Our Alumni | Félix Girard making the most of his European adventure
Félix Girard thought he was inching closer to his dream of playing in the National Hockey League when he was drafted 95th overall by the Nashville Predators in 2013.
Instead, six years in the American Hockey League awaited the former captain of the Baie-Comeau Drakkar. His first three professional seasons were spent with the Milwaukee Admirals franchise.
“I loved my time in Milwaukee. I was an important part of the team right from the start, and it helped me quickly become comfortable with the level of play in the AHL,” he recalls. “There were a few of us from Quebec who started our professional careers together there, and I have nothing but fond memories of that time!”
“Obviously, I would have loved to have been called up by Nashville, but I didn’t really see any injustice in it. I was at the beginning of my career and had things to improve before taking the next step.”
When the trade period of the 2016-2017 season arrived, his former coach in Baie-Comeau, Éric Veilleux, insisted that his boss at the time, Joe Sakic, went out and got the centerman’s services. Girard ended up with the San Antonio Rampage, the Colorado Avalanche’s farm team.
“It was a situation that suited both teams. I was happy to reunite with [Éric] and to have the chance to play for him again,” says the now 29-year-old.
After a year and a half with the Rampage, Félix Girard moved yet again, playing the 2018-2019 campaign in the Winnipeg Jets organization, with the Manitoba Moose. After the season, the two-time QMJHL Top Defensive Forward realized that his hockey future would be played on the Old Continent.
“It was always part of my career plans to play in Europe. I knew several players who had made the leap and loved the experience,” says the man who became a father for the first time this year.
He went on to play the 2019-2020 season in Hungary, with the Fehérvàr AV19 franchise in Szekesfehervar, where he picked up a solid 30 points in 36 games. The following year, he signed a contract with the Innsbruck team, still in the Austrian league, where he once again enjoyed success with 41 points in 46 games.
“Austria was really fun. My fiancée, Andréanne, was with me the whole time. I played there during the COVID-19 confinement, so the city wasn’t very lively,” he recalls.
Despite the restrictions, outdoor activities such as hiking, downhill skiing and tobogganing were a great way for the Quebec couple to spend their time in the Alps.
“It’s a beautiful country, and we’re glad we went,” says the man from Cap-Rouge, Quebec. “I really like the European lifestyle. The work-life balance is very good. Anywhere you play in Europe, the games aren’t very far away, and there are less than in America,” adds Girard.
“Twice a year, we get a week off to allow the national team to get together. This allows us to travel or take a vacation and enjoy the country. It’s allowed us to visit Prague, Vienna, Amsterdam, Budapest, Stockholm, Norway and the rest of Austria.”
As for his future, it’s an open book at the moment. The man who’s under contract with Norway’s Frisk Asker club next season is approaching 30, but still plays top-notch hockey.
“I’m not sure how much longer I’ll be playing in Europe,” he admits. “But, as long as it makes sense for me and my family to come here and have these adventures, we’ll do it. I still don’t know what my post-career has in store for me!”
