Dawson Mercer's Stanley Cup pursuit has its roots in a tiny Bay Roberts fitness centre

Dawson Mercer is flourishing in the bright spotlight that goes along with playing in the NHL — with his New Jersey Devils now embroiled in a second round Stanley Cup playoff battle with the Carolina Hurricanes.

But the talented and tough 21-year-old can trace some of his success to a nondescript training centre in his hometown of Bay Roberts, and a hockey-crazed uncle who pushed and guided him from the very first time Mercer pulled on a pair of skates.

Bo Bennett runs a program called Br8K Away Hockey, and operates a fitness centre on Bishop's Road in the town of about 11,000 people, where players gather to do off-ice training.

The ground floor features the usual weight training equipment, but the walls are covered in photos and news clippings that feature some of the best hockey talent to emerge from the area in recent years, including Mercer.

The fitness centre's second level is known as the "torture chamber," because that's where athletes are pushed to their limits: running, jumping, pushing and pulling.

For years, Mercer shed pools of sweat in that gym, ensuring his body was prepared for the rigours of elite level hockey. He still trains at Br8K Away in the off-season.

"He's the most genuine person that you know you'll ever meet," Bennett told CBC News during a visit to his Bay Roberts facility this week.

But Bennett and his son, Zach, are hoping they won't see Mercer walk through the front entrance of the fitness centre anytime soon, and that he'll be too busy helping the Devils go deep into the playoffs.

"He's just focused on that dream and he always has been," Zach Bennett, 22, said of Mercer's Stanley Cup aspirations.

Zach and Dawson grew up together in Bay Roberts, and both had tremendous success in the minor hockey ranks. Both went on to play in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, with Bennett winning a Memorial Cup in 2017. The Memorial Cup is awarded to the top major junior team in Canada at the end of a playoff series in early June. 

Bennett now plays professional hockey in Europe.

Mercer made his mark early — as a teenager on the international scene helping Canada claim a gold medal at the 2020 IIHF World Junior Championship. He won silver the following year.

He was drafted 18th overall by the Devils in 2020, and had an impressive rookie season last year with 17 goals and a total of 42 points.

He topped those numbers this year, with 27 goals and 56 points on a team loaded with stars such as Jack Hughes, Nico Hishier and Timo Meier.