Hurricanes have big plans for Gauthier

RALEIGH, N.C. -- Carolina Hurricanes forward prospect Julien Gauthier always has stood out among his peers on the ice.
That was the case in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, where he used his 6-foot-4, 225-pound frame to dominate against smaller players in their late teens. The same was true in early July, when he matched up with older prospects at Hurricanes development camp.

"With Julien, you see a guy who already is a man," Hurricanes general manager Ron Francis said. "He's big and strong and powerful. You watch him skate, and he can absolutely fly and he can shoot a puck."
That's why the 21st pick in the 2016 NHL Draft grabs so much attention, and Carolina is intrigued to see how the 19-year-old can use his physical stature as a professional.
"Sure, it's an advantage," Gauthier said. "Now juniors is over and you're not going to play against kids anymore. Every player in the NHL is strong. Even if you're small, you've got power. To be strong is a big asset."

A forward with good hands around the net, Gauthier started slowly with Val d'Or last season, scoring seven goals in 23 games. But after a trade to Saint John, he found his touch paired with fellow Hurricanes prospect forward Spencer Smallman.
Gauthier had 24 points (10 goals, 14 assists) in 20 regular-season games with Saint John, but raised his game to another level in the QMJHL playoffs with 17 points (11 goals, six assists) in 16 games. He helped Saint John reach the Memorial Cup, scoring six points (two goals, four assists) in four games.
"Maybe just a different pattern," Gauthier said about the trade. "Sometimes you just fit right in with a new team. I'm a hard-nosed guy who will go to the net. Spencer just fed me the puck really well, and I just had to shoot when I had an open net, so I thank him for that.
"Every game [when] it counts the most, I try to be there. I worked hard this year, I had really good playoffs and good teammates."
Carolina goalie prospect Callum Booth can't seem to escape Gauthier's offensive arsenal. Another teammate at Saint John, Booth had just gotten used to facing Gauthier's shot in practice before he had to square off against him again in development camp.
"I get to see it up close," Booth said. "He's a big boy, but not only that, he's able to use his size in the way that he drives to the net. The strength that he's able to put behind his shot, I've had a couple bruises in practices."
Not only does Gauthier have the size for the game at the highest level, but also has some pedigree. His uncle, Denis Gauthier, was an NHL defenseman from 1997-2009, playing 384 of his 554 games with the Calgary Flames. But the younger Gauthier, from Pointe-Aux-Trembles, Quebec, might have to climb the ladder through the American Hockey League before he makes his mark in the NHL.

"I think some of it is going to be on the coaching side," Francis said, "and just understanding that our systems are probably different than he had been playing in junior, and getting comfortable with that.
"A lot of the younger guys when they're learning a system, they tend to hesitate. He's got to get to the point where he knows what he's doing. But he has a lot of the things you can't teach, with the size and strength and speed and shot."
That message has already been received by Gauthier, who knows the pro game requires more from forwards than a scoring touch.
"It's being consistent, playing a 200-foot game and doing what I can do best, playing offense and bringing some physicality," he said. "I think I've proved a lot in the last season. My game has more maturity in it, so I think I'm more ready than ever."