Mathieu Perreault: The Fireman

When Mathieu Perreault sees a loose puck, he's going to do anything he can to get it back.
And more often than not, the feisty 5-foot-10, 188-pound winger succeeds.
It doesn't matter who he's going into the corner with. He can be giving up over six inches in height or any number of pounds in weight, but that doesn't matter to the 30-year-old.
That's what Winnipeg Jets head coach Paul Maurice loves about this versatile, veteran forward.
"We've all seen the Perreault forecheck. It's hard and fast, and he comes back to the bench with half of his equipment," Maurice so famously said during the 2016-17 campaign. "That's his personality. It's in the room, and that's an important piece."

But that type of game hasn't always been part of Perreault's on-ice identity.
In fact, during his three seasons in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League with Acadie-Bathurst, Perreault described himself as more of a "skill guy."
He put up 285 points in 194 regular season games, including back-to-back seasons with over 110 points. He led the QMJHL in points in 2007-08 with 114 and was also the league's Most Valuable Player the previous year.
But his game was about to undergo a change as he tried to break into the NHL with the Washington Capitals, who selected him in the sixth round of the 2006 Draft.
"When I first got to the NHL, I was a fourth liner," said Perreault, reflecting on the 21 games he played with the Capitals during the 2009-10 season.
"I worked on that (forechecking) part of my game, and it became a real asset for me. So, I embraced it, and it's part of me now. I think maybe the last five or six years, I've been a really hard forechecking guy. I take pride in that."
Still, it's not an easy game to play every night, and Perreault took some time to learn how to get it done.
He spent parts of the 2009-10 and 2010-11 seasons between the NHL and American Hockey League, winning back-to-back Calder Cups with the Hershey Bears along the way.

Physically, this new style of game was taking a toll on Perreault. However, he said the mental battle is just as difficult.
"Some nights your body doesn't feel as good, but that's the mental part of the game. You have to push, and tell yourself you feel good," said Perreault. "I've been trying to be more physical too. It's an asset I've brought to my game. Finishing my checks - that comes from taking good care of my body and making sure I'm mentally ready every night."
Now in his fourth season with the Jets, and eighth professional season of his career, Perreault is an integral part of the lineup every night.
Last season, he was second only to Blake Wheeler in shot attempt percentage at 52.84 per cent. He's been even better in 2017-18, at 58.65.
That means nearly 60 per cent of the shot attempts that occur are going toward the opponent's net with Perreault on the ice.
"He's so hard on the puck. You can almost see the frustration in the D-men on the other team when he's on it and he's hounding it," said Jets defenceman Tyler Myers. "He does so many of the little things for the group. Being on the puck is one of them, but you add that to how much skill he has, I think he's been unbelievable for us this year."
Perreault has brought that style of play to the ice regardless of situation, and regardless of what line he's on - and he's been on a few.
Just this season, he's played with Mark Scheifele and Blake Wheeler, Jack Roslovic and Bryan Little, as well as Matt Hendricks and Joel Armia.

"He works extremely hard. He's a guy everyone wants to play with because he forechecks so hard. You seem to play with the puck a lot more when he's on your line," said Wheeler. "His work ethic on the ice goes a long way with dictating how the younger guys look at him. He's not necessarily one of our most vocal guys. But he's a gamer, everyone knows he's showing up ready to work and ready to play every single night. That in and of itself is a huge boost to our leadership."
No matter the situation, Maurice knows No. 85 is ready. Earlier this season, the head coach called Perreault "The Fireman."
"We put him wherever we need help," said Maurice. "He brings a consistent level, but a high level. He's a really high level of identity hockey for our team. He's on the puck, and he's not a big man. So, we have some size in our group, and we have some guys that aren't all that big.

"His ability to get on a puck, disrupt a breakout, then the tight turn and short area plays is O-zone time and O-zone creativity and an energy level. You play with Matty, the other two guys end up feeling good about their game."
By now, Maurice and Perreault have met many times, with the head coach asking him to move around the line-up. Reflecting on those conversations brings a smile to Perreault's face.
"Sometimes he apologizes for moving me around, but it's something I like to do," Perreault grinned. "For me, it's almost like a new challenge every time I get on a different line or a different role. I like to embrace that. I like a new challenge. It's been a lot of fun for me."
Perreault has been rewarded for taking those challenges head on. He reached a career high in points last season with 45 in his 65 games played. Heading into the stretch drive of the regular season, Perreault is close to reaching that number again, just two goals shy of his career high of 18.

Maurice sees the evolution of Perreault's game as a template for younger players on the Jets roster. Players like Kyle Connor and Roslovic who have high-end skill, just like Perreault had when he came into the league.
"Almost all young skilled players, that are not 6-foot-4, 210, haven't had to do a lot of what you have to do in the NHL," said Maurice. "They've been somewhat perimeter players, they're shooters, they're play makers. But forechecking isn't a big part of how they got to the NHL.
"Matty is kind of that prime guy. If you want to survive in this league, you've got to get on the puck, and you have to play a puck pressure game. You have to be able to contain it. You have to be able to get it off them, you have to be able to get it stopped, and you have to win some of those battles.
"What Matty does at a high skill level, is he plays a grinder game."
Through the grind of an 82-game regular season schedule, the Jets are happy to have Perreault in their corner.
Especially because they know, more often than not, he's coming out with the puck.