Jordan Dumais | The dream reward

It just keeps going well for Jordan Dumais.

As recently as November 25, the Halifax Mooseheads forward signed his first National League contract with the Columbus Blue Jackets. Barely a week and a half later, he was invited to the Junior Team Canada camp.

“It was always a dream of mine,” said the young man to The Press on the line. [Tout le début d’]year, when I knew I was in conversations, that was cool for me. »

Anyone who follows the news of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) will not have been really surprised to see Dumais’s name among those of the 16 forwards invited to the selection camp. The L’Île-Bizard native exploded offensively last year, collecting 109 points in 68 games. This performance earned him a third-round selection by the Columbus Blue Jackets last June.

This season, the 18-year-old picked up where he left off and continues to wreak havoc on the Courteau circuit. In 25 games, he has scored 54 points, which places him first in QMJHL scoring and second in the entire Canadian Hockey League, just behind… Connor Bedard (64 points in 28 games) .

” [L’invitation], it’s like a reward, at this point in the season, says Dumais. It’s nice to be recognized like that. Plus, the tournament is in Halifax, so that will be really good. »

Of course, his place in the team is far from certain, especially since he will be one of the youngest. “I’m going to play my game,” he says simply.

When asked, jokingly, if it would bother him to miss the holidays with his family, the young man replies with a chuckle: “No, that wouldn’t bother me at all! »

emotional parents

Last September, Dumais attended his first rookie camp with the Blue Jackets. His performances obviously pleased the organization, as he was subsequently invited to the main camp.

“It was fun to play with the best players in the world,” he recalls. I was on the ice with guys like [Johnny] Gaudreau and [Patrik] Oldest boy ; it was good to talk to them, to see how they play the game. »

Upon his return to Halifax, it didn’t take long for the young man to get going. After 11 games, he already had 27 points. Some representatives of the Blue Jackets went to meet him after a few of his games. Then, conversations began between his agent and the organization.

“They said they liked the way I played and wanted to reward me with a contract,” he said, explaining that the offer came sooner than he had expected.

When the agreement was formalized, he made a phone call to his parents, who live in Montreal.

“They were even happier than me! he exclaims. It’s good for me, a contract, but for them too. They put so much time on me. It is a reward for them too. It was really cool and I was happy for them. »

More attention

Jordan Dumais has often been criticized for his height (5 ft 9 in) and his speed. He can only control the second point and that is what he has been focusing on over the summer. “I realized that I need that to go to the next level,” he says.

On the one hand, the young man hopes to continue to multiply the points on the board.

On the other hand, he is well aware that there is more to life than points. As proof, he is not completely satisfied with his game so far this season.

“I have pretty high standards for myself, so I always want to improve. [Si on oublie] points, I always want to be better in the defensive zone and be more reliable. »

Since the start of the season, the spotlight has been on him. And they will be again in the coming days, as the Junior Team Canada camp gets under way.

“It’s what you dream of when you’re young, launches the main interested party. You want the attention, you want to go to the next level. Sometimes it’s a good thing for motivation. »