Nicolas Beaudin’s hopes of joining the Chicago Blackhawks roster were tarnished with the departure of general manager Stan Bowman. With the Montreal Canadiens, he gets a chance to be himself.
Posted on October 27th
Beaudin arrived in Montreal around 4 a.m. Thursday after a long 14-hour drive from Illinois to Quebec. When he found out he had become a member of his childhood team, he packed his bags and headed home as soon as possible.
Incidentally, he even received a text message from Captain Nick Suzuki. The two briefly rubbed shoulders at the juniors with Team Canada.
Beaudin, 23, joins an organization that gives young people space. Especially in defence. Even though the Young Wolves have been doing very well on the blue line since the start of the season, he’s happy to find himself in a place where he has a chance to break through.
“It’s very motivating! When I play here, I have to be as good as possible, play my own style to show what I can do,” he explained in the Laval Rocket dressing room after his first training session with the crew.
Known for his offensive flair and skill with the puck, the former 2018 first-round pick now feels like a complete defender who can stand out and be useful both ways of the game.
Especially since he plays comfortably on the right and left.
leave Chicago
Although the Blackhawks saw a lot of potential in the former Drummondville Voltigeurs, the relationship between the two camps had crumbled somewhat over the past season. “I didn’t see a future there and I don’t think they saw one with me. »
The Châteauguois explains that things changed completely when Stan Bowman left the organization in October 2021. Kyle Davidson obviously didn’t see it in his soup.
After Bowman’s departure, Beaudin rose from first to third pair of defenders in the AHL with the Rockford Icedogs. He didn’t even make the playoffs despite being healthy.
Nonetheless, the 1.67m tall defender admits he could have handled the situation better. “Maybe I didn’t have the best attitude at Rockford considering I spent the past season in the NHL. »
However, he believes he’s been able to make the necessary adjustments to come back stronger:
I’ve been working on myself this summer and I’m really ready to make a difference.
Nicholas Beaudin
reunion time
Xavier Simoneau has already played two seasons in Drummondville with the newcomer. It was impossible for him to hide his joy. The two players were already teasing each other in the dressing room as if they had never left.
Aside from reuniting with his old friend, the forward is happy the Canadian was able to make this acquisition as he can immediately help the Rocket find their way back to victory.
He will bring the offensive. He handles the puck very well. It’s beautiful to look at.
Xavier Simoneau, player of Laval Rocket
Simoneau believes Beaudin already fits perfectly into this tight-knit group, adding that he has all the makings of a fresh start to his career.
He also believes that the defender could quickly become a crowd favorite: “Even as a player, I enjoy watching him on the ice. So the fans will surely like it,” he added.
Take his place
In a press conference, Rocket head coach Jean-François Houle admitted that he doesn’t know his new player very well, so it’s important to get him involved in practice rehearsals as soon as possible.
He admits his team already has plenty of full-backs with nine players fit and available, but he’s eager to see Beaudin fight for his position.
All players are different and develop differently. […] For him it is a second chance with a new organization.
Jean-François Houle, head coach of the Laval Rocket
He also wants Beaudin to be in the best possible shape to succeed, so he intends to focus on his strength, his attacking game, to help him progress. The idea was to go back to basics and not distort the young man.
“We’re here to develop players, so we have to give everyone a chance to show themselves. »
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