Without his parents’ support, Flin Flon Bomber Daylan Marchi said he does not know what he would be doing right now.
Ever since he started playing hockey in Sparwood, B.C., Mark and Dawn Marchi have firmly supported their son on a hockey journey that has touched four provinces. At one point, Marchi and his mom lived in a different community than his dad and older sister so that he could play at a higher level.
“They had to make some big sacrifices for me to reach my goals,” said the 19-year-old forward, whose family lives in Lethbridge, Alta. “They are always asking if I need anything or anything my billets need for the house since we live a few blocks from a Costco. They are always trying to help out somehow and that’s why I am grateful for having them as my parents.”
In his first full season with the Bombers, Marchi has established himself as an important player. He is tied for sixth, with Dawson McKenzie, on the team in scoring. Marchi’s three goals and 10 points in 15 games surpasses the two goals and six points in 16 contests he posted with the Bombers last season. The numbers don’t tell the full story when it comes to Marchi’s value to the Bombers.
“Daylan has became a real leader for us,” Flin Flon head coach Mike Reagan said. “Unreal how he has matured! He wants to be a player. He is taking hockey very serious and trying to improve.”
Marchi came into the 2017-2018 Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League season setting new goals for himself.
“I changed up my game day routine,” Marchi said. “I wanted to focus on pushing myself more using my strong points more during games and practice more on my weaknesses and be more strict on my nutrition.”
Marchi’s hockey journey started in his hometown of Sparwood. He proudly won a peewee provincial championship with his father guiding the squad as the head coach. When it came time to move up to bantam, Marchi wanted to play at a higher level as his local Elk Valley Minor Hockey Association only offered a Bantam A team.
If he stayed in province and tried to join a higher-level team in a place like Cranbrook, under the rules his parents would have had to legally separate or relinquish their parental rights to him. The family opted to see if Marchi could make the Bantam AAA team in Lethbridge, where he had played some summer hockey. To make this happen, Marchi and his mom moved to Lethbridge while his father and sister remained in Sparwood while his sister completed her last year of high school.
“After tryouts I earned a spot on the team and it took a lot of pressure of f my family and myself, but I had to adjust to a new school and makes some new friends, but I made some close friends along the way,” Marchi said.
In regards to the family living in two places, he commented, “that was the sacrifice they made to help me succeed and get to where I am at and I’m grateful to have such supportive parents who I love so much.”
Marchi played bantam and midget hockey in Lethbridge. At 17, he joined the Canmore Eagles of the Alberta Junior Hockey League. At the Jan. 10 trade deadline last season, he was swapped to the Bombers for 20-year-old Dondre Watson as the team looked to get younger. Marchi helped Flin Flon make it to the SJHL finals.
“I always enjoy playoffs and how the game gets more intense. but my first playoff run with the Bombers and the atmosphere of the Zoo during playoffs is a feeling I can’t describe,” he said.
Marchi said being traded to Flin Flon has been the best thing for his junior career.
“Being part of the Bombers organization is something special with all the history that’s has been through the locker room and how much the community supports the Bombers and make game days something to look forward to.”
