Ajax native Devin Shore gets NHL call-up to Stars in time for game at Leafs

TORONTO - As an undersized kid playing hockey in Ajax, Ont., Devin Shore didn't think the NHL was a realistic goal. It took until his first professional action in the minors last season for him to realize he was one call away from his dream coming true.

That call came Saturday as the Dallas Stars called up Shore to join them on their four-game road trip. As he settled in on the team plane Sunday, the lifelong Toronto Maple Leafs fan beamed at the thought of making his NHL debut against them Monday at Air Canada Centre with his family and friends in attendance.

"You always imagine it, but it's kind of a distant dream," Shore said by phone. "You never really think it could actually happen. So for even the possibility of it just happening, even if I'm not playing, just to be in that arena as part of the Dallas Stars, it'll definitely be a dream come true and a pretty special way to start my NHL career."

Shore made scouts notice him with the Ontario Junior Hockey League's Whitby Fury, and he was the final pick, 61st overall, in the second round of the 2012 draft. He grew to six-foot-one and got to 205 pounds and was a point-a-game player as a sophomore at the University of Maine two years later.

His first professional experience, last year with the American Hockey League's Texas Stars, showed him he could handle the next level of hockey. Shore was the AHL player of the week at the start of this season, earning the call-up with 11 points in nine games.

"I got to experience some good puck luck and things were going, I felt good about my game and all the results were coming, as well, and even better the team was winning, too," Shore said.

Texas general manager Scott White told Shore he was going to the NHL, but the 21-year-old didn't know if he'd be in the lineup against the Leafs on Monday. The high-scoring Stars have won three in a row, so coach Lindy Ruff might not be eager to make changes.

"They said be ready," Shore said. "They haven't told me anything yet, which is totally cool. I'm just here to help out when I can, be a good teammate, and I'm there if they need me."

Still, Shore is trying to procure tickets quickly for his parents, grandparents, brother and girlfriend see him in Toronto.

"They're all really excited and they want to get tickets, even if I'm not playing," he said. "It's been crazy. A lot's happened over the last 24 hours, so I'm working on that."

Shore said he'll be thinking about his late grandfather on his dad's side, along with the rest of his family, as he prepares to play in the NHL at some point, whether it's Monday, Tuesday in Boston or down the road.

"He was my biggest fan," Shore said. "He loved the game of hockey more than anyone I've ever known, so I'll be thinking about him if I ever get the chance to lace 'em up for the Dallas Stars because I know he'll be watching down."

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