Easton DeBray poses with a Maryville puck at media day. (submitted photo/maryvillehockey.smugmug.com)

By Ryan Lambert

Indigenous Athletes in College Sports

Easton DeBray representing Poundmaker Cree Nation on ACHA D1 hockey team

Oct 15, 2025 | 11:14 AM

The American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA) season is under way and Maryville University in St. Louis, Missouri has some representation from the Poundmaker Cree Nation in Saskatchewan.

Twenty-one-year-old defenceman Easton DeBray made the team after spending the better part of the last two seasons with the Kam River Fighting Walleye of the SIJHL. DeBray has already gotten into five of the team’s first seven games as a freshman, showing that he is an important part of the team’s defensive corpse.

As Easton is a Poundmaker Cree Nation band member, he has immense support from the community. According to his dad Clay, he is being looked up to among youth there as well.

“I always tell (him), it’s a privilege to be looked upon as a role model. It’s an honor and a privilege…he doesn’t take advantage of it, and he doesn’t take it lightly. He’s very thankful as well, just like we are. Hopefully it sparks a little light in the youth too, and they can look up at Easton and say if he can do it, I can do it as well.”

Easton reflected on coming from Poundmaker Cree Nation and isn’t taking the opportunity for granted.

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“It’s an honour. Not a lot of hockey players come from Poundmaker at all. It’s a pretty cool opportunity and a lot of kids from reserves don’t get opportunities to even make it off the reserve, let alone in St. Louis. Part of me is definitely doing it for my community and just to show the kids that there (are) opportunities. You just got to work and good things will come,” Easton said.

Maryville hockey head coach John Hogan spoke about how the players represent the school as well as themselves as student athletes, and that Easton understands that as he represents not only Maryville, but Poundmaker Cree Nation as well.

“Easton gets that probably better than anyone because he’s been doing that with how he’s been brought up saying I’m not just Easton, but I’m representing something that’s bigger than myself, which is his background and his indigenous background. It fits right into what we’re all about at Maryville. It’s kind of bigger than yourself and representing yourself in all the right ways,” Hogan said.

Coming from Meadow Lake, Easton also liked to give back to the community when he can and even runs a hockey camp there when he can. He mentioned the “hockey pool from Meadow Lake is starting to grow and there’s a lot more players that are getting to that elite level,” and cited the lack of hockey camps in the area.

“There’s nothing really in Meadow Lake and I kind of just saw it as an opportunity to help these younger players. Just to help them get some ice in Meadow Lake and just to work on their skills. It’s always nice to see kids and hockey players make it out from a small town Meadow Lake.”

Easton mentioned that he tries to do the camps whenever he is home whether that be Christmas, spring break, or the summer.

He has earned help from a few different sides, which has allowed him to pursue this opportunity. Thanks to his strong marks in secondary school, he received an academic scholarship. He also got a scholarship from his former Jr. A team for his time with the squad.

“There’s a lot of contributing factors into him playing where he’s at,” Easton’s father said.

As a freshman, Easton is still finding his way around being a student athlete. He has said it’s a tough schedule, but it helps knowing he has an entire community supporting him, and that he is able to represent Meadow Lake and the Poundmaker Cree Nation every single day.

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Ryan.lambert@pattisonmedia.com