Skip to content
Your daily dose of hockey
News

Habs’ choice: Alexis Cournoyer was 15 minutes away from going to Predators camp
Félix Forget
Habs’ choice: Alexis Cournoyer was 15 minutes away from going to Predators camp
Credit: This afternoon, the Canadiens selected a Québécois goaltender in Alexis Cournoyer. He was the club’s fifth-round pick, and adds to an already well-stocked bank of prospects in front of net. But you can never have too many goalies. That said, you get the feeling that Cournoyer was pretty surprised to hear his name mentioned at […]

This afternoon, the Canadiens selected a Québécois goaltender in Alexis Cournoyer. He was the club’s fifth-round pick, and adds to an already well-stocked bank of prospects in front of net.

But you can never have too many goalies.

That said, you get the feeling that Cournoyer was pretty surprised to hear his name mentioned at 145. At least, that’s what we understand from Anthony Martineau(TVA Sports), who chatted to him.

In fact, Cournoyer revealed to Martineau that, at the time he was selected by the Habs, he was 15 minutes away from going to the Predators’ development camp, to which he had been invited.

But obviously, his plans changed when he heard the news.

We know that often, prospects projected late in the draft have to deal with the reality of never knowing where they’ll go, or even if they’ll be drafted at all. And since development camps are held very soon after the draft, this forces players to be ready for any eventuality.

In Cournoyer’s case, then, the kid was ready to go to Nashville, and it’s safe to assume that Jean-Philippe Glaude was among those who pushed to invite him to the camp. He must have been disappointed to see him drafted by the Habs.

However, it’s easy to see how things can come down to the wire on draft day… and in Cournoyer’s case, it came down to the last 15 minutes. Of course, he would have returned home if the Habs had selected him later, but everything went fast for him today.

In the end, though, he’s right where he wants to be.


Extension

Cournoyer is quite a story. We’re talking about a 19-year-old goaltender who didn’t even start the year in the QMJHL… but after a fine end to the season, here he is, drafted by the Habs in the fifth round.

And it’s safe to assume that his father, who is also in the hockey world, is one of the many people who must be very proud of the young goalkeeper.

facebook icon Share twitter icon Tweet linkedin icon Share
Copied!
More Content