Canada goalie Devon Levi makes a save during a game against the United States at the IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship, in Edmonton, on Jan. 5, 2021.JASON FRANSON/The Canadian Press
Devon Levi was scrolling through his social-media feed, just like any other university student with some down time.
There were probably posts featuring friends and family, maybe another couple from a professional athlete or musician he follows. Perhaps even a funny pet video or a clip of someone pulling a harmless prank.
On this particular night, however, something else caught his eye – and sent the 20-year-old’s heart racing.
Levi was staring at a picture of himself on a list of potential goaltenders for Canada’s Olympic men’s hockey team after the NHL’s decision to withdraw from the Beijing Games.
“I was like, ‘Wow, are you kidding me?’” he recalled. “I was shocked. I had no clue – like no clue – I’d be considered.
“Couldn’t sleep … I was so excited.”
Levi was not only considered, he made the team. And Canadian hockey fans may soon be feeling similar emotions watching him in the country’s crease.
In the midst of an eye-popping statistical season for Northeastern in the NCAA, Levi is one of three netminders on the country’s 25-man roster heading to China.
The native of the Montreal suburb of Dollard-des-Ormeaux is 16-7-1 – including nine shutouts – with a .948 save percentage and a 1.55 goals-against average in 2021-22.
“I haven’t been playing to be in the Olympics,” Levi said. “I just play every day because I love it and I want to get better.”
“He’s doing things at the NCAA level that just doesn’t happen,” added Shane Doan, who played 21 NHL seasons and is Canada’s general manager in Beijing.
“It’s hard to not notice.”
Levi may actually be the only one who hasn’t.
“I never really look at my save percentage or my stats,” he said on a recent video conference call with reporters when asked about his numbers. “I didn’t know before you told me.”
With the NHL pulling the plug on its Olympic participation because of COVID-19 concerns, the door swung open for players plying their trades in lower leagues.
The majority of Canada’s roster, however, has either suited up in the NHL, had long careers in Europe or were first-round draft picks.
But not Levi.
Before the Olympics, before Northeastern, before being named MVP of the 2021 World Junior Hockey Championship, before he was drafted 212th over all by the Florida Panthers, Levi was playing for the Carleton Place Canadiens – just south of Ottawa – in the second-tier CCHL junior circuit when the pandemic hit in March, 2020.
Now, 23 months later, there’s a chance he could be starting for his country on the world’s biggest sporting stage when Canada opens its tournament schedule Feb. 10 against Germany.
“This whole experience is crazy,” Levi said. “If you asked me last year or the year before if I ever thought I was going to the Olympics, I’d say probably not – forget about in a year or two.
“I’m super grateful.”
But some of the people along for parts of this improbable ride know it’s no fluke.
“He’s always doing something related to hockey,” said former NHLer and current Northeastern goalie coach Mike Condon. “He bases a lot of his decisions on whether or not this will help or hurt him on the ice.
“He really has that leave-no-stone-unturned mentality.”
Jason Clarke, meanwhile, saw Levi’s unique drive up close when he was the Canadiens’ head coach, GM and owner.
“All business in all aspects of life,” said Clarke, who now coaches the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League’s Acadie-Bathurst Titan. “Just a very mature young man that knows what he wants.
“He will not take no for an answer.”
That was certainly the case when Levi arrived at Canada’s extended World Junior camp in November, 2020.
He showed up with terrific numbers from the previous CCHL season when he went 34-2-1 with a .941 save percentage and a 1.47 GAA, but was up against goaltenders from higher leagues and bigger programs with more cachet.
“We had a lot of the scouts calling,” Clarke said. “I just told them, ‘If he’s invited to the World Junior camp, he’ll be your No. 1. He’s not going to just make the team. He’ll be the No. 1 and be your best player.’ Nothing that’s happened to this kid is surprising to me.
“He’s been an underdog his whole life.”
Levi has indeed fought for everything he’s got from the game up until now. At six feet and 190 pounds, he doesn’t have a modern netminder’s typical big frame, but Clarke sees similarities with Juuse Saros of the Nashville Predators.
“He looks like he’s 6-foot-5 in the net,” Clarke said. “He’s very patient on his feet, plays big and has elite athleticism.”
Levi sat out the rest of last season after the World Juniors because of injury, but was around his Northeastern teammates and working on the mental side of his craft.
“Very competitive and very driven,” Condon said. “When someone tells you you’re No. 6 on the depth chart (like at world junior camp) and you decide to block all that out and end up winning the job, that tells you there’s an intensity and a fire.
“He really goes at it. Fortune favours the bold.”
That drive is also apparent in the classroom, where Levi is majoring in computer science and business.
“It’s not something you can coast by,” Condon said. “But what’s really surprising is he’s very intellectual physically in terms of understanding the game, understanding biomechanics, positioning in the way he’s going about attacking a save.”
Condon also has to sometimes rein in his star pupil.
“I’ve had to explain to him about the law of diminishing returns,” he said. “Devon likes to work, which is great for me.”
Canada also has Toronto’s Edward Pasquale of the Russian-based KHL’s Lokomotiv Yaroslavl and Matt Tomkins of Sherwood Park, Alta., and Frolunda of Sweden’s SHL on its Olympic roster.
Condon joked Levi’s only fault may be his poor taste in movies, while Clarke added the player has an endearing quirkiness.
“The biggest thing people should know about him is he’s probably the most well-liked guy in the change room,” Clarke added. “He is the ultimate teammate. Cares about his teammates, cares about the wins, cares about guys playing well.
“He worries about his teammates as much as he does about himself.”
And his former coach has little doubt where Levi’s immediate future lies at the Olympics.
“Yes, he’s made Team Canada,” Clarke said. “But he’ll be the starting goaltender – 150 per cent – no doubt. He’ll be the No. 1 guy and he’ll get them to the gold-medal game.
“I can almost guarantee the whole country that’s exactly what’ll happen.”
And has history has shown, bet against Devon Levi at your peril.