(Denver, Colorado) André Ruel remembers the cold. It was spring 2008 and our man was in Toruń, Poland. A medieval city certainly classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, but not the Mecca of hockey.
Posted yesterday at 5:03 p.m.
“I was taking notes, but it was so cold in the arena, I couldn’t write! Ruel recalls. To warm myself up, I stuck my hands on the hot water pipes that are used for heating! »
Ruel, now the right arm of agent Pat Brisson in Quebec, was then assistant to the general manager with the Voltigeurs de Drummondville. What could he be doing in Poland? He was going to spy on a player who could have slipped through the cracks of the system, but who scored another winning goal on Friday: Ondrej Palat.
It is often mentioned that Palat was claimed at the very end of the 2011 draft, in his third year of eligibility. But his road was already complicated before that.
Second Division
It all starts with a story of relegation. The Czech Republic usually play in the world championships of the first division, but that year, for the under-18s, the country fell back to the second division.
Ruel is therefore heading to Kazan for the U18 World Cup in the first division, in order to observe Dmitri Kulikov there. But a detour to Poland is in order.
“I knew the Czechs had good players, remembers Ruel. Once there, I sent a report to Dominic [Ricard, le DG] “He’s a bloody good hockey player!” But he told me through an interpreter that he didn’t want to come to North America, because he wanted to finish school. But I kept my report. »
In this championship, where he was 17, Palat scored eight points in five games. “They had no competition, they won by 6-7 goals, against Lithuania and Ukraine. But he, even at 7-0, he blocked shots! I said, “He’s real.” »
A year later, here he is back at the U18 World Cup in North Dakota. This time, the Czech Republic regain their place in the first division, but Palat is limited to a small point.
“The year before, he was playing in the first line even if he was in the youngest, and there he was on the fourth line! Ruel says. I knew the GM of the Czechs, so I will see him to understand. Ondrej had had mononucleosis a month before the tournament. He wasn’t even supposed to go, but he insisted. »
Ruel therefore knew the context behind the performances. Knowing that Palat was now ready to cross the Atlantic, the Voltigeurs claimed him at 10e rank in the 2009 European repechage. “A recruiter from the Red Line Report said that we had made the worst choice in the history of the European repechage! “recalls Ruel.
Adaptation
Palat’s arrival in Drummondville coincides with Denis Gauthier’s first year with the Voltigeurs, following his playing career.
“My first reaction when I saw him was: ‘He won’t last two weeks in Drummond!’, admits the former defender. He did fairly simple exercises and he ended up on all fours on the ice rink, out of breath. He was a hard worker, but I didn’t see how he was going to adapt. »
But Palat eventually found his rhythm and ended his first season with 40 points in 59 outings. In his second year, it’s an explosion: 96 points, alongside Sean Couturier.
But he’s 19 and he’s playing with one of the best prospects of his year. So many good reasons to ignore him in the NHL.
PHOTO RON CHENOY, USA TODAY SPORTS
Ondrej Palat
“We pushed for him, recalls Ruel. Guy Boucher was our former coach and he had gone to Tampa. So we passed the word on to him. He inquired with the scouts, but they had Matthew Peca on their roster for the seventh round.
“We call Guy back. Dom said to him: “It shouldn’t be that expensive, a choice of 7e round.” Guy gets up, goes to see Steve Yzerman, and he makes the trade. »
Lightning get Coyotes on 201e choice, with which he selects Peca. Then, with his own choice, at 208e rank, Tampa gets its hands on Palat.
It is therefore this player who now has 12 game-winning goals in the playoffs, a Calder Cup ring and two Stanley Cups. With the possibility of a third if the Lightning win the next two games against the Colorado Avalanche.
“He deserves everything that happens to him,” said Gauthier. Yes, he fell in the right place at the right time. But he benefited as much from this dynasty as he contributed to it. He didn’t have the easiest path and he kept fighting. It is an example of determination. In Drummondville, we are proud of him. We haven’t forgotten that. »