Noah Dobson, well-known to La Belle Province hockey fans for his years in the Quebec junior circuit, made it to the National League without too much fanfare, but that didn't stop him from becoming a mainstay on the New York League's Blue Line Islanders.
If the Long Island team is successful this season with a record of 14-8-8, it is largely thanks to the skills of former Rouyn-Noranda Huskies and Acadie-Bathurst Titan. With 32 points in 30 games and a +17 differential, he is having his career-best single season. He will therefore have no difficulty surpassing his personal record from 2021-2022, when he collected 51 points.
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When asked by the website NHL.com about his key to success, the defenseman paid tribute to one of his predecessors who welcomed him home when he started 2019-2020, a year marked by the emergence of the pandemic. Dennis Seidenberg, a guard who played two years with the Islanders before retiring in 2018, showed his then-young protégé how to win. So the duo watched every game of the 2011 playoff round of the Boston Bruins, the Stanley Cup champion team on which Dobson's mentor played.
And a few years later, in that win over the Oursons, he encountered other players in the New York locker room, particularly their former captain Zdeno Chara. In his eyes, the lessons learned from experienced defenders are priceless.
“As a young person surrounded by these people, I was very lucky,” he told the league’s website. I was actually able to learn more about each man. They were all different with their personalities and the way they played. I am grateful to have had the support of several outstanding guards who allowed me to learn from them.”
Essential element
Averaging more than 25 minutes of playing time per night, the 23-year-old skater is an integral part of his head coach Lane Lambert's plan. If he suffers an injury, it could affect the Islanders for a long time.
“He’s definitely grown,” said club CEO Lou Lamoriello. As a young player, he had the privilege of going through a learning process. He had some very relevant role models to follow and help him when needed. However, it is still in growth mode. He’s progressing and that’s what you want to see from an athlete his age.”
According to Lambert, who uses Dobson alongside Adam Pelech in a first defensive pairing, the 12th pick in the 2018 draft also has the physicality necessary to stand out.
“I think he’s getting bigger and stronger. This helps him win his individual battles. Now it’s about finding out what other tasks he can take on,” he said.