After a difficult start to the season, the Laval Rocket have been playing much better recently.
In an interview with Jean-Charles Lajoie on Wednesday, Jean-François Houle explained that he expects his training to start slowly.
“It takes a little time to build a structure with a young team. We also have a lot of new faces. We knew it wouldn't be easy at the start of the season. It took some time, but the cohesion is there now. We play as a team and our goalkeepers make the important saves. We still have a chance to win. It's much better. It feels good to have wins and it helps us move up the table.”
The Rocket pilot also spoke about Logan Mailloux's successes. However, in his opinion, the defenseman still faces one more big challenge before joining the Canadiens.
“Over time I think he is a player who will play in the National League. His biggest challenge is staying grounded and continuing to improve. Yes, he had a good half of the season, but it's another start for the ages. You always have to prove yourself. If you don't do that, someone will walk past you. This will be a tall order for Logan. He needs to continue to improve to show everyone in the organization that he should be at the top. We are very pleased with his progress and believe he is on the right track.”
- Listen to the sports section with Jean-François Baril via QUB :
Houle also had good words for Jayden Struble. The latter is establishing himself as a starting defender in Montreal after starting the season in Laval.
“For me he deserves it. He was the most consistent of all our defenders. At that time we also had William Trudeau, who was right but had not yet found the right tone. I think it was a very deserved memory for Jayden Struble. He is a player who can play at a high level and a very good athlete. He shows he’s capable.”
As for Arber Xhekaj, the Rocket head coach believes he is on track to eventually return to the Bettman scene.
“It wasn’t easy for Arber in the first two or three games. Mentally, it's not easy to go from the National League to the American League. Over time he develops a great connection with our players. It makes room for some of our players. I think that’s a good thing.”
Watch the relevant interview in the video above.