Joël Perrault’s approach: one step at a time

The first time Joël Perrault appeared in a QMJHL regular season game as a 17-year-old member of the Baie-Comeau Drakkar, it was in Rimouski. It was also the night – September 14, 2000, for the record – the Océanic raised a Memorial Cup banner to the rafters.

A quarter-century later, Perrault is back in Rimouski. Only this time, he’s the Head Coach of the 2025 Memorial Cup hosts, leading a group of players vying to provide that banner with a little company.

“Life’s funny that way,” Perrault opines with a laugh. “I scored my first (QMJHL) goal in this building. If you’d have told me 25 years ago that I’d be the coach here today, I would’ve said ‘that sounds pretty cool!’”.

That chuckle, in a way, symbolizes a story of progression that offers a combination of conviction, passion and fun. After an All-Star career as a player in the ‘Q’, then a 13-season long pro stint that included 96 NHL games, Perrault was ready for what was next.

And he knew what his approach would be.

“Towards the end of my playing days, I started picking the brain of my coaches to find out what it’s all about,” Perrault recalls. “I’m passionate about the game and I love helping others. Even as a player, I enjoyed helping out my teammates when I could. When I retired, I figured I’d give [coaching] a shot.”

“For me, it’s important to start at the bottom of the ladder and earn my way up,” Perrault continues. “Even though I had some opportunities to go straight to major junior as an Assistant Coach, I wanted to not only start at a lower level, I also wanted to stay close to my family. And so, I started coaching at the (U15) level.”

After a combined six seasons at the U15, Espoir and U18 levels – a few of those spent with his current forwards, Lou Levesque and Mathieu Cataford – it was time to make the jump. At the time of Perrault’s appointment in 2023, the Océanic was in the hunt for the hosting rights for this year’s Memorial Cup tournament, though the final decision had not yet been rendered.

Once the possibility became a reality, Perrault and those in the organization put together a support staff for the players that can utilize experience and a tremendous sense of camaraderie to power the club through both the best and the worst of times. To that point, all three Océanic Assistant Coaches – Donald Dufresne, Michel Ouellet and Jordan Caron – had previously represented the franchise, either behind the bench or on the ice, at the Memorial Cup.

“We have a tremendous staff here,” Perrault comments. “Donald had been here for a long time, and I rely on his experience a lot. With Michel, he’s a guy I played against. He was a tremendous player and is a great teacher for our kids. Jordan Caron, he has NHL experience and was here as a player in 2009 (the last time the Océanic hosted the tournament). We talk every day about both our past experiences and the present, and how to deal with our players. It’s a fun staff, honestly. We rely on one another. We all have our own stories but that’s something we can bring together as we help our players get through a season like this one.”

To this point, Perrault and his staff have taken this club to the 2025 Gilles-Courteau Trophy Final despite a rash of injuries and the unique pressure that’s bestowed annually upon the host club. For Perrault specifically, there’s another source of support that’s made this year particularly special.

“My wife and two girls are here with me,” he points out, emotion in his voice. “Last year, I made the move to Rimouski by myself. This year, we bought a place in Rimouski and we’re all enjoying this new life together. To have them part of the community and the team’s journey… to have them close to me, through the ups and downs, it’s meant so much.”

They were in the forefront of Perrault’s mind while standing behind the bench prior to Friday’s tournament opener. So were his parents, who are enjoying this week’s event in person.

“I also got to thinking about my grandparents, who are no longer with us, but I think they’d be pretty proud to see their grandson behind the Océanic bench for sure,” he adds.

Then there’s those coaches who are sharing the spotlight with the sophomore bench boss. While Perrault is soaking in his biggest moment in coaching this week, he’s up against a trio of men – Moncton’s Gardiner MacDougall, London’s Dale Hunter and Medicine Hat’s Willie Desjardins – who have had a seemingly endless list of biggest moments. Is it something that crosses his mind?

“It’s pretty crazy to think a few years ago I was coaching (U15) hockey and now I’m at the Memorial Cup against some of the best coaches in Canada,” Perrault says. “But still, they’re also just a guy behind the bench, and they’re going through all the same things I am. They’ve just gone through more of it,” he adds with a laugh.

Regardless of the competition, Perrault understands the need to keep his charges in control of their destiny. It’s not always easy when dealing with players of this age, but it’s all part of the challenge he has embraced with each passing day.

“It’s… I wouldn’t call it a gift,” Perrault says when trying to explain why he loves what he does. “But I really take pride in seeing the younger generation of players try to accomplish something that they perhaps didn’t know they could accomplish.  Obviously, I’m still learning. This year has been a huge learning year. I’m really embracing it.”

Perrault is sticking to his approach: one step at a time.