LAS VEGAS – The more choices were made, the more Justin Poirier was impatiently stamping his feet on his bench.
Not to the point where he thought no team would give him a chance, but enough to raise his stress level a few notches. The Baie-Comeau Drakkar forward finally heard his name ring out in the Vegas Sphere at No. 156, toward the end of the fifth round.
“I couldn’t wait, and I knew it was a matter of time,” he admitted when he met the media on Saturday. By the third round, it felt like every name that came out could be mine. I was starting to believe it. I knew my height would work against me and I could slip. »
Everyone expected this eventuality. The signals had been quite clear during the season.
Despite the fact that Poirier led all QMJHL scorers by hitting the target 51 times in the season and 18 times in the playoffs, he was not invited to the Canadian League Top Prospects Game and was also ignored on the invitation list for the player evaluation session.
At the heart of the problem is his 5-foot-8 frame. Some observers also have doubts about his skating and his commitment to the defensive side of the game. But he can still put it in. That’s undeniable.
“With the season and the playoffs I had, I thought I proved that I could be drafted around the third round,” he said. “The important thing is that the Hurricanes believed in me. My mission will be to prove to the others that they were wrong to let me slide that far.”
“I’ve been through a lot of adversity this season. I expected to experience the same thing here. So many things happened that motivated me. I put on a team jersey. That was my goal coming here.”
Before finally being able to go down to the draft floor to put on the black Hurricanes jersey, Poirier was treated to a few adrenaline rushes. He was the third of four Drakkar players to find a buyer.
Before his turn, the phrase “From Baie-Comeau, in the QMJHL…” was uttered for defenseman Alexis Bernier (Kraken), in the third round, and for forward Raoul Boilard (Rangers), in the fourth. The Czech Matyas Melovsky (Devils) completed the quartet, 15 ranks after Poirier.
“To be honest, the disappointment was really minimal when I realized it wasn’t my name,” the small forward said. I was very happy for my teammates and I got up every time to congratulate them. I knew they were ranked ahead of me, so I was kind of expecting it. I am proud of them. »
From brothers to rivals?
The sniper did admit, however, that he felt a little disappointed every time the Calgary Flames took the floor without selecting him. That’s because his brother Jérémie is a third-round pick of the organization and the two were hoping to ultimately end up in the same place.
The Alberta team even took the floor just six rows before the Hurricanes set their sights on the younger of the two brothers.
“Since we were young, we never had the chance to play together because of our age difference,” explained Poirier. We have always been more than brothers, it’s hard to describe. Our dream was to be together. There, perhaps we will face each other one day. Hoping we won’t fight. »
“We sat side by side and, when the Flames had a choice, we grabbed the edge of our bench hoping it would happen,” added the elder. This didn’t happen and that’s okay. I’m very happy that he found a team that wanted him. »
After everything Poirier has been through in the last few months, that’s all that matters.
