Related story
Etchegary’s doing it all for Remparts
At this scoring pace, Etchegary could very well achieve his goals
On fire through four rounds of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League playoffs, Etchegary now gets to lead the Quebec Remparts into Canada’s junior hockey championship, a prime situation for a pending junior graduate who is an undrafted free agent.
“I’m not unlike any other junior hockey player in Canada — I want to play professionally,” said the 20-year-old St. John’s native. “School will always be an option, but for now, I want to play pro and a Mem Cup will provide a good opportunity to showcase myself.
“Hopefully it will give me a good chance to get a contract offer or an invite to (an NHL) camp.”
Etchegary’s Remparts open the Memorial Cup tonight against the Kelowna Rockets, the Western Hockey League champions featuring Josh Morrissey, who was part of the St. John’s IceCaps’ 2014 Calder Cup playoff run.
The Rimouski Oceanic and Oshawa Generals from the Ontario Hockey League are the other teams entered.
The Oceanic won the QMJHL crown earlier this week with a Game 7, double overtime victory over the Remparts. The sting, Etchegary admits, still lingers.
“But now we have a chance to bring some hardware back to our rink,” he said. “It would be nice to bring down the Colisee with some history.”
Etchegary is referring to the Pepsi Le Colisee, the historic Quebec arena in which Jean Beliveau and Guy Lafleur once played that is coming down in favour of a new $400 million arena.
Etchegary finished fifth in league playoff scoring (8-18-26), while linemates Adam Erne and Anthony Duclair were second and fourth overall in post season scoring.
“Every time we get the puck,” he said, “we try to create something. We try to be difference-makers out there.
“I try to create some space for them, because they have exceptional skill.”
Etchegary was invited to the Detroit Red Wings’ prospects camp two years ago, but didn’t receive any such invite in 2014. That may be because he missed over a dozen games in 2013-14 after undergoing a heart procedure called pericardial effusion to remove an abnormal buildup of fluid around the heart.
The surgery was performed by the Montreal Canadiens’ team doctor, David Mulder.
It didn’t seem to stop him this year as Etchegary scored 25 goals and assisted on 35 others in 65 games.
He was even given the captain’s ‘C’ after Christmas. The Remparts didn’t have a team captain through the first half of the season, but after retooling their lineup in preparation for the Memorial Cup, Etchegary was given the honour.
“I was very happy, very flattered,” he said. “It was an honour, especially given the quality of people we have in our locker room.”
That room includes fellow Newfoundlanders Marcus Cuomo and Cody Donaghey of St. John’s and Jesse Sutton of Mount Pearl. Donaghey is injured and will miss the Memorial Cup, while Sutton, a rookie, isn’t expected to play.
Etchegary will return home to St. John’s for a couple of weeks after the Memorial Cup. Then it’s back to Montreal where he will train this summer with a group of pros and junior hockey players.
Related story
Etchegary’s doing it all for Remparts
At this scoring pace, Etchegary could very well achieve his goals
On fire through four rounds of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League playoffs, Etchegary now gets to lead the Quebec Remparts into Canada’s junior hockey championship, a prime situation for a pending junior graduate who is an undrafted free agent.
“I’m not unlike any other junior hockey player in Canada — I want to play professionally,” said the 20-year-old St. John’s native. “School will always be an option, but for now, I want to play pro and a Mem Cup will provide a good opportunity to showcase myself.
“Hopefully it will give me a good chance to get a contract offer or an invite to (an NHL) camp.”
Etchegary’s Remparts open the Memorial Cup tonight against the Kelowna Rockets, the Western Hockey League champions featuring Josh Morrissey, who was part of the St. John’s IceCaps’ 2014 Calder Cup playoff run.
The Rimouski Oceanic and Oshawa Generals from the Ontario Hockey League are the other teams entered.
The Oceanic won the QMJHL crown earlier this week with a Game 7, double overtime victory over the Remparts. The sting, Etchegary admits, still lingers.
“But now we have a chance to bring some hardware back to our rink,” he said. “It would be nice to bring down the Colisee with some history.”
Etchegary is referring to the Pepsi Le Colisee, the historic Quebec arena in which Jean Beliveau and Guy Lafleur once played that is coming down in favour of a new $400 million arena.
Etchegary finished fifth in league playoff scoring (8-18-26), while linemates Adam Erne and Anthony Duclair were second and fourth overall in post season scoring.
“Every time we get the puck,” he said, “we try to create something. We try to be difference-makers out there.
“I try to create some space for them, because they have exceptional skill.”
Etchegary was invited to the Detroit Red Wings’ prospects camp two years ago, but didn’t receive any such invite in 2014. That may be because he missed over a dozen games in 2013-14 after undergoing a heart procedure called pericardial effusion to remove an abnormal buildup of fluid around the heart.
The surgery was performed by the Montreal Canadiens’ team doctor, David Mulder.
It didn’t seem to stop him this year as Etchegary scored 25 goals and assisted on 35 others in 65 games.
He was even given the captain’s ‘C’ after Christmas. The Remparts didn’t have a team captain through the first half of the season, but after retooling their lineup in preparation for the Memorial Cup, Etchegary was given the honour.
“I was very happy, very flattered,” he said. “It was an honour, especially given the quality of people we have in our locker room.”
That room includes fellow Newfoundlanders Marcus Cuomo and Cody Donaghey of St. John’s and Jesse Sutton of Mount Pearl. Donaghey is injured and will miss the Memorial Cup, while Sutton, a rookie, isn’t expected to play.
Etchegary will return home to St. John’s for a couple of weeks after the Memorial Cup. Then it’s back to Montreal where he will train this summer with a group of pros and junior hockey players.
