"It's the best of the best. I've always just wanted to play at the highest level," said Primeau, who was a finalist for the 2018 Mike Richter Award, which is presented to the most outstanding goaltender in NCAA hockey. "It's great to be involved in an event like this. I'm just excited to see the great group we have and all the talent in one place. We all want to be on the team come December, so everyone is going to be pushing each other."
The Canadiens' seventh-round selection - 199th overall - in 2017 isn't about to let the excitement of being on-site get in the way of his performance, though. He's taking a calm, cool and collected approach into his very first Summer Showcase experience.
"I'm just trying to go in with an open mind and just play my game. I want to be confident and comfortable," affirmed Primeau, who spends his summer back home training with goalie coach, Chris Kanaly. "When I feel confident, I feel like I'm playing my best. That's the mindset I'm trying to go into this with."
Should Primeau ultimately crack the roster, it would mark his first time representing his country internationally since taking part in the 2017 IIHF U18 World Championship in Slovakia. The Americans claimed gold, but Primeau didn't see game action.
"It was a different perspective, because if I'm not playing I'm usually watching from the bench. So, it was different being up in the stands," mentioned Primeau, on being the squad's third netminder. "But, it was still cool because I enjoyed watching all those talented guys play - not just the goalies, but everyone. Being around them in the locker room was special."