NASHVILLE | With no first-round picks, the Lightning frontrunners were eagerly awaiting the start of day two of drafting. At the table, Julien BriseBois, Mathieu Darche and their allies crossed their fingers and hoped that the scenario they had in mind would come true.
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“Ethan, that was our goal when we arrived this morning. We hoped he would still be available (Rank 37). Also, you saw that when it was our turn, it didn’t take long to announce our selection,” said Darche, Deputy Director General of the Lightning, to the few Quebec journalists who came to meet him.
Darche knows the Gauthier family well. He saw ethane evolve from the atomic category while outperforming him. Then he always followed its development until his arrival with the Sherbrooke Phoenix.
“I know his character. I know he will try. He is 12, 13 years old and already wanted to train, said Darche. He’s a talented guy who plays hard. He knocks and gets caught in traffic. Such players are contagious.
As Denis Gauthier, Ethan’s father (see other text), mentions, the Lightning has a particularly effective development system. Which bodes well for the young man.
“We have proven ourselves on this side. “A guy like Nick Perbix, who was picked in the sixth round, played two AHL games before spending the season with us,” Darche pointed out.
“Ethan will have another advantage. Jean-Philippe Côté, our Director of Development, is based in Quebec. He can often visit him in Drummondville.”
Photo courtesy of Sherbrooke Phoenix
I’m stuck behind the veterans
With the Voltigeurs, Gauthier will play a much bigger role than he did during his two seasons at Sherbrooke. The Phoenix, aiming for big accolades, limited her playing time in the closing stages of the season.
“That’s the disadvantage of playing with a big team. Still, at 17, he’s only had a 30-goal season and a point a game. It is impressive. And he stood out with the best in the world in his age group.
Darche is referring to the Hlinka-Gretzky tournament, where Gauthier led the competition with six goals in five games.