Quebecer Pierre-Luc Dubois is far from bored with the Winnipeg Jets or the Columbus Blue Jackets as he continues his career in Los Angeles, a city that perfectly suits his needs.
The forward has yet to play a regular season game with the Kings, but feels more than comfortable in his new surroundings. He was acquired by the Jets on June 27 and signed an eight-year, $68 million contract on the same day. He doesn’t regret his decision.
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Some teammates — notably former Montreal Canadiens Phillip Danault — have already helped him acclimate to the place. Since his agent, Pat Brisson, had access to the City of Angels, he knew the market quite well. He also attended several rookie camps at the Kings’ training facility when he was younger.
In short, his arrival in “LA” was natural for him and his allies helped him in his choice.
“I knew the area and Pat knows a lot about the organization because he represents some of the guys on the team. I had a lot of questions and talked to them a little [Vladislav] Gavrikov, who I played with in Columbus and who supported me. And for the other questions he couldn’t answer, there was Pat who made the decision easier,” Dubois told the website Daily Faceoff.
No problem with pressure
In Manitoba, the 25-year-old had to deal with pressure from himself, but also from local fans and the media, who were very present in the Jets’ entourage. Had he already considered wearing the Canadian uniform, he would have experienced a similar reality that he won’t really find in California, where hockey is less visible than some other sports.
Still, Dubois said he’s ready to face the music in Winnipeg if necessary after totaling 143 points in 195 games this season.
“There’s a lot of pressure involved,” he admitted. I think pressure equals passion and passionate fans demand a lot. For some it can be more intense than for others. But I never felt like it was too much for me. On the other hand, it was nice to be able to count on these enthusiastic fans.”
“Except that sometimes it’s dangerous to go too far. You always hear that this guy is the best player in the world or that he had the best game of his career. Maybe it was just a really good game. And on the other hand, you also hear that he played his worst game ever when it was just a bad game. People tend to exaggerate and that makes life difficult, but they are passionate supporters.”
After hosting the Vegas Golden Knights on Saturday to complete their preseason schedule, the Kings begin the campaign on Wednesday by hosting the Colorado Avalanche.