(Buffalo) One of the tracks mentioned to explain why the players of the Canadian had forgotten how to play hockey in October 2021 was fatigue. The pandemic had ensured that the Stanley Cup final ended in July, a good three weeks after the usual date.
We understand a posteriori that the problems of the CH were much deeper, but the short summer had certainly not helped. If that was true for the pros, could it be true for junior-aged players as well?
The case of Jordan Tourigny is interesting in this sense. The defender of the Shawinigan Cataractes, ranked 123e North American hopeful by NHL Central Scouting, has indeed had a busy summer of 2022.
- June 11, 2022: the Cataractes win the President’s Cup at the end of the QMJHL playoffs.
- June 20-29: They compete in the Memorial Cup in Saint John, New Brunswick.
- July 31 to August 6: Tourigny plays the Hlinka-Gretzky Cup with Team Canada in Red Deer, Alberta.
- September 9: Cataractes’ first preseason game for the 2022-2023 season
- September 22: Cataracts’ first season game
Even before we mentioned it in Tourigny, a recruiter had warned us. “These young people have busy schedules. And players like him, who are not physically mature, need to train, ”warned our man.
At 165lbs (over 5ft 11in), Tourigny would have actually benefited from spending time lifting iron.
“I may have had two weeks of training, believes Tourigny, met at the NHL evaluation camp. At 16, 17, two seasons in a row almost without a break, it’s tough mentally and physically. On ice, it seemed. I didn’t realize it during the season, but looking back I realize that I should have taken time off after the holidays. »
Tourigny concluded this crucial season with 41 points (6 goals, 35 assists) in 67 games. His production doubled compared to the previous season, but his differential went from + 15 to – 28. It should be noted, however, that the Cataractes were starting a new cycle after their championship the previous season.
However, his ranking suffered. Placed at 63e rank mid-season, he tumbled 60 ranks in the final release.
Nobody wants to stall, but it’s still a list. I’m concentrating on the draft and we’ll see what happens. Once at camp, I will show my team that they made a good choice.
Jordan Tourigny
The farm
At this evaluation camp, the sons of former players are numerous: Gabriel Perreault, Oliver Bonk and Ethan Gauthier are the main known names. But sons of farmers, there are less.
Tourigny, however, grew up on a dairy farm with some 700 cows in Victoriaville, a detail that clearly caught the attention of the teams who interviewed him this week.
“When they ask what my parents do for a living and I say I grew up on a farm, they don’t expect it! says Tourigny. At my last interview, I was asked the dullest job I’ve done, the value of the machinery…”
To discuss the value of a Gleaner R60 combine harvester, we regret to inform you that you will be better served in the other sections of the newspaper. But the dullest task, it’s intriguing.
So what was it? “Pick up the rocks,” he says, without hesitation.
“Pick up the rocks?”
— With the cold and the heat, the rocks rise to the surface. When we harvest, it can break the machinery. So you walk behind the tractor, you pick up the rocks, you drink water at each end, in the sun all day. It gets tiring! »
These details, however, the Canadian must know, since the team drafted last year Miguël Tourigny, the big brother of Jordan, also a defender. Still, the CH is one of the eight teams who wanted to meet Jordan Tourigny this week.
“They know my brother, but on the ice, we have different styles. My brother will just put his head down and walk into the crowd. Me, I will observe, take notes, jump at the right moment. But I don’t think a team is going to choose a player based on his family. It can play a role, but it’s not just that. »