This name will perhaps mean something to fans of the Drummondville Voltigeurs and the Montreal Canadiens. The former professional goalkeeper was not a player in 2009, but a coach.
“It was a fantastic experience,” he said from the start. We had a team that was counting on a very explosive offense. We had tougher times, but when it mattered, we found a way to win.”
The World Junior Hockey Championship marked the beginning of his career as a goaltending coach. He had hung his pads less than three years before the start of the tournament. In his late forties at the time, he quickly learned his new profession in a unique environment.
“The stress you experience in those moments is quite impressive. I was a young coach at the time. I had to learn to manage stress, to manage the players so that they remained calm and focused on the present moment. We had a group of coaches that were really fun to work with. It’s a memorable experience for me.”
In 2009, his goalies were Chet Pickard and Dustin Tokarski. Chabot and the group of coaches had entrusted the pole to Torkarski to lead Canada in its gold rush. The fifth round pick of the Tampa Bay Lighting had just won the Western Hockey League Championship and the Memorial Cup the previous season. He finished the tournament with four wins in as many starts with a .906 save percentage and a 2.65 goals-against average.
“Much like our team, Dustin had fallen on hard times. On the other hand, when it started to count, he found a way to close the door late in the matches. He was very good at the end of the match in the semi-final and he was excellent in the grand final.
Dustin Tokarski became more known with the Montreal Canadiens when he replaced Carey Price during the playoffs in 2014 following contact with Chris Kreider. (Archives)
An unforgettable match
Frédéric Chabot was at the forefront of one of the most epic duels in the history of the World Junior Hockey Championship. In the semi-final, Canada met Russia. The two teams exchanged goals throughout the match. With just over two minutes left in the third period, the Russians took the lead for the first time.
“It was the kind of game we were looking forward to getting a jump on our side. The Russians were playing a good game, but they were lucky on a few jumps. We only needed one break to get back in the match.”
This famous leap was awaited until the very last moments. Defenseman Ryan Ellis was able to keep the puck in enemy territory before John Tavares backhanded it to the net. Jordan Eberle managed to recover it and then beat the Russian goalkeeper to tie the game 5-5 with five seconds left.
“It took the work of several guys for Jordan to find himself alone with the puck. The whole team never gave up. The momentum was now on our side and the guys became unstoppable.”
Jordan Eberle's legendary equalizing goal in the semi-final of the 2009 World Junior Hockey Championship against Russia in Ottawa. (YouTube/RDS)
As overtime was unsuccessful, this legendary clash was settled in a shootout. “We practiced it often during our preparation camp. There was almost no one who was able to beat Dustin in practice so I was confident he was going to be strong. Plus, we had great shooters, including Eberle and Tavares. I was hopeful that we would win.”
This is exactly what happened. Eberle and Tavares scored while Tokarski was perfect in front of his net.
In the grand final, the Canadians made short work of Sweden by a score of 5-1 to get their hands on a fifth consecutive gold medal. “The players before the game were so ready and they were so hungry. I knew we were going to win.”
“It was a fantastic feeling. We had a good lead at the end of the match, so Guy Boucher and I had the chance to experience the last minutes on the bench. We gave handshakes and hugs. You have the feeling of accomplishment when you take the photo at center ice.”
In the team photo, we can see Frédéric Chabot on the far right with Pat Quinn on the far left. (Richard Wolowicz/Getty Images/AFP)
a mentor
During this tournament, the Quebecer was able to rub shoulders with a hockey legend in Pat Quinn. It was the latter who led the Canadian team in 2009 for what would become its last international tournament. A former NHL player himself, Quinn has worked in the world of hockey for nearly 40 years. The illness unfortunately took him away on November 23, 2014.
“It was nice to be able to observe his wisdom and experience up close. It's important to be clear and convinced when we make decisions as a coach. When we listened to Pat, we knew exactly where we were going. He made us feel confident and reassured.”
The decline of Quebec goalkeepers
The 2009 World Junior Hockey Championship served as a springboard for Chabot in his coaching career. The following season, he obtained the position of goaltending coach with the Edmonton Oilers. He has now worked with the Minnesota Wild since 2015.
Chabot has the chance to work with Marc-André Fleury (left) who is the latest in a superb line of Quebec goaltenders. (Photo : Frédéric Chabot)
The 56-year-old hockey man has seen goaltending, both as a player and as a coach. He also observed the decline in the number of Canadian and Quebec goalkeepers in the NHL. According to him, there is a very simple explanation.
“The globalization of hockey clearly has an effect on the number of Quebec and Canadian goaltenders who reach the NHL. In the 1980s and 90s, we were one step ahead of the rest of the world with the techniques of François Allaire. The statistics spoke for themselves. Now, virtually every goalkeeper on the planet plays François' style. So the competition is so much stronger than before.”
The ball is now in the court of the different development systems to find solutions.
