Their paths will go their separate ways for the next few days, but that doesn’t change anything. Quebec Remparts goaltending coach Pascal Lizotte has a clear message for NHL organizations: William Rousseau deserves a chance.
Rousseau and Lizotte have worked together for the past three seasons and their collaboration ended with a shutout for the Remparts goalkeeper in the Memorial Cup final last Sunday.
Rousseau will switch to the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies in the next few days and play his 20-year season in Abitibi, unless a professional team gives him a sign by then.
“If it were up to me, I would tell NHL teams to invest in William and cut Lizotte to pieces. His progress is constant. He came here at 17 and had a difficult year. Then at the age of 18 he shared the goal with Fabio Iacobo before scoring the goal at the end of the year and this season he had an exceptional year.
“Since he arrived with us his performance has only improved. He has gained confidence and presence, which is very important for a goalkeeper. When the boys in the bedroom see that their guardian is quiet, he demands respect. »
A year to prove yourself
For Lizotte, Rousseau overcame all the challenges he faced this year. Last but not least.
“At the beginning of the year we set ourselves short, medium and long-term goals. We wanted him to have a good start to the season to be part of Hockey Canada’s plans and that worked,” the coach recalled.
Rousseau was actually one of four goaltenders invited by the national program to the World Junior Ice Hockey Championships. After an excellent camp he had been cut off but had been assured that if necessary he would be the first to be called back.
“After Olivier Michaud, Julien Ellis and Louis Domingue, it was the fourth time I worked with a goalkeeper going to Canada junior camp. I knew from experience that when they come from there they are mentally drained. They experience an emotional peak in December, while we usually want to get them to experience it in March. After that there always comes a lethargy that is difficult to cope with. You have to let things go. Will, I said he’d play on the coals. He lacked the spark to ignite the fire he had. »
Great comeback
Through hard work, both technically and mentally, Rousseau finally found his direction at the right time and established himself as a mainstay for the Remparts in the playoffs, particularly in the semifinals against the Gatineau Olympiques.
“We saw the William from the start of the season,” agrees Pascal Lizotte.
Then, at the Memorial Cup tournament, he faced new challenges when he found himself in a tournament where two of the four goalies – Thomas Milic for Seattle and Michael Simpson for Peterborough – had just won MVP awards in their league. Additionally, Milic was one of two goaltenders who stripped him of a berth with Junior Team Canada in December.
“When he first faced Milic, everyone talked to him about that confrontation,” Lizotte recalls. I said to him, “Will, your job is the same.” Your opponent is the puck. The only difference is that the guys throwing at you are sometimes dressed in green and sometimes in red. You need to focus on your process as you have no control over the rest. ”»
And it works. Rousseau twice and not once had the upper hand over Team Canada Junior’s starting goaltender, including in the Memorial Cup Finals thanks to a 32-saver shutout.
Note that the Trois-Rivières native is a three-year NHL draft pick. If he doesn’t find a taker in Nashville on June 29, he’s free to agree with either team.