(Laval) Kevin Poulin and his family found the winter long last year, when the Quebec goaltender played in Umea, north of the 63rd parallel, about 600 kilometers from Stockholm, Sweden.
Posted at 3:17 p.m.
After four campaigns in Europe, cut short by the 2018-19 season where he got a tryout with the Detroit Red Wings academy before landing a contract with the Los Angeles Kings, Poulin wanted to come home.
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Kevin Poulin and his family found the winter long last year, when the Quebec goaltender played in Umea, north of the 63rd parallel, about 600 kilometers from Stockholm, Sweden.
“Yes, we had fun in Europe, but our kids are older and they were asking us when we were going home,” said the Laval Rocket goaltender on Wednesday. I could see they missed it. It’s good to come back here and play in front of family and friends. »
Poulin accepted an offer from the Rocket over the summer. He admitted that he already suspected that he would start the campaign in the ECHL, with the Trois-Rivières Lions, behind Cayden Primeau and Michael McNiven in the Montreal Canadiens chessboard.
The 31-year-old Quebecer was recalled by the Rocket in November, then in January. He was stricken by COVID-19 in February, but his brilliance before falling in combat earned him the title of goaltender of the month in the American Hockey League. In six outings in February, Poulin went 5-0-1 with a 1.63 GAA and .945 save percentage.
Rocket head coach Jean-Francois Houle recently indicated that Poulin had taken the backup goalie job from McNiven. For his part, Poulin is happy to find himself in the number two chair and to be able to support Primeau in his apprenticeship.
“I’ve been through ups and downs and I’ve learned from that,” said the man who played 50 NHL games with the New York Islanders between 2011 and 2014. “I think I can talk about it with Primeau. He is a discreet guy, who does his thing, but I see that he observes and analyzes a lot.
“Sometimes it’s good to show how to be a pro, bounce back from a bad start and keep your focus. He is a good person and a good goalkeeper. I am here to support him. We talk to each other and we have fun together,” he added.
Poulin pointed out that it can be good for a prospect like Primeau not to find himself competing with another young goaltender in the same position as him. Houle noted that each situation could have its advantages.
“Two young people can push each other to be better, while a mentor can share their experience,” Houle said.
Based on the South Shore of Montreal and living with children aged 5 and 7, Poulin has no intention of returning to play in Europe. In an ideal world, the Canadian would grant him a two-part contract over the summer so that he can serve as a lifeline with the big club and receive a slightly higher salary.
However, he is aware that he does not necessarily have a great deal of bargaining power.
“It sucks to say, but all I can do is play the best I can. Yes, in an ideal world, I would have a two-part Montreal-Laval contract, but just coming back to Laval would be good for me,” insisted Poulin.
Houle obviously said he was open to Poulin’s return next season. However, he recalled that everything will depend on what type of goalkeeper the new management of the Canadian wishes to have alongside Primeau in his school club.
For his part, Poulin did not speak like a goalkeeper ready to hang his pads despite a career that took him to the four corners of the globe – from the United States to Kazakhstan, via Switzerland, Germany, Sweden and South Korea, where he won bronze with Team Canada at the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics.
“I just want to play and win,” insisted Poulin. The last game (Monday against the Cleveland Monsters) with the fans back in the stands, the adrenaline is hard to reproduce. I’ve always had a passion for hockey, to win.
“We have a good group of players in the team. We are a tightly knit group. Every day, it’s nice to come to the arena and hang out with the guys,” concluded Poulin.