Carlsberg Alumni Spotlight – Félix Bibeau
Much to the surprise of many, Félix Bibeau stepped out of his comfort zone at the age of 23.
The Mercier, Quebec native was a familiar face to QMJHL fans when he played his final season in the league, in 2019-2020, with the Chicoutimi Saguenéens.
The man who also played with the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies and Quebec Remparts then continued his career by taking his first steps in pro hockey, back in 2020, with the American Hockey League’s Bridgeport Sound Tigers.
“It was during the pandemic and it was a bit of a special season. We started the year in February and I only played 12 games,” he recalls. “We were confined and weren’t really allowed to go out. So it was quite a long and hard year. It’s hard to get into a rhythm when you only play one game every two weeks!”
The following season, the man drafted by the New York Islanders in 2019 bounced between the Bridgeport team and the Worcester Railers in the ECHL.
That year, he spent more than 150 days in a hotel room.
“Fortunately, I had my girlfriend with me. But it wasn’t exactly easy going from hotel to hotel,” he points out.
After the 2021-2022 season, at just 23 years old, Félix Bibeau decided he’d had enough. Old knee injuries, a consequence of Osgood-Schlatter disease, and a few ankle sprains also played a part in his decision to hang up his skates.
“I was less interested in reliving all the same things. On the other hand, I wanted to stay involved in hockey. So, when I got the chance to become a coach, I jumped at it!”
Following his short stint in professional hockey, he returned to the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean region, this time to serve as assistant coach of the Sags.
“It’s a decision that I had been thinking about for a long time. I’m a realistic person, and I knew deep down that I had maybe a 1% chance of making it to the NHL. I felt I’d reached the peak of my capabilities!”
But Bibeau wouldn’t be away from the game of hockey for long. Just three months, to be precise.
“When I played for the Saguenéens in my last season, I had a great relationship with head coach Yanick Jean. When I finished the year, he told me that if I ever wanted to become a coach, all I had to do was give him a call!”
That idea was still in the back of his mind, and after learning that the Sags were looking for an assistant coach, he decided to turn to his former mentor.
“I wrote [to Yanick], not necessarily to get the job in Chicoutimi, but mostly to find out what steps I needed to take to become a coach,” recounts the man who lifted the 2019 Memorial Cup.
A few days later, the two men met in Montreal.
“It was settled over breakfast! It was very quick,” laughs Bibeau, who says he’s loving his new role. “We’ve got a really good group in Chicoutimi, whether it’s the managers, the administrative team, the scouts, the support staff, the coaches or the players. It’s really fun to get to the arena every day!”
“I’m in my first few seasons, so I’m still learning a lot,” he humbly adds. “But I think I’ve come a long way as a coach in those few years. I feel lucky and privileged to be able to live such experiences.”
Adapting from player to coach is not always easy. But Bibeau believes he’s on the right track.
“As a coach, you have to learn to manage your emotions and stay calm. You can’t go and give a solid bodycheck to get over your frustration! It was a bit of an adjustment for me,” he says with a smile.
Hockey remains a team sport, and that goes for players and coaches alike. That said, Bibeau gives a lot of credit to the two partners who work alongside him behind the bench and who have supported him since day one.
“I’m really lucky to be able to work with a guy like Yanick [Jean], who is the winningest coach in QMJHL history, and with the other assistant coach, Olivier Bouchard. I learn a lot from them every day. I can only get better as a coach!”
Now that he’s officially out of his comfort zone, the 25-year-old admits he’d like to become a head coach in the QMJHL one day.
Having failed to reach the NHL as a player, perhaps the first step towards realizing his dream will come as a coach? Stay tuned!
