Guillaume Asselin really wanted to play professional ice hockey. To touch his dream when he was tired of seeing”hard» Because he was ahead of him in the ECHL, the Quebec forward decided to go to Europe. A decision that, on the contrary, he has never regretted and that turned out to be even more pleasant a few weeks ago when a certain Joe Thornton, now general manager, called him and asked him to wear the colors of Team Canada.
“The first thing I said to him was a big, 'Yes!' Then we talked about other things, about family. It was a really cool moment,” he tells the Journal with a big smile in his voice.
Asselin, his wife, his two sons and his mother spent the end of December in Davos, Switzerland, so that the ice hockey player defended the Canadian flag at the Spengler Cup, the second oldest ice hockey tournament in the world after the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
William Asselin, the son of Guillaume Asselin, in the arms of a mascot during the Spengler Cup in December. Photo provided by Guillaume Asselin
The memory of a life
You could say it's a dream come true for the tenacious forward, who had a good career in the QMJHL before heading to Canadian university but couldn't earn a spot in the ECHL (the American League caliber). at 20 years old.
Finally, when he crossed the Atlantic to play in Slovakia in 2017-2018, Asselin said that it would be “really cool” to one day be able to compete in the famous Spengler Cup, which Canada won on 16 occasions.
And yes, he did it, in the legendary Davos Arena, which looks like an old church, in front of a crowd so loud that it prevented the North American players, who were less accustomed to playing in Switzerland to hear each other on the ice.
Photo provided by Guillaume Asselin
He assures us that he will “remember it for the rest of his life.” Even though in his eyes Canada, who were eliminated in the semi-finals, should have won the highest honor.
He enjoyed everything. The presence of family members is strongly encouraged by Hockey Canada as the tournament is intended to be a family event. The mission to defend the maple leaf. The gang of boys consists of former NHL players – like Nathan Beaulieu and Jordie Benn -, players from the American League, but above all ice hockey players who, like him, now play in Switzerland.
Guillaume Asselin, center, in front of the Davos Arena, surrounded by his wife Catherine, left, his mother Caroline, right, his sons Lucas and William, front, during the Spengler Cup in December. Photo provided by Guillaume Asselin
The Nordiques jerseys, seen in the stands. The chant “Bruce there it is” sung by Canadian fans in honor of coach Bruce Boudreau.
But he was already living a dream
But the dream has come true; Guillaume Asselin has been living it for seven years and is playing among the professionals, despite the long detours he had to take to get there.
Even though he collected a few points at the junior level (including 82 in 2010-2011 with the Saguenéens), Asselin wasn't necessarily ready to make the jump to the professionals straight away at the age of 20.
He is not yet “physically and mentally mature”. It was also a matter of “timing,” he believes, in addition to the fact that his “style of skating was pretty fun” (those are his words).
He therefore decided to join the Canadian university circuit. And in retrospect, we see that Asselin agrees with the growing number of voices demanding that professional leagues take a look at what's happening there.
The striker knew Marc-Étienne Hubert well, having coached him at the Saguenéens before taking the leap behind the Patriotes' bench at the University of Trois-Rivières.
“He said to me, 'Come, study, get your diploma.' I also know your goal to return to the professionals afterwards,” says Asselin. […] It went really well, it fit really well.”
“They were really important years,” he adds. We only played a few games, but we trained a lot on and off the ice. There, between the ages of 20 and 24, I achieved my physical maturity.”
In the Canadian camp
With a degree in finance and the title of MVP in Canadian university hockey in hand, the right winger tried his hand at the pros again. The Canadian also invited him to his rookie camp in 2016.
The organization also gave him a two-way contract between the American League and the ECHL. He trained with the St. John's IceCaps but never wore their colors.
He also played seven games with the Brampton Beast in the ECHL. Then three more with Wichita.
And then it happened.
As we wrote from the start, Asselin was tired of playing little and seeing “tough” players pass him by, even though his skating had improved greatly since the junior ranks (“that’s no longer a drawback today,” emphasized him), and said “Yes”. when an agent asked him to accept an offer from a Slovakian team.
It was an instant favorite in Banska Bystrica, a town of 75,000 people.
The beginning of the dream: Slovakian teammates who welcomed him with open arms, passionate fans who drank a lot of beer and treated the players to dinner, and other Quebec exiles who were expected to integrate well.
And above all, two championships in as many seasons, “his coolest years in ice hockey.”
The high life in Switzerland
But Asselin also dreamed of Switzerland. In the Premier League, the A League, the level of play is higher than in the American League, some veterans of the two leagues told him.
There is also “good money” to be made, as a foreign player receives between $235,000 and $630,000 net per year, with some of his expenses paid in addition to gas and grocery shopping.
The high life, yes. Because Switzerland is also Switzerland with its breathtaking landscapes.
The attacker first made his way to Sierre with his wife Catherine. Actually a mountain town where a second division team plays and which they have adopted. This is where their eldest, William, was born and they return there several times a year.
“I love playing hockey”
But during a loan spell in Geneva for a few games, Asselin had the chance to make the jump to Ligue A. He scored six goals in four games.
The following season he signed a two-year contract with Ajoie HC, which he has since extended for another season.
He was the team's leading scorer last year with 18 in 44 games. And at 31, he doesn't think he'll stop anytime soon.
“All this is the result of many efforts and decisions that you have made in your favor,” we point out to him.
He nods. Because when Guillaume Asselin sometimes wonders if he shouldn't have been more patient if he hadn't waited for his chance in the American League, he affirms that he has “thought about everything he did”.
Because, he continues: “I’m finally here and I’m happy with the decisions I’ve made in my career.”
“I love playing hockey. “That’s my passion,” he smiles.