From the Point: Mooseheads left wing Zachary L’Heureux
Halifax Mooseheads forward Zachary L’Heureux recently sat down with Junior Hockey Magazine to discuss his play this season, how he is preparing for the upcoming NHL Draft, and the reason behind why he wears a unique jersey number:
Junior Hockey Magazine: What has it been like so far this season?
Zachary L’Heureux: It has been different than other years but you just have to take it one day at a time and not worry about it too much. I think everybody is in the same boat. I am fortunate enough to be able to play games and show the scouts what I am able to do out there. It is really not worrying about when the draft is going to be and who is going to draft me, but rather it is about going out there and doing what you can do and controlling what you can control.
JHM: Give us a sense of what your day-to-day life has looked like this year compared to an ordinary year.
ZL: It has been pretty normal. We have a pretty decent schedule where we play two or three games a week. I don’t think it has changed a lot from the standpoint of our scheduling and what we do on a day-to-day basis. It is more the fact that you never know when the season could get shut down. Cases could spike in a day and we could be shut down for a week, like what happened a few weeks ago. It is the fact that you never know when it is going to be your last game of the season and when it is your last chance to prove it, so it is a bit more pressure to always want to perform at your best every night because it may be the last time you show the scouts before the draft.
JHM: What made you switch to jersey No. 66?
ZL: I have definitely gotten some comments about it, but for the record it is nothing to do with Mario Lemieux. I wouldn’t pick his number for that. It was because growing up as a kid I always had the No. 66. My mom didn’t play hockey but she played basketball and she always had the No. 6. It is a tribute to my mom and also because of that bond I have always had No. 66. I am close with her. It has been a number that has been lucky for me since I was really young, and even if I wasn’t able to get No. 66 in some years, I always had a six in my number.
JHM: Give us a sense of your style of play.
ZL: I distinguish myself as a power forward. I grind, I do the dirty work, and I am not afraid to go in the corners. I also always have that sense of flair and skill in my game. I am a good power forward who can work around the net and the areas of the ice that are more dirty work and you have to win your 50/50 battles, but I think that is where I shine. I always have that competitive spirit to always want to be on top and get out with the puck, and I think that really helps my game.
JHM: How does your competitive personality mesh well with what you do on the ice?
ZL: I really step up my game. Even if it is just in practice in a 3-on-3 battle, I want my team to win and I will do whatever it takes for my team to win, so if I have to block a shot with a couple seconds left to win the game, then that is what I am going to do. If I have to finish a hit or step up for a teammate, it is what makes me perform better and what pushes me to be better. I think those edge battles and those little details on the ice is what I excel in and what pushes my game to another level.
JHM: What is it like to have a teammate like Justin Barron who has been through the draft experience?
ZL: I am able to be with him every day and look up at him as a role model. The way he acts, he is so professional in every aspect. He puts in the details from being ready for practice, being ready for games. It is the little things he does all over the rink, and I am able to watch and see him do it every day and apply that to my game and my lifestyle. It is great to have guys like that around the rink. Last year, I was able to see a lot of high-level guys who have the potential to play in the NHL at a high level, so it is fun to be able to learn from them and it helps me to be able to grow personally a lot faster, and as a player too.
JHM: Is there an NHL player who you model your game after?
ZL: I have always looked up to Sidney Crosby but I am not his style of player. I think a player like Matthew Tkachuk, what he is able to accomplish in the NHL right now and the way he brings that grittiness and being able to play in all aspects of the game, stepping up for his teammates, being a team player every night, and he is still a threat for other teams to watch out for. He is able to do it at such a high level. He was able to do it in junior. It is that style of play that I would love to compare myself to and bring to the NHL.
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