Catching up with… Alexandre Alain

MONTREAL - It's been a busy few months for Habs prospect Alexandre Alain. The QMJHL Scholastic Player of the Year signed a contract with the Canadiens, made a second straight trip to the President Cup final, and recently won a 2017-18 Guy Lafleur Award of Excellence and Merit for his success on the ice and in the classroom. We caught up with him during his visit to the Bell Centre earlier this week.

Congratulations on your season! How do you feel about signing with the Habs?Alexandre Alain: I'm really excited to be able to sign with the Montreal Canadiens. I'm a Quebecer, so to sign with my childhood team is really special for me. When I was younger, I was a Canadiens fan. To be able to put that jersey on is a big source of honor and pride for me. I'm really happy to be able to grow with them.

Where were you when the signing happened?AA: I was at the rink. We were preparing to go play Charlottetown in the playoffs. The negotiations and the agreement were done through my agent, because we were in the playoffs. My focus was really with the Armada. For sure, when I got the news, I was incredibly happy, but I tried to keep my focus on the Armada as much as I could. As soon as the season was over, that's when I really realized that I had just signed with the Montreal Canadiens.
What parts of your game would you like to work on this summer?AA: It's really a lot of things - my explosiveness, my skating, just getting stronger, physically. Professional hockey is another level too, I'm going to play hard, I'm going to have to adjust. I'm going to have a training regimen this summer, I'm going to have to mature. The rest is just about fine-tuning the things I'm doing well but want to improve on.

Where will you be spending the offseason?AA: I'm going to stay in Quebec City, I've been working with a trainer there, I've been training there for four years. I work out with Jonathan Marchessault and Yanni Gourde. It's a good environment. Those players also weren't drafted, like me. They're players who are having nice careers, as we can see right now. It's good motivation for me. I love where I work out.
Have you been in touch with Marchessault and Gourde?AA: I've just tried to watch them as much as possible. They had good seasons this year. Yanni Gourde is coming back soon, so I'll be able to talk to him. Marchessault, it's really special what's happening in Vegas - Tampa too. It's been really special this year. No, I haven't spoken to them, but I'm following them closely.
Must be nice to get some mentorship from them...AA: They for sure talk to me a lot. I follow them too, I try to do a bit of what they're doing. They've gotten where they are because they've worked hard. It would've been easy to give up at 20, 21, but they didn't give up. They kept on working. I look up to them that way.

You've said that signing with the Canadiens was not only a dream come true, but also the right fit career-wise. How does it feel for it to have worked out that way?AA: It's a dream come true. It was also a good fit for me; the opportunities were right for me. When I got the news that I got to sign with the Canadiens, it wasn't really a question for me, I accepted right away. It was a great opportunity. In life, I wanted to be a hockey player, so for sure I wanted to take the best possible opportunity. For me, this one was the best.
What are your thoughts on joining the organization at the same time as Joël Bouchard?AA: He's a great person. Regardless of the results we had this year, he deserves to be working his way up in hockey. I think the Canadiens made a great choice hiring him. For player development, he's going to be really good. He's very close to his players, someone who can get a really good feel for them. I'm very happy, I've had a good relationship with him. There will definitely be an adjustment to the pro's, but it'll be on me to work hard on it.