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Cats Outta The Bag - March 21, 2025 - By Will MacLaren
NO PLAYER WANTS TO finish their first year of pro hockey back in junior. But if that’s where the path leads, the situation Dyllan Gill now finds himself in is about as ideal as one could ask for. The 20-year-old defenseman has taken his 24 games of AHL experience with the Syracuse Crunch back home to Moncton and the QMJHL-leading Wildcats.
A seventh-round pick of the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2022, the 6-foot-3, 196-pound Gill offers everything teams at all levels covet in a blueliner: size, strength, poise in all zones, superior decision-making and a right-handed shot.
Perhaps the most useful tool at his disposal, however, is a nuanced approach to a difficult situation faced in being returned to junior. “It was a lot of mixed emotions,” Gill said. “Staying in pro was the end goal, but seeing the circumstances, I was also super excited. There’s no better situation for me in being sent back. Getting to come back home, enjoy mom’s cooking and sleeping in my own bed is something I’ve never had the opportunity to enjoy in my junior career. It was an adjustment for me, but it’s going quite well so far.”
The Wildcats, who acquired Gill from the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies at the time of his return to junior, consider “going quite well” to be an off day. They feature a depth of roster that has produced both the top offense and defense in the league. It’s just another positive for Gill, who grew up in the neighboring town of Riverview, N.B., and whose family have been season-ticket holders for years. “It’s definitely a full-circle moment for me,” Gill said. “Plus, my parents don’t need season tickets now since they get billet tickets.”
For all the Cats possess, pro experience is the one item that Gill, who scored twice in his AHL debut last fall, can deliver to an already loaded lineup. “For me, it was the habits that I learned,” he said when asked about the key takeaways from his Syracuse sojourn. “In pro, they provide you the resources and it’s up to you how you choose to use them. I learned a lot from other players about how I can maximize those resources and the habits on a day-to-day basis to better myself on the ice. It’s those little details that I’ve brought back to share with the team.”
Those habits have been well received by a Moncton franchise that prides itself on offering a first-class experience for its players and staff, year in and year out. It’s another factor that sat in the back of Gill’s mind upon his return, and it’s something he bore witness to in the stands as a kid. “There’s a good winning culture here with very high standards,” he said. “I believe in all the things they also believe in. Taylor (GM MacDougall) and (coach) Gardiner MacDougall have been great to work with. I have nothing but good things to say about them. The organization has been built the right way. There’s a lot of people within it that have a lot of pride for the Wildcats.”
The Wildcats, who are searching for their first playoff title in 15 years, had initially intended to submit a bid to host this spring’s Memorial Cup. However, the league’s intent to hold the event in Quebec (the Rimouski Oceanic will host) after a decade-long hiatus snuffed those plans.
The way Gill sees it, having the group who’ve come together in Moncton this year is the next best thing to securing the host’s spot. “It’s tough to find a roster in the country I’m convinced is better than ours,” he said. “In a seven-game series, our group has what it takes to come out on top. It’s going to be up to us and how well we deal with those opportunities to win those series. We’re going to have a chance to do something special.”
Originally, it looked like the Memorial Cup could be a family reunion, as Dyllan’s younger brother Spencer, a Philadelphia Flyers pick, plays for the Oceanic. But Spencer sustained an ankle injury in early March that was likely to keep him out for the rest of the year.
Meanwhile, as his Wildcats look to claim the franchise’s third QMJHL title, the elder Gill isn’t getting ahead of himself. “For me, I’m trying to give myself and my teammates the best possibility of getting (to the Memorial Cup) as I can,” he said. “There’s a lot of hockey to be played and a lot of things can happen. We’ll worry about the future as it gets closer.”