The Michigan Daily
One hundred and thirty-four years of editorial freedom
DETROIT — It was a day for the Duke family to remember.
Friday night, former Wolverines forward Dylan Duke got the call he’d been waiting for his entire life: the Tampa Bay Lightning were recalling him from the AHL up to the NHL to make his debut against the Detroit Red Wings. Just hours later, Duke’s little brother Tyler was slated to play for the No. 13 Michigan hockey team in ‘Duel in the D’ in the same arena.
“It was a pretty surreal day, just with my brother making his NHL debut right before our game,” Tyler said. “So I got down here early, and I was fortunate enough to be here to watch him make his NHL debut. So yeah, it was really special.”
A special day for the entire Duke family, the excitement only built — and it exploded following Dylan’s goal. After a shot ricocheted off Red Wings’ goaltender Cam Talbot, Dylan was right there to send the puck into a wide open net.
With family — including Tyler — and former teammates in attendance, including Wolverines senior forward Mark Estapa and senior defenseman Ethan Edwards, it was a moment Dylan had been waiting for his entire life. And just hours later, the day only got more special for the Duke family.
Just like his big brother did earlier that day, Tyler got exactly what he was looking for — a goal of his own.
In the second period down a goal against Michigan State, Michigan needed an answer. Shooting the puck all the way around the boards, it seemed to be a routine shift for the junior defenseman. However, with some help from his teammates, the Wolverines got their answer, and it became a special moment for Tyler and his family.
“Obviously very proud of Dylan and getting the call and watching him on TV,” Michigan coach Brandon Naurato said. “Then he scores a big goal, and seeing the family and seeing a smile on his face. And then Tyler sent me a text today that he was going to get one too. So we made it one to one. We were all feeling really good.”
Junior forward T.J. Hughes tipped the puck with his stick, sending it toward a Michigan State skater near the blue line. That was until sophomore forward Garrett Schifsky laid a massive hit, sending the puck right back to Hughes. As Hughes flipped the puck back toward the middle of the ice, that’s all Tyler needed.
With a runway in front of him and the Spartans’ skaters out of position, Tyler skated towards the circles before ripping a shot that beat Michigan State goaltender Trey Augustine. Pumping his fist, jumping into the glass and getting mobbed by his teammates, this was no ordinary goal.
It was a goal with 20 years of history behind it. Since the Duke brothers were just toddlers, they’d skated together. Once they were old enough to play organized hockey, they played for the same travel team. As they prepared to enter the collegiate ranks, they both played for the U.S. National Team Development Program. They dueled as they played on opposite sides of the Michigan-Ohio State rivalry. Finally, they reunited in Ann Arbor as teammates last season.
And Saturday, all of that history was summed up. Dylan got his first career NHL goal with Tyler watching, and Tyler scored one later as well. An unprecedented moment, two brothers scored a goal at two different levels of hockey on the same day in the same arena.
Though Tyler didn’t ultimately get the result he wanted as the Wolverines fell, the whole day was special for the Duke family. Both Dylan and Tyler got their goals, with their family and friends present to watch.
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