The Canadiens chose only one player from the QMJHL in the last draft. Saying he was “mixed” with regard to the results of his former organization, Patrick Roy said on Wednesday that he would have liked to see the team “more involved” with the players of the Quebec junior circuit.
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Miguël Tourigny, a 20-year-old defender who recently wore the colors of the Acadie-Bathurst Titan, was called 216th by the Montreal organization. He was the last choice of the Habs. “Would I have liked the Canadian to take more? When you’re done that you take one in the seventh round, it’s a little … funny, “dropped Roy, questioned by Le Journal during the press conference to introduce his new assistant, Simon Gagné, Wednesday.
Bad timingsays the CH
Friday, at the end of the two days of repechage, the director of amateur recruitment of the CH, Martin Lapointe, had declared that the organization “likes [les Québécois] and that she “wants” them.
“But it doesn’t always work. the timing was not there, he added. We tried to advance in the first round. »
In addition to the first choice, the Canadian held the 26th selection in the first round.
Forward Nathan Gaucher, of the Quebec Remparts, was chosen 22nd by the Anaheim Ducks, which suggests that he had been targeted by Montreal.
Four Quebecers leave
On Wednesday, when the free agent market opened, Montreal released defenders Xavier Ouellet and Tobie Paquette-Bisson, as well as forwards Laurent Dauphin and Jean-Sébastien Dea.
The latter had also praised the representation of Quebec in the Rocket after the elimination of Laval, saying that “the Canadian should follow the example”.
However, the CH organization offered new two-part pacts to forwards Alex Belzile and Joël Teasdale.
She also signed one to Anthony Richard, a center player who played with the Syracuse Crunch, in the American League, at the end of the last campaign.
The importance of the Nordics
Roy recalled that when he was a player, the Nordiques were still in Quebec, and that this gave more opportunities for QMJHL hockey players to be recruited by a local team and to wear its colors.
“I think it’s always been important to have two teams in Quebec,” he said. It gave our players a chance to get picked up by their favorite team.”
The former goaltender also said he was “happy” that the Ducks recruited three players from his circuit, namely Gaucher, Noah Warren and Tristan Luneau.
In total, 19 QMJHL players were called up in the draft.
“I’m happy to see that the door is open for our players and that they manage to get drafted,” mentioned Roy.
A duty in the junior
The latter also underlined that the teams of the Courteau circuit find it important to select local players during their own repechage session.
“We selected one again this year, a guy from Quebec [Marc-Olivier Roy], Pointed Roy. Rimouski makes it a point to draft guys from their region. This membership is important. »
“It’s also a mark of respect for people who come to the arena to make sure they can see local players.