Conference Call: Joël Bouchard

MONTREAL - Joël Bouchard took some time on Monday afternoon to chat with reporters.

The Laval Rocket head coach touched on a variety of topics ranging from the development of the organization's young players to the cancellation of the AHL's regular season and playoffs as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Here are a few excerpts from his Q&A session.

Question from Martin McGuire, Cogeco Media

We've had the chance to see several players you've coached with the Canadiens. I'm thinking of Jake Evans, Ryan Poehling, and Jesperi Kotkaniemi. They're important prospects for the team. Among these prospects, is there one that will be knocking on the door at the start of next season?

Firstly, it's good news. I think Cale Fleury also did a good job early in the season. Otto Leskinen was also called up. Cayden Primeau also did very well. For around two years now, we've had guys who have been drafted and developed by the organization. They're all players with NHL potential. Obviously, I think Evans proved it later in the season. That's also the case for Fleury, Primeau, and Kotkaniemi. It's fun to know we have this group of players. I remember when I joined the organization, we unfortunately weren't having this kind of conversation. We were signing players left, right, and center to fill out the AHL team. Now, it seems like we have a certain routine in the way we do things. Obviously, it takes time to develop players we like and have drafted. The good news is that these are players who are going to have an impact for the long term for the organization.

Question from Jean-François Chaumont, Le Journal de Montréal

My first question is about Ryan Poehling. He's a young man who was playing his first career season in the AHL. There were a lot of expectations on his shoulders. In terms of statistics, it wasn't extraordinary: 13 points in 36 games. In your view as a coach, what are your takeaways from Ryan Poehling's rookie season with the Laval Rocket?

Expectations are always different between the media, coaches, and organizations. Ryan had a stellar debut in his first game. I'm sure everyone remembers it, it was a great hockey moment. It was priceless. That said, he started as a pro with us as a rookie. He had played in the American college system and wasn't winning all the trophies there. We knew there was a path forward. Adapting to the pros happens differently for everyone. We used Ryan in all situations. I remember when Jake Evans graduated from the university ranks, he was older than Ryan and he had a pretty impressive resumé, being the captain of Notre Dame. I still did a lot of work with Jake. It's a credit to him that he was able to develop the way he did in his two seasons with me. In Ryan's case, he got invaluable experience. He played games in the NHL and the AHL. He had some good moments in the AHL, but also some tougher ones. But that's part of the learning process. He had two stints in the NHL. Unfortunately, for the journalists who didn't see him play a lot later in the season, the last games he played before getting hurt were very good. It often takes time for the player to adapt. For him, it's a change of lifestyle, of caliber and style of play from university. His shortcomings on the stats sheet are just a combination of circumstances. I'm really happy with the last games he played for us. He's racked up a lot of mileage this season and I'm convinced it's going to pay off in the long term.

My second question is about Jesperi Kotkaniemi. In his rookie season, we talked about a honeymoon. He forced a change in plans and ended up playing for the Canadiens at the age of 18. He hit a wall in his second season and was sent down to the AHL. What can you tell us about his long-term potential and what could you say to reassure those who are concerned about Kotkaniemi?

We have to put things in perspective. He was hurt at the start of the season with the Canadiens. It's hard for a young player to manage injuries. It's part of the process. The NHL is a performance league and the AHL is a development league. Claude's job is to focus on the performance of the team and unfortunately, when a player gets hurt, it's hard for him to get back into the lineup and find his game again, especially when it's a younger player. I'm going to tell you about his progression with the Rocket. I sat with him and we watched some video. I let him express himself. We tried to come up with some solutions. He was very open-minded. Honestly, I loved working with him. In my opinion, he's progressed a lot in certain aspects of the game. Unfortunately, he got hurt when he was playing his best hockey. He was dominant in certain areas of the game. I saw that he was invested in what we wanted him to learn and that's very encouraging. He was 100% on board with what we wanted to do.

Question from Raphaël Doucet, 91,9 Sports

Noah Juulsen only played 13 games. Are you confident he'll be at 100% for Canadiens training camp in September?

It's a good question. We really feel for Noah. He's faced a lot of uncertainty and suffering because of his headaches. It hasn't been pleasant. I'm happy you're asking. Yes, he played 13 games, but for me what's important is the No. 1. He was able to play one game before the pause. That game makes all the difference. If we stopped the season before he could even play that game, he probably would've been left with some doubt in his head. He had the chance to play a game and he was excellent. For me, it was the best game he's played for the Rocket in two years. He was comfortable. I saw that in practice, he was back to the Noah I knew. Him being able to play that game means he can say that anything is possible. I spoke to him last week and he's feeling very good. Not much has changed. He was very happy to have been able to play that game. I'm very positive about what's next for Noah.