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The history of a new gem (2X draft media week)
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AnthiqueSHL GM Quebecer trying to make goalie TPE matter in Texas
05-11-2022, 10:42 PM
(This post was last modified: 05-11-2022, 11:17 PM by Anthique. Edited 1 time in total.)
This journey begins in the Province of Quebec, where The Wolves owned the territory in 1693, Rivière-du-Loup. There’s a little kid who loves to play hockey in the street with his dad and friends to pass time and play hockey is a second nature in Quebec. He’s always willing to take the goalie role because nobody would do it and it’s not a hockey game without a goalie.
The story is told by his agent, Bob Bissonnette.
Even in minor hockey he had success. He plays the Tournoi de hockey Pee Wee de Québec as the little Quebec Nordiques and win the tournament with a spectacular final game against the Los Angeles Jr. Kings. Some people are good when they are young because they are taller and/or bigger than the rest, but it was not the case for Dionne. Physically, he was average until his U18 season, when he was seen at the best goalie in the league. Maybe that playing for is hometown team, the Rivière-du-Loup Albatros was an enough motivation for him to perform as an all-star player. His consistency was above his peers and even though he had a growth spurt, it has never affected his athleticism, his positioning and his reflexes.
Before the SMJHL draft, some teams wanted to know more about him, and that’s what he have to say: «When you look at my performance since my young age, you know that I always do my best and I make sure that my teammates can rely on me. I know that I’m tough to beat with a single shot and I will try that it stay that way. My positioning and my reflexes are known to be one of the best in the league and I like to say that my blocker and my glove are one of the best too. Teams were asking me what type I want to be and I always say that I will be a good technical goalie because it’s already my strength. I’ve always made sacrifices to be at the level I’m today and be a competitor every game. I also told them that my goal is to be the best I can and I might not become the greatest of all time, but I hope to be one of the best of my generation». High expectations and ambition we love that!
After winning it all in a local perspective, he received an invitation to the World Junior Championship for team British Isles. We had to dig into his family tree to find some ancestors to add him to the roster. The pre-season did not go well for him. He was the second worst in the save percentage and goal against average with 84,1% and a whopping 4,93 respectively. We don’t really know how he managed to win a game with those stats, but he did! He told me that he need to get better and I know that he will. He went to the staff and told them the same thing. Even if he’s a rookie, they believe in him and in the season, they continue to make him play and things got better.
The day of the SMJHL draft, he was so nervous. It was not a hockey game when your action makes an impact. You just sit and you wait. We got a little gathering at home outside and we bring some friends and family. It’s not the SHL draft, but hey, you have to begin somewhere. We didn’t know at all where he will go and at witch rank. We talk to some teams, and we got some information from some of them that it’s can be a possible fit. The high number of goalie in the draft didn’t favor us and even if he has the stats, the body and the mentality, there’re other good players in the draft too. In some mock draft, his name come out in 5th position, and in other he was not even in the first two rounds! We know that the 5th position was not realistic, so me and his parents told him that it’s best to have no expectations and no be disappointed. After the first two rounds, he was still available, and only two goalies got picked. After the first half of the third round, another goalie got picked and we know that our turn will be soon. The league announces a trade for the 36th pick so me and him make eye contact because we know that’s our moment.
«The St-Louis Scarecrows are proud to select from the Albatros of Rivière-du-Loup, Anthony Dionne».
Everybody jumps, embrace each other and congratulate the new member of the Crows. It’s a great opportunity for him in St-Louis and he knows that he will have to work hard for every minute. Not one minute later, the phone begins to ring. They want to know how I feel, what it’s meant for my client to be drafted and what I think of the St-Louis Scarecrows: «I feel good! I mean, one of my clients got drafted so I’m really proud of him. It’s only the beginning of his journey and I know he will have a long career. It’s important for him to have a chance to prove himself and to the rest of the league that he belong there. They already have a veteran goalie in Joshua CorcoranTwitch and there’s a possibility that he will be number one next year so we will see how the season go». After that, it’s the turn of Anthony to answer the same questions: «Wow it’s really amazing! I don’t really know how to express it, but it’s awesome! I’m really happy to be a part of the SMJHL and especially the St-Louis Scarecrows. I don’t really know them other that they had some difficult seasons, but it’s nice to know that I will be part of a young team so we will grow together and hopefully win together. To know that they trade to have me it’s also nice. They have a good number one goalie so I will try to learn from him before I take the reign. I will also try to learn in the WJC to take that experience and have a good rookie season».
We had a little party after that with popping some champagne, nothing too crazy. He still has to play for the British Isles so he has to be ready and in game shape.
Talking about that, the season is finally done and the British Isles didn’t have a great season. They finish last in their conference with a 2-7-3 record. Anthony had a really good season and he backed up what he said after the pre-season. He finishes with a 1-3-1 record with a shootout win against Finland in his last game. His stats: a 3.05 goal against average (16 goals against in 6 games played) and a third position (the two first with Canada) 93.5% save percentage. He managed to finish first in the goals saved against average with a 5.76 and finish 6th with 232 saves. All this with a general rating performance of 79 has a rookie.
The last game of the WJC was today, so tomorrow he will go directly to St-Louis and meet his new teammates. For now this is it, but we will now more next week after the pre-season how his adaptation to his new team went. (1372 words) |
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