Via the team’s press release, Desjardins hopes to solidify the long-term future of the organization, which has had to manage without Picard since the beginning of November. Aged 39, the former first-round NHL pick has only played seven games this season, having still been on the psychological point-per-game bar last year.
The one who has worn the captain’s “C” since 2022-2023 crosses route 175 in the company of Pierre-Cédric Labrie, Francis Paré and Mathieu Tousignant. Future considerations are attached to this agreement.
“The fact that Pierre-Cédric and Francis had not yet played a match with us at mid-season was for us an opportunity to get something in return even if we know that they will play matches with Quebec , because it was their request to go play near their family. For us, it was a plus to make this transaction. The price to pay was Alexandre Picard who is our leader in recent years, but we have to think about the future and the opportunity to have Maxime St-Cyr, who is one of the best scorers in the league, was a must and I couldn’t miss that. On the defensive side, we needed help from a veteran,” commented Bob Desjardins.
Whether in the QMJHL, ECHL or LNAH, Maxime St-Cyr has always been a threat around the net. (Sylvain Mayer/Archives Le Nouvelliste)
A born scorer
Disturbed by a lower body injury, Picard is one of the many injured players who have hampered the team since the start of the campaign. In the hope of giving himself ammunition for the second half of the season, Bob Desjardins sees an important offensive solution in Maxime St-Cyr.
Scorer of 54 goals in his last junior year with Baie-Comeau, the Trois-Rivières native has enjoyed his share of success since his arrival in the North American Hockey League. In 119 games on the circuit, the 30-year-old hockey player compiled 89 goals and 171 points. It is already confirmed that he will be in the Jonquière lineup on December 28, during the visit of Assurancia de Thetford Mines.
In addition to St-Cyr, Jonquière also got its hands on defender Étienne Boutet and attacker William Lemay. The first will bring a dose of experience within the Marquis rear brigade, he who won two championships with Thetford Mines.
As for the second, he is currently playing with the Briançon team in the Ligue Magnus, the highest division of French hockey, after a four-year stint with the University of Vermont and another of a few months with the Lions of Trois-Rivières. Rivers (ECHL). No plans regarding a return to Quebec are in the plans at the moment.
