Considered one of the best players to go through the long road to the NHL, Martin St-Louis still scored his first NHL goal at the age of 23.
Alex Belzile, he took a long detour before finally scoring his first goal in the big leagues at the age of 31, Sunday afternoon, in the Montreal Canadiens’ 6-2 victory over the Montreal Oilers. ‘Edmonton.
“To play in the NHL, you have to open a door, imagined St-Louis, today head coach of the Habs, after the meeting. There are some for whom the door presents itself more easily to them. Sometimes there is no door, so you have to find a window. »
Belzile has never let up during his career in order to finally find his window. Since his most recent recall with the Canadiens, he has fully seized his chance. He had one goal and four assists in seven games.
He finally scored his first NHL goal in his 507e encounter in the professional ranks, including 487 in the minor leagues.
“Since my recall, I had chances to score in every game, recalled Belzile. I had hit the post three times. The puck was going to go in at some point, but it feels good.
“It’s a boy’s dream,” he added. I don’t know how many times I was on the outside ice in Saint-Éloi and dreamed about that. We were all children, we all dreamed of scoring for the Canadiens. It’s hard to believe. I was with (David) Savard after the game and I asked him if it really happened! »
Belzile had his head in the clouds after his goal and needed a few minutes to come back to earth. After all, there were still two and a half periods left in the game. He was finally able to put things into perspective after the game.
“I think of my parents, my fiancée and my brother,” he said. We have a tightly knit family. My parents are sports fans. Like me, they are also eternal positives and workers. We come from a small village. We know that when you do good things and work hard, good things will come for you too. »
After playing all over North America, Belzile decided to make his niche with the Laval Rocket, in the American Hockey League, in the summer of 2018. He was named captain of the Habs’ school club. last summer, following the departure of Xavier Ouellet.
Goalkeeper Jake Allen, who recalled that he had faced Belzile in his last season in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, noted how lucky the Canadiens were to have a veteran like him.
“There aren’t many 32 or 33-year-olds anymore who are going to be willing to play in the minors and lead by example,” Allen said. The guys in Laval can learn a lot from a guy like Belzile. »
“Guys like ‘Belz’ are rare,” added St-Louis. He’s a great point guard, even with the team here. When he is in Laval, with the young people, he sets a very good example. Leadership, it is important to pass it. Young people learn a lot about being a leader when they are around Belzile. »
St-Louis added optimistically that Belzile’s goal was certainly not his last. Still, his first can still serve as motivation for those who drag their skates around ECHL and AHL arenas — and still dream of getting a chance to play in the NHL.
“I never stopped believing in myself, even when I played in front of 300 people on a Tuesday night in the ECHL, insisted Belzile. I tried to improve myself every day. There is this mental aspect that comes into play. When you work hard, good things will happen to you. »
Belzile took advantage of his window at the Canadian. And for at least the time of an afternoon, he will have fully lived his dream.
“He went the hard way to get here,” Allen said. Most of the guys in this locker room have had a pretty easy road. It’s much easier to be happy for a guy like Belzile,” he concluded.