(Laval) The first instinct is to believe that Owen Beck will experience his baptism of fire in professional hockey on October 11 in Providence. However, that will not be the case. For nine minutes 48 seconds, he wore – nothing less – the uniform of the Montreal Canadiens on January 28, 2023 in Ottawa. As intoxicating as this moment may have been, it’s a safe bet that the coming weeks and months will provide him with even more valuable lessons in his development, in the uniform of the Laval Rocket.
“It’s exciting. It’s the entry to the next level, it’s the stage that follows junior hockey,” said Beck, in the Rocket locker room after Tuesday’s training session at Place Bell.
“The (opposing) players will be stronger and faster, the pace will be a lot higher, everything will happen faster. Learning to play at a higher pace is a great stepping stone to continuing to train and work towards the NHL,” he added.
Like any young player preparing to tackle a new milestone, Beck hopes to get off to a solid start in his new environment. That said, he does not forget that a hockey season is, first and foremost, a marathon where constant effort always ends up being noticed and rewarded.
It’s very important to start the season well, but in fact, it’s just as important to be consistent. You never know when you’re going to take advantage of an opening. You always want to be the one who knocks on the door, who is ready to take the leap, who wants to be the one who gets called back and who can, hopefully, keep his job. The important thing is that your level of play is in the right place throughout the season.
Owen Beck
Beck comes to Laval with a good track record, after a last productive season in the Ontario League, first with the Peterborough Petes, then with the Saginaw Spirit.
“He’s fast, really smart and talented,” praised Florian Xhekaj, who played for the Brantford Bulldogs in the Ontario Hockey League last season.
“He can set up plays anywhere in (opponent) territory, he works hard, he has a good shot. I think he will be a good addition to our team. »
Filip Mesar, another OHL product, also had good words for Beck, even calling him a really good guy off the ice.
PHOTO JOSIE DESMARAIS, LA PRESSE ARCHIVES
Filip Mesar
“I would say he is an excellent center player who can play both sides of the game well. He is also capable of creating plays and has a powerful shot. »
In the regular season, Beck amassed 34 goals and 81 points in 57 games. He followed that up with 13 points in 15 playoff games. He completed his junior training with four goals and five points in five games during the Memorial Cup tournament. Two of his four goals came in the first period of the final against the London Knights, which the Spirit won 4-3.
This great end to his junior career is not necessarily a guarantee of immediate success at the next level. And it’s a reasoning that could also apply to Xhekaj and Mesar, who have played only three career games in the American League.
Head coach Pascal Vincent looked back on his years spent in the Winnipeg Jets organization to remind us that each case is unique when it comes to adapting to a higher circuit.
“The players are different. There are players who acclimatize quickly and there are others…” he mentioned before listing specific players.
“I think of Jansen Harkins, I think of Josh Morrissey. Jansen Harkins has arrived in Winnipeg. Difficult first year, we had trouble getting him to play. Second year, same thing. Third year, something clicked. He even played in the East Coast League the third year and ended up in the National League. He was in Pittsburgh last year.
“Josh Morrissey, it took him three years in the American League, and now you could say he’s a top 10 player in the National League. Then there are others, like Nik Ehlers, who went from junior to the National League. Mark Scheifele, from junior to National League. We will see how they will adapt and we will adjust to that. Our goal is to help them become the best players possible. »