MONTREAL – The scenario repeats itself for Justin Poirier who was ignored for the NHL Combine. And this, even if he was the second best scorer of his vintage in the Canadian Hockey League.
We’ll come back to that later, but Poirier at least learned the good news of being ranked 35th on the final list published by TSN’s Craig Button.
For the Combine, nearly a hundred athletes were invited to Buffalo for physical tests and numerous interviews with the teams. Poirier experienced a similar disappointment when he was not invited to the CHL Top Prospects Game in January.
In the opinion of an NHL team recruiter, the small forward would be right to have difficulty digesting this other blow to the chin.
“I find it a shame that a guy who scored 70 goals (69 to be precise) this season, playoffs included, is not there. At some point, I find it boring for him and I would even be insulted in his place. He must be and that’s correct,” reacted this scout.
On the other hand, the other recruiter consulted was not very surprised. The picture was already taking shape with the decision linked to the Best Prospects Match and he judges that Poirier could have helped his team more in the QMJHL final lost against the Drummondville Voltigeurs.
By email, the NHL Central Scouting wanted to clarify that it is the Bettman circuit teams which indicate the players they wish to see at the Combine. Usually, clubs suggest players who will be drafted in the first three rounds.
“Of course I was a little disappointed, a lot of eyes will be there. I’m short, but I’m built pretty strong so I had zero worries with the physical tests. “It’s a step that could have helped me,” reacted the five-foot-eight, 185-pound skater.
In an interview, Poirier does not dare to use the word “insulted” submitted by a recruiter.
“I’m more going to say disappointed and maybe a little frustration, but I expected a little bit. As I did with the Top Prospects Match, I’m going to use it as motivation and it worked really well for my second half of the season,” he replied.
He had been prepared for this eventuality by his agent Marc Lavigne of the RSG Hockey firm.
“We suspected it, we went through this a few years ago with Jordan Dumais and we used this example with Justin. Unfortunately, smaller players don’t get a ton of love. In addition, he is from Quebec,” mentioned Lavigne, who works with Allain Roy.
“Justin’s strength is that he is stubborn and stubborn, he doesn’t let himself be affected. He maintained an exemplary attitude and remained a good teammate,” continued Lavigne as work was invested to improve his defensive game.
His agent also doesn’t forget the demanding side of the Combine with the stressful interviews that follow one after another. His client will instead be able to take advantage of this week to restart his training.
If he has a few ounces of frustration left to vent when leaving the gym, Poirier will be able to chat with his brother Jérémie, who slipped to the third round in the 2020 draft or with Dumais who was selected 96th overall in 2022.
“I know that I am a small player and that that could worry the Centrale (which ranks him 82nd in North America). But my brother has seen players who have been there and who already have big contracts in the NHL. Without my style being identical to them, there are names like Seth Jarvis and Logan Stankoven. They fell back in the draft because of their size,” mentioned the right-handed striker from the Baie-Comeau Drakkar.
Button makes him smile again
The day the Combine guest list was revealed to the athletes, Poirier paraded it hoping to see his name on it.
“Throughout that day, it was disappointment. But, afterward, I have a pretty strong character and I don’t like it when people don’t recognize my true value. Proving to them becomes a motivation, like a switch which changes my state of mind. I might even want to make the other teams regret letting me down because of their doubts about my greatness,” he confided quite calmly.
“My height is a factor that I will have to fight against until I establish myself in professional hockey,” admitted Poirier.
While waiting to achieve this, the skater from Valleyfield was delighted when he read the final rankings published by Craig Button of TSN.
“It was my father at the boarding school in Baie-Comeau who taught me it. When I saw 35e, it sure did me good. It’s really a pleasure to see this, which would mean the start of the second round. I don’t necessarily expect to come out there, but to see that a trusted speaker ranks me in this rank, it warms my heart,” confided the 17-year-old skater.
“If he puts me there, he is not the only one. Teams tell me not to worry about the Centrale list,” continued Poirier, who has already met 26 or 27 teams in person.
Because yes, Poirier “found that tough when he lacked a little attention” as his agent admits.
“At least he’s been getting more love since the holidays.” It’s a bit funny when you think about it that Button puts him 35th [et qu’il n’est pas invité au Combine] », noted Lavigne.
Between now and the draft (June 28 and 29), Poirier will continue to work hard in training and on the ice. He is proud that the Drakkar “gave everything” to lift the Gilles Courteau trophy with the aim of reaching the Memorial Cup which could have given it more visibility. Before finding out which NHL team will bet on him, Poirier will line up behind the Drummondville Voltigeurs.
