In the past, a young player could show up at the Canadiens’ training camp and hope to confuse the proverbial cards, but this time, it will be a lot more difficult. Except that Rafaël Harvey-Pinard does not worry too much about it.
Posted at 7:00 a.m.
Harvey-Pinard is preparing for this camp, which will open on September 21 in Brossard. He is preparing to take a position at the front, to seize his chance in a team which already seems to be sold out before it even begins, first for financial reasons.
“I don’t think about that at all,” he replied at the end of the handset on Tuesday. I will focus on me and what I can do.
“Anyway, even if I don’t carve out a place with the club to start the season, there are unforeseen events that can happen, injuries. So whatever, I want to make sure I can leave a business card and hope to be among the first called back later. »
This calling card, we can already guess it: it will be that of the brave, cantankerous little player, who is ready to do anything for victory. The comparisons with Brendan Gallagher, we already know them, and at 23, Harvey-Pinard wants to make his own way, create his own identity.
But it looks rather congested up front: assuming that Jonathan Drouin, Paul Byron and Sean Monahan will be back in good health, the Canadiens will have 11 forwards at a minimum of $3 million per season. training.
Difficult to find a place in these conditions…
“I’m going to get there like all the other young people, with the idea of making a place for myself,” added Harvey-Pinard. That’s how I have to approach it. There will be a lot of people, yes, but I will try to make my place. I will give my all and it will be up to them. »
“I feel ready”
In order to be able to “give everything”, the Quebec player chose to spend his summer on an ice rink, except for a brief vacation in Cuba – “to clear my mind after the elimination of the Rocket”. At the invitation of his agent, a skating specialist flew in from Toronto to give him some advice.
Advice that should pay off.
“It was quite intense; a 90-minute session in the morning, another in the afternoon… but it took that. My skating is something that often comes up when people talk to me about what I need to improve. So this summer, I focused on that. »
I know that if I want to be able to take the next step, I have to take a step with the skate.
Rafael Harvey-Pinard
This next step, he tasted it, a little, last season. In all, four games with the Canadiens, including the game of his first goal with the big boys, in full holiday season in Tampa.
Then he found himself spending a magical spring with the Rocket, when the Laval club made it to the American League playoffs.
“It’s thanks to all that and the games played with the Canadiens that I’m a little more confident now. I know what I still have to improve and I feel ready. Usually, I give myself about a month off in the summer, but here I didn’t want to waste too much time, so I gave myself two and a half weeks off. »
And if he ever has to start the next season in Laval, could he do it with a C on his jersey? Outgoing captain Xavier Ouellet left the Rocket for the Pittsburgh Penguins organization.
“Of course it would be an honour, he replies, but at the same time, I want to focus on the Canadian camp. If I have to go to Laval, I will do so with the goal of returning to Montreal during the season…”