Carl Mallette was ripe for a new challenge

After three years in an assistant position with the Victoriaville Tigers, Carl Mallette felt ready to play the lead role behind the bench for his hometown team.

Mallette took over from Louis Robitaille following his departure with the Gatineau Olympiques where he now fulfills the dual functions of coach and general manager.

“The timing was good and often when you start coaching, you think you’re ready. But we have experience to seek, and this experience, I have acquired over the last seven or eight years.

“In each level, you have something to learn and you have something to learn with each person you work with, especially my last three years with Louis Robitaille. I felt ready, I shared it and it was sorted out fairly quickly, ”summed up the 38-year-old driver before the Tigres’ last preparatory game at the Videotron Center.

Same person

Before his jump in a jacket and tie in the QMJHL, Mallette had directed the school hockey program at the Clarétain College and had coached the Thetford Mines Lodes in the college circuit.

And even if he regains the head coach hat this season, Mallette will keep the same approach with the players. The good guy is still the good guy.

“I am the same, for sure. My post was pretty straightforward on the first day of training camp. For me, I see it as a chance to know them and they know me. They know what kind of person I am. Obviously it’s me now who has the last call and that’s part of the new function. I already had a good bond of respect and I think that does not change, ”he said.

Among the favorites

For many observers, the Tigers will be among the most competitive clubs in the Eastern Division. Mallette accepts this label without any problem.

“Really, we don’t have the choice to see ourselves in the top three or four. Do we put pressure on ourselves by saying that? No, we are a mature team. We were also rejuvenated by returning Tristan Roy, 17, Olivier Coulombe and Nicolas Kingsbury-Fournier, 18. We have a great mix. But it’s hard to say where we’re going to be. ”

In the notebook …

• Despite the ban on playing matches until further notice in the red zone, the Battlements and the Voltigeurs can continue to train according to the bubble class principle which prevails for all sports-study programs. The players of both teams follow their lessons in a room set up for this purpose between the walls of their amphitheater since the resumption of activities. The city of Drummondville has switched to maximum alert.
• On leave for two weeks following a positive COVID-19 case among his players, the Phoenix may well get reinforcement at the blue line when the team is allowed to resume operations. Since the NHL and American League season won’t start until January, in the best case scenario, the defenseman Samuel Bolduc called on the New York Islanders to return as “20 years” to the QMJHL. Bolduc was a second round pick for the Islanders in 2019.
• The Titan added some experience in goal by claiming the 19-year-old goalie Christian Sbaraglia on waivers. The Mississauga native has played 28 career OHL games, including 24 last year with the Niagara IceDogs. He will join his new teammates at the start of the week after completing his 14-day administrative segregation, as provided for in New Brunswick’s health measures. The Titan is still waiting for the arrival of the Czech Jan Bednar at that position, a 6’4 ” colossus drafted in the fourth round by the Red Wings earlier this week.
• Hendrix Lapierre, of the Saguenéens, hit a home run with his first Twitter post, citing none other than the Washington Capitals star, Alexander Ovechkin, who congratulated the young striker in a previous tweet on his selection at 22^e rank of the draft by the Caps. A remarkable entry on the twittosphere!

Face to face

HENDRIX LAPIERRE

Saguenéens | Center

• Games played 2
• Goals 2
• Assists 3
• Points 5
• +4 differential

MAVRIK BOURQUE

Cataracts | Center

• Games played 3
• Goals 1
• Help 2
• Points 3
• +1 differential

27: Before Saturday’s matches, Nathan Légaré, of the Drakkar, had already fired 27 shots in just three outings, a peak.

31: Mooseheads rookie Markus Vidicek is efficient at center with 31 face-offs won and a 53.4% ​​hit percentage. Vidicek, of Kirkland, was a pick of 1^re round last June.

5: This is the number of teams forced to shut down due to COVID-19, four in Quebec and one in the Maritimes. This is 28% of all clubs in the QMJHL.