ST. LOUIS - The scream could be heard a half-dozen sections over from the press box.
It emanated from high atop section 124 at Enterprise Center, where Neil and Victoria Duehr watched their son make history.
Two nights earlier they believed it was enough just to be here, watching their son in an NHL game for the very first time, following a nine-hour drive from Sioux Falls, South Dakota where young Walker Duehr was born 25 years ago, destined to be the very first player from his state to play in the NHL.
On Thursday, his third NHL game, the young man broke a scoreless tie in the second period, putting his Calgary Flames up 1-0 and etching his name in the record book as the first from his state to score an NHL goal.
The type of moment parents who’ve put in tens of thousands of miles driving to their kid’s games deserve to see.
“I was screaming,” admitted Neil Duehr, wearing his son’s Flames jersey and a grin he’ll wear all the way back home Friday.
“It was worth every mile. What a week.”
The Duehrs weren’t able to see their son’s NHL debut last year when Covid prevented them from witnessing his solo spin as an NHLer.
His call-up from the Calgary Wranglers last week set in motion a plan for the Duehrs, Walker’s fiancé and family, his brother and others to watch both games in St. Louis.
They’ll never forget what they witnessed live, which is good because the man they came to see was only vaguely sure what happened.
“I think I blacked out,” beamed the 6-foot-2, 210-pound fourth-liner who has never been much of a goal scorer.
“I don’t know if my legs got taken out, or I just fell after, into the wall. I can’t really remember.
"It was great.”
Recruited by Flames collegiate scout Billy Powers, who first set eyes on Duehr while scouting current Flame Connor Mackey at Minnesota State U — Mankato, Duehr’s sublime stride and size made him a natural fit for a Darryl Sutter team when they signed him as a free agent in 2021.
When Brett Ritchie went down with an injury last week, he was the natural replacement after spending a year-and-a-half learning the pro game in the minors.
“That’s a kid that wasn’t drafted, and he comes up the hard way - spends his four years in school and starts in the American League like everybody should,” said Sutter when asked about the goal at kickstarted a 4-1 win against the Blues.
“Just awesome. Everybody always remembers their first. He will for sure.”
So will a legion of youngsters in South Dakota who can draw inspiration from his unlikely journey — a path his mother Victoria spoke of being a difficult one.
“I’m sure they see me doing it and it probably puts a belief in their head, which it should,” said Duehr, before racing to the bench for a photo with his rubber keepsake and an emotional visit with his family.
“Anybody who puts their head down and goes to work can achieve pretty great things.
“So hopefully they can look at it and dream big.”
The Blues wound up tying the game early in the third, courtesy of Airdrie, Alta. product Jake Neighbours, who had Flames fans worried the visitors would collapse like they did two nights earlier.
Goals by Dillon Dube and Blake Coleman helped ensure the post-game celebration Duehr deserved was preserved.
“It gave us some life,” said Dube, who scored his second goal of the night into an empty net, capping the win.
“He’s such a good guy. He’s a great player. He has some family here, so it’s special. You could see the grin on his face. I have trained with him for quite a while and know him pretty well, so I’m pretty happy for him.
“It’s a special night for sure. You enjoy it when someone does that, especially a big goal like that.
“A great shot — it’s a beautiful first goal too.”
It came on a two-on-one with Nazem Kadri, who made a slick pass Duehr quickly snapped under the glove of Thomas Greiss before being steamrolled by Calle Rosen.
Mobbed by teammates as he clamoured to his feet, he insisted that even though he silenced the crowd he couldn’t hear his family’s screams.
“No, but I can assume (my mom) was screaming pretty good with the rest of 'em,” laughed the author of 10 AHL goals this season.
“It was a huge goal for the team – we were battling and I was lucky enough to get one in the second, and we kind of rolled from there.
While far from being done, the journey has been a long one — a path that must have all seemed worth it at that very moment.
“A lot of hours, putting in hard work, believing in myself,” he smiled.
“And credit to all those guys (his family) — I wouldn’t be in this spot without them.”
