision.”
Auston Mathews, Jack Hughes, Jack Eichel, Cole Caufield, Rick DiPietro and Erik Johnson are among the notable NDTP alumni to move on the NHL.
Beuker is not the only NTDP player who is both American and Canadian. He is joined by goalie Brady Knowling, from Toronto, and Sam Wathier, from Quebec.
FORMER SASKATOON BLAZER STAR
At age 15, Beuker led the Saskatoon Blazers and Saskatchewan AAA U18 Hockey League in scoring with 41 goals and 63 points. He was named the league’s most valuable player and top rookie and helped the Blazers win the league title.
Prior to that, Beuker lit up the Saskatchewan AA U15 league. He racked up 103 points for the Humboldt Broncos in 30 games with 47 goals and 56 assists.
Drafted by the Lethbridge Hurricanes in the first round, 14th overall, of the 2023 Western Hockey League Prospects Draft, Beuker opted to give the U.S. national team program a try and make his American mom proud.
“Mom obviously loved that decision,” Dayne confirms. “My dad, um, he questions it a bit, but I think it was the right one and I see myself as American.
“Once I saw I could do that, it was definitely my goal and I think it was a pretty easy decision. I don’t know if there are many better places than there.”
His dad agrees.
“I will support and cheer for him until the nth degree but I still give him a hard time,” says Dean. “I’ve got my Canadian stuff on underneath my American stuff, but I will support him. It’s about what he wants to do with his life.”
Born in Humboldt and raised on a farm near Dixon before his parents moved to Watson, Dean played in the WHL for the Portland Winterhawks and Regina Pats. He had 29 goals and 30 assists for 59 points in 63 games for the Pats during his final junior season before moving on to become one of the all-time leading scorers for the University of Saskatchewan Huskies.
Following a four-year U Sport career, Beuker played professionally in Germany for three seasons and that was when Dayne was born in Essen.
“He’s been awesome to me,” Dayne says of Dean. “He’s one of my greatest role models so I appreciate him, always.”
Comparisons have been made.
“We play kind of the same way, I’m told,” admits Dayne. “He always tells me, though, that he wishes that I could have watched him a little bit more. I don’t remember too much about his game but what he says it’s pretty similar. He says it’s better but I don’t believe that.”
Truthfully, neither does Dean.
“No, not at all,” admits Dean. “I say that to him (in jest).”
(“He has the same wit,” Tori points out.)
“Dayne skates better,” continues Dean. “Dayne’s got way more skill-set than I would have ever had. But they put a lot more into their craft than we did way back in the day. There’s a difference in the level of hockey that he plays and what I do.”
“He’s really focused. He’s a great kid. He’s enjoying what he’s doing and he’s got a hell of an opportunity.”
It’s a two-year commitment.
While NTDP players are not eligible for the Hlinka-Gretzky under-18 tournament — “It’s just another way to have a second pipeline so more kids have an opportunity to play international events,” Dean points out — they will play in two international tournaments.
“He’s led us to some nice places,” says Dean. “Last year we went to Finland twice. This year, it sounds like they go to Sweden and Switzerland. And Slovakia has the (world) U18 tournament but they actually have to make that team.”
While playing in the Hlinka-Gretzky U-18 tournament would be cool, there’s no shortage of international travel and exposure in store.
“We go to three cool tournaments this year — three pretty cool places that I’m excited for,” points out Dayne. “We went to three last year. Obviously the Hlinka would be fun, as well, but I think taking the summer to strictly work out and kind of get better in the gym is very important. That’s kind of what it’s been about.”
And it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that very few get.
“Its really cool … I don’t know many kids they say are playing hockey in the U.S. now, at his age level, but to have that opportunity, it’s something you can never take away from him,” Dean says.
“If this is the furthest you go, it’s something you can hang your hat on, something you can go back on as a player and be proud of.”
NHL DRAFT ELIGIBLE IN 2026
Beuker may go further yet. He is eligible for the 2026 National Hockey League Entry Draft.
Early projections see him going in the first two rounds.
He watched this year’s draft, as he always does, only to see fellow former Saskatoon Blazers, Roger McQueen and Cole Reschny, get taken in the first round.
“I’ve been following their footsteps, watching them the whole way,” says Beuker. “It’s been real neat and hopefully that can happen with me, too.
“Definitely it’s been a dream. Hopefully it can come true. I’m trying to put it in the back of my head, just kind of play good hockey and I know good things will come from that.”
Beuker is described as being pretty quiet.
Humboldt’s Dayne Beuker, whose mom is American and dad is Canadian, plays for Hockey USA’s National Team Development Program and led the under-17 squad in scoring last season.
“I speak up when I need to, I feel,” he says. “As a hockey player, I think I’m a fast team player. I think the game quite well, I would say. I definitely put the team first.
“As a person, I take that very seriously. I want to be known as a good hockey player but more so as a good person, trying to help everyone out and be the best person I can be while being a good hockey player at the same time.”
He knows he has to work on his strength is skating is always something to work on for any hockey player.
“You can never be too good at that,” he points out.
Part of his off-season training is in Saskatoon with former NHLer Blair Jones, an assistant coach with the Blazers. He’s got a home gym so Beuker works out with him.
“He pushes me hard,” Beuker says, “which is nice.”
Beuker is represented by CCA, a U.S.-based sports agency that also has Saskatoon’s Berkly Catton, one of his role models, in its stable
“I’ve grown up watching him,” Beuker says of the former Saskatoon Contact, Catton. “He’s such a special player to watch, just everything he is. He’s amazing.”
CCA held its development camp in July.
TEENAGE LOVE STORY
Dayne’s mom and dad, Dean and Tori, met when Dean was playing junior hockey in Portland, Oregon. They were just teenagers.
“A long time ago,” both Dean and Tori now say, looking back.
Eventually, Tori followed Dean to Saskatoon, where he was attending the University of Saskatchewan and playing for the Huskies.
“I didn’t move up here (to Canada) until mid-college kind of thing. I think I was 22. We went to Europe after that.
“Then we came back after Dayne was born.”
When Dean headed over to Germany to play professionally, Tori joined him and they welcomed their baby boy, Dayne.
“A pretty cool experience,” says Tori. “We went back (to Germany) for another year and a half (after Dayne was born). Dean played another year, then we moved back to Humboldt.”
Tori now works at the Humboldt Hospital. Dean has continued his family business out in Watson, doing oil and gas filtration products for the oil/gas industry.
“Humboldt’s been great,” says Tori. “It’s such a great community, as far as sports and as far as having all the friends in the same neighbourhood going out and enjoying everything. It’s been a really good place to raise a child.”
And in this case an only child.
“We’re very thankful to have him,” Tori says of Dayne.
“And very proud of him.”
IN DETROIT FOR TRAINING
It’s early Sunday afternoon and the Beuker clan has arrived at the Saskatoon Airport.
Dayne has checked his bags and is ready to depart for Minneapolis and then Detroit for a three-week training stint.
“All the coaches and strength trainers stay there and there’s a good group of guys coming back for summer that just want to train there,” points out Dayne. “I think it’s in my best interests to go train there again.”
Expenses are paid.
Dayne is armed with two passports, both an American and Canadian one — one for each way going back and forth between Canada and the United States.
It’s a whirlwind summer.
He was home for two weeks in the spring, one week in July and one week in August. “Four weeks total, which is kind of crazy,” he says. “Having a lot of fun in Detroit too, but it’s always nice coming back home, as well, though.”
His golf clubs — or, more correctly, his dad’s clubs— are in Detroit, where Beuker returned this past week.
“Maybe in August I’ll find some clubs and hopefully get out on the course,” he says.
“I did take (his dad’s) clubs. He did have a little bit nicer ones and mine were getting a little short, so I just took his. Hopefully he gets a new set and we swap again.”
Despite the prime location, parents Dean and Tori aren’t golfing much either these days.
“We use it (adjacent golf course) as a dog-walking area,” quips Dean, one of the all-time great Hockey Dogs who is destined to become better known simply as Dayne’s dad.
“It’s the biggest dog park around.”
