“I’m in California, I play hockey, it’s hot, I play golf…” Life is good for Quebecer Jakob Pelletier in Stockton, where he is the second scorer for the best team in the American League.
Posted at 8:00 a.m.
During their training camp in the fall, the Calgary Flames decided that it was better for their first-round pick Jakob Pelletier to continue his development with their school club, the Stockton Heat.
In his first season as a pro, the 21-year-old forward was quick to show what he was up to, quickly becoming an offensive mainstay. His remarkable record of 55 points in 56 games is proof of that. In the whole circuit, only eight players present a harvest more lucrative than his…
“I think the fact that I was sent to Stockton gave me a little boost,” said the left winger in an interview with The Press on a return trip from San Diego.
It made me want to prove that I was ready to play pro. I wanted to demonstrate to the Flames that they had not made a mistake in choosing me 26and in the draft [en 2019].
Jakob Pelletier
We certainly don’t want to speak on behalf of general manager Brad Treliving, but we bet it’s mission accomplished so far. Flames director of player development Ray Edwards has attended some Heat games this season. He met Pelletier a few times.
” I think [les dirigeants] are happy with my progress, said the young man. But they [les Flames] didn’t have many injuries during the season. The fact that they also win… They have a solid top 12. »
“Me, I’m here, I play on the first line, the advantage and the numerical disadvantage, he continues. I don’t really have anything to complain about. Of course I would like to play in the NHL, but I am patient. I continue to develop on and off the ice. »
In Stockton, Pelletier evolves within a very well stocked team. She was also the first to get her ticket to the playoffs. The Quebecer, whose humility and work ethic were often praised when he was a junior, attributes his individual successes to his teammates.
“When a club is doing well, it helps a player, personally, to score points. If you perform well, it helps a team win too. I don’t think there are any selfish guys here and that’s why every player is having a good season so far. »
The joys of California
During his prolific career in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, Pelletier lived in Moncton and Val-d’Or. This time, he finds himself under the hot California sun. There is worse.
When asked what the city of Stockton looks like, the Quebecer is honest.
I think it’s one of the most criminalized cities in the United States, so it’s not terrible, but it’s not that bad. […] I’m an hour and a half from San Francisco, 45 minutes from Sacramento. In February, I went to San Francisco with [Connor] Zary for three days.
Jakob Pelletier
Pelletier also lives with Zary, first-round pick in 2020, in a house they rented for the season. It is located 25 minutes from Stockton.
“All that is a lot of adaptation, but it was still not so bad,” he says.
No change
A few Heat franchise records are within reach of Jakob Pelletier this season. The left winger is notably on track to beat that of the most points scored in a season by a player (57) and by a rookie (56). He could also break the record for most goals in a season (27). That’s not to mention his impressive total of 8 winning goals.
By the NHL trade deadline of March 21, many Quebec hockey fans were hoping to see Pelletier be part of a trade that would bring him to the Canadiens. The main interested party was obviously aware of the word that was going on in Montreal.
“It was hard not to see it, it was on Twitter, Facebook… Not that it never stressed me out, but it’s not me who controls it. It sure was a little weird. Want, don’t want, you don’t really know if you’re going to get traded or not. There is no one who tells you nothing. »
Pelletier finally seems well anchored in the organization of the Flames. He would obviously like to have the opportunity to play a few games, or even a first season, with the main team next season. But for now, his eyes are on the American League playoffs.
“Of course I want to win! he throws. By finishing first, you have a kind of pressure to perform. The world expects us to make it to the final, or far. But we don’t see it that way. We focus on the last set of games we have left. No matter who we face in the first round, we’re going to be ready.
“And will your parents come see you play in the playoffs?”
— If we play against the Rocket [de Laval]they are sure to come.
– It would be less complicated for them if you played in Calgary next year!
– Exactly ! »