FROM THE STANDS TO THE BENCH: 2025 World Juniors represent a full-circle moment for Sylvain Favreau
16 years ago, Drummondville Voltigeurs head coach Sylvain Favreau was at the very beginning of his coaching journey toward the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL).
As he prepared to participate in his first season as an assistant coach for the Gloucester Rangers of the Central Canada Hockey League (CCHL), the now 46-year-old from Orleans, Ont., a suburb of Ottawa, came to watch the 2009 IIHF World Junior Championship in Ottawa.
There, he attended a number of the games at Canadian Tire Centre as a fan and followed the tournament along as Canada earned a record-tying fifth consecutive gold medal.
Now, fast forward to today, Favreau has a chance to relive that experience – but this time on the bench as an assistant coach for Team Canada at the 2025 World Juniors.
“It is a pretty cool feeling. To live it on the inside now is going to be something pretty special,” stated Favreau, who has previously won a gold medal with Canada at the 2023 Hlinka Gretzky Cup as an assistant coach.
“It’s a great moment for me in my coaching career, especially with the fact that just like players, I started with the Under-17 program, worked my way up to the Hlinka Gretzky [Cup], and now with the Under-20 – it’s a great opportunity and the cherry on top is that it is in my hometown of Ottawa. I remember being just a pure spectator in 2009 when it was last here. Just to see the energy in the city and the rink, Canadian Tire Centre, was so vibrant.”
Before his time in the QMJHL, Favreau spent a lot of time honing his craft right here in Ottawa.
He first served as both an assistant (2009-11) and head coach (2011-15) of the Gloucester Rangers, before becoming the head coach and director of hockey operations for the CCHL’s Cumberland Grads for two seasons (2015-17). This is all in addition to the years Favreau spent playing minor hockey in the Ottawa area before he crossed the Atlantic to play pro hockey in France.
“I remember skating here in minor hockey at TD Place, and a few appearances at Canadian Tire Centre,” added Favreau, who has led the Voltigeurs to a QMJHL-best 22-5-1-2 record through 30 games so far in 2024-25. “It will certainly be interesting to be a part of it, and even, being around the headquarters of the Ottawa Senators could be something interesting to me. The entirety of this whole thing is awesome, and I am taking it all in and trying to do my best to chip in however I can to help this team.”
Favreau (second from the right) stands for a photo at the 2024 Memorial Cup alongside London Knights head coach Dale Hunter (first on the left), Moose Jaw Warriors head coach Mark O’Leary (second from the right), and Saginaw Spirit head coach Chris Lazary (first on the right), who is also an assistant coach for Team Canada at the 2025 World Juniors (credit: Eric Young / CHL).
Favreau is familiar with a number of the players competing at Canada’s National Junior Team selection camp. Having led the Drummondville Voltigeurs alongside forward Ethan Gauthier to their first QMJHL title since 2009, Favreau and Gauthier are one of nine players and/or coaches attending this year’s camp to have participated in the 2024 Memorial Cup in Saginaw. That list includes forward Denver Barkey (London Knights / OHL), forward Easton Cowan (London Knights / OHL), defenceman Oliver Bonk (London Knights / OHL), defenceman Sam Dickinson (London Knights / OHL), forward Brayden Yager (Moose Jaw Warriors; now a member of the Lethbridge Hurricanes / WHL), Zayne Parekh (Saginaw Spirit / OHL), and Team Canada assistant coach Chris Lazary (Head Coach of the Saginaw Spirit / OHL).
In total, nine players at Canada’s selection camp have previously participated in a Memorial Cup and won a league title in the CHL. The latter includes goaltender Scott Ratzlaff (Seattle Thunderbirds / WHL) and Sawyer Mynio (Seattle Thunderbirds / WHL), who helped the Seattle Thunderbirds to an Ed Chynoweth Cup in 2023 and an appearance at that Memorial Cup in Kamloops.
This is all in addition to the fact that 24 of 31 CHL players attending this year’s camp have also previously won gold at a Hlinka Gretzky Cup, which are all experiences that Favreau believes will be a big benefit to this year’s Canadian squad at the World Juniors.
“It creates a sense of what it is like to play on a big stage,” stated Favreau. “Being on that stage, it helps with confidence. It helps with understanding what it means not to squeeze the stick too much when there is a big crowd behind you. Sometimes it can have the counter-effect. The fact that these guys have lived those types of moments will certainly help them.”
Sylvain Favreau became the 7th head coach in QMJHL history to lead two different clubs in consecutive years to the QMJHL Championship Series (Halifax Mooseheads – 2023 & Drummondville Voltigeurs – 2024). He also helped the Voltigeurs to their second QMJHL title in franchise history last season (Credit: Ghyslain Bergeron).
Favreau is also relishing the opportunity to learn from his coaching peers who will be alongside him throughout his 2025 World Juniors experience. Joining him on the bench in Ottawa will be Canada’s head coach Dave Cameron (Ottawa 67’s / OHL), along with Mike Johnston (Portland Winterhawks / WHL) and Chris Lazary (Saginaw Spirit / OHL) who will serve as assistant coaches alongside Favreau.
“You talked about Dave Cameron, who brings a wealth of experience. Mike Johnston as well, and Chris [Lazary], who we were rivals with just a few months ago at the Memorial Cup, and now to share the same office and same goal, it’s awesome,” said Favreau, who last season became just the seventh head coach in QMJHL history to lead two different clubs in consecutive years to the QMJHL Championship Series. “A lot of coaches would like to be in our shoes. We started at the Under-17, and for players, that’s their goal. They start in the program at the Under-17 [level] and they work their way up, and it is the same for coaches. To be able to be here is just a special moment.”
