Quebec forward Xavier Simoneau has done well in the Canadians’ rookie camp, so he’ll join the real training camp in Montreal starting Wednesday.

It’s a big move for the 21-year-old skater, who was selected in the sixth round by the Habs in the 2021 draft. For the general manager of the Voltigeurs de Drummondville, Philippe Boucher, who knows him well, it is a largely deserved invitation. Because at 5’6” (according to the list of Canadians) Simoneau often had to go to great lengths to convince the ice hockey world.

“Xavier deserves to be there, he’s a great leader, a guy who did everything to play hockey,” Boucher told JiC on Tuesday.

“We questioned him because he was a dwarf, too small, also this, also that, but he was very good for us in the Voltigeurs, he was very good in Charlottetown, a team that he brought to the finals,” added he added.

One thing is for sure, those who know Simoneau well tend not to doubt him.

“He’s a guy that (former CH coach) Dominique Ducharme wanted to get, he worked hard for two years to get drafted by the Montreal Canadiens,” Boucher revealed. He was finally drafted at 19 and the Canadian won’t regret it.

Despite an excellent internship at junior level, Simoneau is not necessarily at the gates of the NHL, Boucher warned.

“Whether we’re going to see him in the blue, white and red jersey in the National League in the short, medium or long term, I don’t know,” he admitted. But one thing is for sure, he will do whatever it takes to be a good hockey player, stay at Laval, make an impact on the team and help the young people there and continue on his way towards one day in the National League. ”

During Boucher’s intervention, Sean Couturier’s injury at the Flyers was also discussed, along with the retirements of Zdeno Chara, PK Subban and Keith Yandle, which were announced earlier in the day on Tuesday.

Watch the full conversation in the main video.