BLOG: The Moncton Phenom
Jakob Pelletier was the highest drafted player chosen by the Wildcats in nearly a decade when they made him the third overall pick in the latest QMJHL Draft.
With Moncton in the midst of a massive overhaul, the diminutive youngster from Quebec City has not only shouldered the load of high expectations, but he has carried the rebuilding Wildcats back to respectability.
“Jakob has been even more impressive and impactful than I had anticipated,” said Wildcats Head Coach, Darren Rumble. “He’s a great teammate in the room and an even better person away from the rink. We are thrilled to have him as part of the Wildcats family.”
“It’s been great,” added Pelletier. “When I first came here I wasn’t expecting that. I was focused on having fun, but now it’s kind of like business.”
And business has been good for Pelletier and the Moncton Wildcats; the rookie has made the transition to the QMJHL with relative ease. In fact, the 16-year-old currently sits second in team scoring with 47 points in 44 games.
“I’m just trying to play the same way that I did in Midget AAA and Bantam,” said Pelletier.
And while he has brought unwavering enthusiasm, character and pride to the Wildcats this season, it’s the rookie’s proficiency to read the play as it develops and his uncanny ability to judge time and space, while controlling the puck in traffic and at full speed, that have already set him apart from other players in the league.
Pelletier, who will be turning seventeen on March 7th, has become one of the most complete players in the QMJHL and, skating alongside Mika Cyr and Jeremy McKenna, has formed a lethal offensive trio.
“Mika and Jer’ have a lot of speed and great vision,” confessed the young forward. “We try to move the puck around and great things happen. Jer’ is a sniper, so we try to pass him the puck as much as we can [so that] he can snipe whenever he wants.
“Mika is a sniper as well as a playmaker. It’s been a lot fun to play with those guys,” added Pelletier.
At 5’8’’ and 154 pounds, Pelletier hasn’t shied away from physical play throughout the season, almost embracing the challenge to play in traffic.
“For sure the guys are bigger, smarter and faster. They are quicker on you and they finish all of their checks,” confessed Pelletier about his first go at the junior level. “It’s been an adjustment for the first few months, but now I think it’s good. Again, I’m just trying to do what I did last year.”
Pelletier is spending more time in the gym this season and believes that it will pay dividends in the upcoming playoffs. He’s quick to credit Darren Rumble when it comes to the ease of his transition into the Q.
“Rums is a great teacher, he knows what you have to do to get to the next level,” said Pelletier of his bench boss. “He gives me a lot of ice time and, to be honest, I wasn’t expecting him to show that much confidence in me. It’s kind of cool, because I’m only sixteen!”
Pelletier’s spectacular rookie season hasn’t gone unnoticed either; the youngster is already attracting attention from NHL scouts. But the 2019 NHL Draft is the farthest thing from the young forward’s mind at this time.
“I’m not thinking about that right now. I’m trying to concentrate on the end of this season and the playoffs right now,” said Pelletier. “I want to have a great summer of training, and after that we are going to see what happens.”
One thing remains certain, the young phenom still has plenty of time and games to make a name for himself!
