New-look Volts’ are shocking the world!
There’s a problem in Drummondville.
The Voltigeurs, fresh off a 52-win regular season and President Cup semi-final appearance in 2018-19, have seen an almost complete turnover of their roster. In total, 16 of the top 18 scorers, the top four defensemen and the starting goaltender from that talent saturated squad have departed.
That means that 12 players on the current roster made their QMJHL debuts this year. Pre-season prognosticators were in full agreement; the road back to respectability in Drummondville will surely be a long one.
And therein lies the problem: nobody told the Volts.
As a matter of fact, this unlikely collection of dedicated young men – who sit with the second highest point total in the Western Conference – has proven, all other tangibles aside, to be the right mix of players.
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While the revolving door was shuttling players in and out during the offseason, another new face joined the squad, one that would control the shape that the roster would eventually take. That would be Philippe Boucher’s.
The former QMJHL and NHL defenseman who, following stints behind the bench and in the GM’s box with the Rimouski Oceanic and Quebec Remparts, was eager to bring his experience to the role he accepted last May.
“You have to realize that this is my third time as a QMJHL general manager and every situation has been different,” Boucher explained. “We had a few pieces left from last year in Drummondville. When you build up a team like last season and you don’t win, it leaves a sour taste. I wanted to help the team turn the page.”
But how do you turn the page with a veritable treasure trove of stars – including forwards Joseph Veleno and Maxime Comtois, defensemen Pierre-Olivier Joseph and Nicolas Beaudin, as well as goaltender Olivier Rodrigue – departing through graduation and trades? Clearly, the right plan must be put in place.
Boucher is quick to point out, however, that the best plan is more about perspective than strategy.
“I was asked to deliver a plan,” he said. “You can put a plan down on paper, but it doesn’t skate. You have to see the players on the ice. I just wanted to watch them play for a while to see what would happen, then read and react.”
But that’s only for the players. What about the people who would guide this squad?
“We had a decision to make with [Head Coach] Steve [Hartley],” Boucher recalls. “We made the decision to keep him with us, but we also made sure to surround him with a quality staff of assistants. It’s important to have the right people in place.”
As for the returning players, it has been a case of quality trumping quantity. Such is the case with third-year center Dawson Mercer, who has parlayed a blazing hot start into an “A” rating in the latest NHL Central Scouting rankings and into an invite to Team Canada’s selection camp for the 2020 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship.
Talk to Mercer for a few minutes and his quality as both a player and a person stands symbolic for the success he and his teammates have experienced.
“With the returning group that we have, we knew we were capable of bigger things,” Mercer said. “Then, Steve [Hartley] and Philippe [Boucher] brought in the right group of new guys. Us veterans set the pace in camp and the new guys stepped up very quickly.”
Among those new faces are Isiah Campbell, acquired from the Cape Breton Eagles in the off-season to provide much needed offensive reinforcement. Despite possessing a dearth of experience on the backend, the group has stood tall, led by rookies Jacob Dion and Thimo Nickl, as well as Thomas Pelletier, the latter being the lone returning blueliner with the club. For the newcomers, especially those with no prior major junior experience, the transition has been amazingly seamless.
“It’s good to see the new guys prove themselves,” Mercer remarked. “It’s a pretty big gap, getting used to playing three games in three or four days and then practising during the week. It’s a big step and it can wear guys down, but our group has accepted the challenge.”
Boucher, who tempered his expectations early on, sees many of the same things as his star player.
“I always thought we could fight for home ice, that was kind of the goal,” commented the GM. “I really like the group we have. They have such a love for the game. They come to the rink and have fun. It’s just a solid group of quality people,” he went on to say, while also pointing out the contributions of both Campbell and first year starting goaltender, Anthony Morrone.
But what about Hartley, the guy who survived the chopping block after the Volts fell just short last year? Just more quality to add to the fold, according to Mercer.
“I’m really comfortable with Steve,” he said. “We know what to expect with him. He makes us commit every day to improving. Our goal is always about moving forward, never backward. Steve has a lot to do with providing that mentality. He keeps us on track.”
Right players. Right people. Right direction.
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Finally, there’s the right approach.
This club is exceeding expectations by virtually every measure. And the new GM in town is on a three-year contract while his coaching staff just got renewed for two. Has this early-season success changed what was already a fluid plan to begin with?
“Make no mistake, there are things we’ll have to address during the upcoming Christmas break,” says Boucher. “But like I’ve said before, you don’t have to hit rock bottom to build things back up again.”
The man behind the new-look Voltigeurs knows exactly what he’s talking about. Back when he was GM of the Remparts, he had to go through a similar rebuilding process for a few seasons after Quebec City hosted the 2015 Memorial Cup tournament.
But with a fine mixture of talent, attitude and methodology, the Volts – from top to bottom – expect to be in it to win it every night. No matter what the future holds.
Rock bottom? Try rock solid.
