Carlsberg Alumni Spotlight – Joël Perrault

In his first year behind the bench in the QMJHL, Joël Perrault guided Rimouski to a respectable 37-win campaign. In his second, he’s already assured a spot in the Memorial Cup with the host Oceanic. No pressure, right? 

Well, maybe not quite as much as meets the eye. Yes, guiding the national championship hosts while trying to maintain position in the upper tier of the ultra-competitive landscape of this year’s QMJHL campaign is a tall order. But how Perrault tackled the assignment, both for himself and his players, reveals a process that provides perspective on how he has always approached the game, whether sitting on the bench or standing behind it. 

“What was important for me during the summer was to take a step back and evaluate my performance in my first year coaching in this league and look at where I could improve,” Perrault recalls. “I reached out to guys who were in my position before and asked questions about what to expect and how they reacted in their situations. I found people were very open, especially when you aren’t afraid to open up and look for solutions. As for the players, it’s something we don’t talk about much. We know they have enough pressure. At the same time, for all the advice you gather, you still have to make it your own (message) and I think we’ve done a good job of that with our players.” 

Before he set out to be one of the top coaches in the league, Perrault was literally its top player, capturing regular season MVP honors and a scoring title with the Baie-Comeau Drakkar in 2003. That sensational performance was the jumping off point for a 13-year professional career which included 96 NHL games, six seasons in the AHL and stints throughout Europe. Did Perrault see coaching in his future while still hopping over the boards?  

“I did, but when you’re playing it’s not something you think about every day,” he points out. “Towards the end of my playing career it was something I began to consider, so I started picking my coaches’ brains. I also knew that I’d need to start at the bottom of the ladder and figure out what kind of coach I would be.” 

The 41-year-old Perrault worked his way through the U15 and U18 ranks before earning his shot in Rimouski. It was a process he refined by remembering what he felt worked when taking direction from many great bench bosses in his playing days.  

“I think I’ve taken a little bit from all of the coaches I’ve had but at the same time, I’ve kept my own identity,” the cerebral Perrault explains. “Having a guy like Kevin Dineen had a big impact. It was his first year coaching (with the AHL Portland Pirates), so you really felt like he was a big part of the team. Having Wayne Gretzky in Phoenix, I liked his openness and philosophy with the guys.”  

“Given how great a player he was, (his perspective) was probably a little different than it would ever be with me,” he mentions with a chuckle.  

Nobody, not even The Great One himself, needs to give Perrault a lesson on perspective. And his experiences in junior, particularly with a regular season champion Drakkar squad in his final year which came up just short of a berth in the league Final, plays into both memories and his message to the players he guides today. 

“You move on but still, that feeling (after losing in 2003) has stuck in my head,” Perrault says. “To be in our position now, knowing we’ll be at the event, the message I share with the players is that it is incredibly hard to win. Just because we’re great on paper doesn’t mean anyone’s going to give it to us. Winning would mean a lot to me, but it would also mean a lot to the city and the organization.”  

“Our team still wants to prove they can compete with the contenders,” he continues. “That’s the best part of the game for me. There are no easy days and you have to treat every day as a new challenge.” 

As methodical as Perrault’s approach is, he’s not above getting nostalgic. Being able to ramp up for one of the most significant tournaments in the league where it all began for him is a situation he embraces. 

“This league meant so much to me as a player,” he stresses. “This is where I became the person I am today. Those years were so important to me not only as a player but as a human being. I had success as a player and now I want to bring the same success to my players and become the best coach I can be. It’s really exciting to come to work every day with a first-class organization. I feel really fortunate to be here.”