Former Alberni Valley Bulldogs team captain Devin Timberlake took little time to make the most of made his professional hockey debut with the American Hockey League's Providence Bruins.
On Sunday, Timberlake played his first AHL game and needed just a handful of shifts before scoring his first professional goal against Manchester Monarchs netminder Jonathan Bernier at the 18:43 mark of the first period. Five days later, the Port Alberni product scored again, notching the game winner in a 3-1 victory over the Worcester Sharks.
Timberlake is with the Bruins of an Amateur Tryout Agreement and is hoping to earn his first professional contract in the coming weeks.
“The speed of the game is incredible,” Timberlake told the Providence Journal after his first taste of AHL action. “These guys can all move, they all move the puck really hard, and they all play with their heads up. Coming out of college, there's some quick players there, but moving up a level it's going to take a lot of effort, determination and a lot of work for me to stick here.”
The 24-year old recently finished his senior season with the Brown University Bears, where he appeared in all 37 of the team's games with a career-best 20 assists and 25 points. Over his four seasons at Brown from 2006 to 2010, the Port Alberni native suited up for 110 games and recorded 19 goals, 61 points and 146 penalty minutes.
