This 29-year-old's NHL debut didn't feel real — until he got punched in the face

It took Nova Scotia’s Dillon Boucher getting into a fight for it to sink in that he was finally playing in the National Hockey League.

“People are like, ‘When did it feel real?’ I think when I got punched in the face a few times,” he told CBC News from his apartment in Chicago.

Boucher, who grew up in Head of Chezzetcook N.S., made his NHL debut with the Chicago Blackhawks last week at the age of 29 after grinding it out in the minor leagues for several seasons.

In his second game, he dropped the gloves with Tampa Bay Lightning forward Jeremy Viel.

It was a good tilt, says Boucher, who is still sporting a black eye and a cut on his forehead.

“Might not be able to get any modelling debut right now but, no, it was fun,” he said.

Boucher, who is known more for his physical play and hockey IQ than for scoring goals, admits he wasn’t sure if he’d ever get this opportunity.

But now that he is he says he’s working hard to make the most of it while trying to enjoy every moment along the way.

“I know nothing's guaranteed. I kind of take it day by day. I've never been one to look too far in the future or look too far in the past,” Boucher said.

Boucher's mindset is no surprise to one of his former minor hockey coaches.

“He was a mature young man then. He's a mature young man now,” said Paddy Flynn, director of hockey at Mount Academy, a private school in North Rustico, P.E.I.

Flynn coached Boucher several years ago on a major bantam team in Nova Scotia. He immediately noticed the young player had a lot of skills that aren’t necessarily celebrated in the sport, he says.

Dillon Boucher says he was able to continue to pursue his dream of playing in the NHL because of the support he's received from his family and friends. He's