“It made me a little frustrated” -Savier Ovalet

When announcing the players who would form his reserve team, Claude Julian was careful not to mention that nothing was set in stone. Youngsters like Ryan Pohling and Kale Fleury need to see some action and can therefore be sent back to Laval‌ when the rocket season begins.

Under normal circumstances, it is questionable whether they will start the campaign with an official 23-person list.

Wouldn’t the team management be willing to send two young players to follow their training with Joel Bouchard?

Instead, did we not find Javier O’Leary and Alex Belgile who honestly defended the colors of the hobs in the Toronto bubble during the playoff tournament?

Naturally, two veterans have long understood that it is better not to worry too much about decisions that are out of their control, except to give them the best.

“I was a little disappointed, but I was informed that there would be a lot of staff movement this year. It’s a very difficult season to tackle, so it’s better to go one day at a time,” O’Leary said during the official launch of Rocket Camp.

“I’m here right now. We practice at the Bell Center. I am not wasting my time. Let’s see what happens. I’m ready, “said Rocket Captain.

“I get better every year”

Belgile surprised everyone by convincing Claude Julian to wear a Canadian uniform for six of the ten games of the playoff tournament. Six meetings, despite limited game time, he played well.

However, convincing Mark Bergewin, who has signed deals with two eminent veterans, Michael Frolick and Corey Perry, seems to be inadequate to keep depth in the Reserve Squad when needed.

“It simply came to our notice then. Asons pieces are long. Many things can happen, especially in a year like this, Belgile said. I don’t think I’m a worse player than last year. On the contrary, I am improving every year. I proved that I could play in the NHL and dominate my line. ”

We can understand that. In addition to these two former Stanley Cup champions, the General Manager coached his coach, Tyler Tofoli (another former winner of the Precious Trophy) and Josh Anderson. There is a lot of traffic ahead.

“Focusing on depth is very positive for an organization. It’s not all teams that are higher than the Canadian. You can see results on the ice,” said the 29-year-old striker.

Guhle at Mysak camp camp

At the end of the big club’s camp, Ovelette and Belgile continued training with their teammates from the rocket under Bouchard’s orders.

Next, there was never praise when it came time to talk about these two players, adding a layer on Friday afternoon.

“They have a wonderful attitude. This is the reason for their success. The two played in the bubble last summer. They will look at the reserve team and make sure they are working and that they are ready, without wondering why they are not there. They will be there whenever they get a call, ”said the Rocket coach.

Bouchard welcomed 32 players, mainly at the Rocket Camp at the Bell Center. Among them, we found Kaiden Guhle and Ian Misak.

Canadians first and second round picks in the final draft, the 18-year-old two skaters are still junior. They were allowed to join the racket because of the inactivity of the Canadian junior circuits they played.

Different calendar

Meanwhile, the American League has confirmed that its regular season will take place on February 5 by posting a summary schedule for the upcoming campaign.

Some teams play 44 games, others 24 and some games, 36. Meanwhile, Canadian teams are still waiting to find out who their opponents are.

“We are in a pandemic. There are a lot of things that are not normal right now. “We never thought there would be a curfew in Quebec,” Bouchard recalled. We experience something different and our goal is to adapt. It is common for information to come out as a hoax. “