Nikolas Brouillard is back on track
Nikolas Brouillard is the first to admit he didn’t get off to the start he was hoping for this year on the Quebec Remparts’ blueline.
“I don’t exactly know why, maybe I was putting too much pressure on myself. Sometimes you can try to do too much to make an impression on your new team and you try to do everything yourself which is never a good idea in the game of hockey,” says Brouillard.
It actually wasn’t until the Remparts were on a Maritimes road trip that things started to come together for him. Not only did Brouillard pick up four points in three games, but he also took care of business in his own end to the tune of his +4 differential. It was hardly a shock that he was named the QMJHL’s second star of the week for his efforts in late October. Since then he’s never looked back, playing the kind of well-rounded game he’s always been known for, piling up points along the way.
Back in December, the Remparts had dealt their captain Ryan Culkin to the Drummondville Voltigeurs in exchange for Francis Lambert-Lemay and a first round draft pick. Then in June, the Voltigeurs got that pick back from the Remparts in exchange for Brouillard. However in January, Voltigeurs GM Dominic Ricard had surprisingly revealed it to the press.
“Essentially, Dominic took me into his office to explain the long and short of what was going on. He was concerned that the rumours would sooner or later come out about that top pick and that my name would come up. He was honest with me, but I must admit it’s odd to finish a season playing with players you know will become your opponents the following season. I managed to get past it all and was able to concentrate on the Voltigeurs just as I’d always done. But once I heard Quebec City would be hosting the Memorial Cup in 2015, I internally thanked Dominic for sending me to the Remparts.”
Obviously for any junior player, getting the chance to play in an event of such magnitude allows them to play on a big stage. Scouts are everywhere come Memorial Cup time to monitor their own prospects or to discover other players who may not necessarily be already on their lists.
“The level of play will be very high and it’s the perfect time to get noticed,” says Brouillard. “If you manage to impress the right people, you never know what can happen from there. And the Remparts will be a part of it as the host team, we really couldn’t ask for more.”
The best defence is a good offence
If Philippe Boucher went to get him from Drummondville, it was to jump start the Remparts’ offence.
“Nikolas is an experienced guy who is very explosive,” says Boucher. “A defenceman who pinches and helps our offence fits right in with our team’s mentality. He will give our power-play a nice boost. Obviously he isn’t a big guy or anything, but there are a lot of players who are his size that enjoy success in our league.”
But that being said, doesn’t it get tiring for a player like Brouillard to always hear about their lack of size instead of their vast talent?
“I’ll never be a 6-foot-4 player, but nothing is stopping me from adding more muscle to my frame in the gym. I find ways to compensate though,” says the 5-foot-10, Brouillard. I’m good with my stick and I’m able to get the puck off opposing players and then it becomes their problem to chase me down instead.”
Coming off a 57-point campaign, Brouillard had every reason to be hopeful of being chosen in the 2013 NHL Draft, but that wasn’t the case in the end. He did earn invites to development camps for the Blackhawks, Sharks and the Canadiens, but never moved on to the next level. This past fall, he drew the attention of the Winnipeg Jets and nothing materialized there, either.
His ultimate dream remains to play in the NHL, but he wouldn’t turn down some time in the AHL or in Europe. The East Coast League however doesn’t interest him, really. Currently attending Limoilou Cegep and studying social sciences, he isn’t quite sure which way he’ll turn should his puck plans not work out.
“I fully understand that reaching the NHL isn’t easy. That’s why I could envision myself going to university if ever things don’t go as planned for me.”
