The Canadian | “I didn’t hesitate,” assures Alex Barré-Boulet

Alex Barré-Boulet was a happy man when he answered the call of The Press. Partly because he was walking his dog through the streets of Lévis, partly also because he hopes he has finally found stability.

Barré-Boulet signed a one-year, one-way contract Monday worth $775,000, the minimum salary under the NHL’s collective bargaining agreement.

“It’s special. Every kid dreams of it when they play in the street. I grew up as a big Canadiens fan, and my dad was a big fan too,” says the Magnymontois, on the other end of the line.

Beyond the realization of a dream, Barré-Boulet hopes to be able to offer his family a bit of stability after a chaotic 2023-2024 campaign. A season during which he saw his children “one month out of eight.”

Barré-Boulet had landed a job with the Lightning early in the season, but he was staying at the hotel because the team hadn’t given him the green light to find an apartment. “My kids are one and two, I couldn’t stay at the hotel with them!” he said.

In short, his wife and children remained in Syracuse. But the famous confirmation letter only came in December. “I got my letter, I was there for two months, then I got sent back down!” he says.

Barré-Boulet thus concluded the season in Syracuse, in the American League.

But under these circumstances, one of his priorities for his next contract was clear. “The proximity of the farm club and the National League club was a criterion. With Montreal and Laval, I can stay in the same place, whether I’m at the top or the bottom. When the offer came on the table, I didn’t hesitate,” he insists.

To a shutter

Barré-Boulet would later add that the Canadiens were the “first” team to offer him a one-way contract. In doing so, his $775,000 salary is fully guaranteed, whether he plays in Montreal or Laval.

Whether he can do that remains to be seen. Throughout his career, he has been what is known in the jargon as a “tweener” – a player too strong for the American League but unable to cement his place in the NHL. In 2022-23, for example, he had 84 points in 69 games in Syracuse. But last season, in 36 NHL games, he was limited to nine points (six goals, three assists).

This time, if he makes it to the NHL, he will clearly be battling with Rafael Harvey-Pinard and Michael Pezzetta for playing time on the fourth line.

Six years later…

In March 2018, Barré-Boulet dominated the QMJHL, finishing 1^er ranks in goals (53), assists (63) and points (116). Undrafted, he finally agreed to a contract with the Tampa Bay Lightning for his first professional contract.

The Canadiens, then led by Marc Bergevin, had been criticized for having, once again, missed their chance to recruit local talent.

Looking back, Barré-Boulet assures that he did not feel any disappointment at not having signed his first contract with the Tricolore.

“The Lightning does a great job of developing players in the AHL,” he said. “At that time, a lot of Tampa players came through Syracuse. It was the No. 1 pick at the time. Looking back, would I have had a better chance of playing at the top if I went somewhere else? Maybe. But it was the logical choice at the time.”

Laurent Dauphin will play in Laval

The Laval Rocket have repatriated Laurent Dauphin. The Quebecer has signed a one-year contract with the American League club. Acquired by the Canadiens in a trade that sent Michael McCarron to the Nashville Predators, Dauphin spent three seasons in Laval, from 2019 to 2022, and played 38 games with the Habs in 2021-22. He then left for Arizona for a year, and he played in Switzerland last season, at Ambri-Piotta. The Rocket also announced the signing of forward Vincent Arseneau. His deal, like Dauphin’s, is a one-way deal. Defensemen Joshua Jacobs, Vincent Sévigny and Tyler Wotherspoon as well as goaltender Hunter Jones have signed two-way deals.