MONTREAL - Jakob Pelletier was hoping to
force the Calgary Flames' hand at training camp. Nervousness prevented him from
doing so, but he is already having a blast with the Stockton Heat.
In four games, the 20-year-old left winger
has already collected two goals and three assists. This production ranks him
among the top-10 scorers in the American Hockey League.
The AHL is not known for its hospitality to
rookies. Pelletier admits he struggled to find his rhythm right away, but the
week of preparation after the first weekend was key.
"When I compare the first weekend and
the one that just passed, I see a very big difference," said Pelletier,
who still scored his first professional goal on the weekend that launched the
season.
In addition to the professional rhythm to
tame, Pelletier is not afraid to admit that the rest of the adaptation was
about confidence.
"I was new and the youngest too. Let's
just say that I wasn't that confident," he admitted with his usual
frankness. For sure, I wanted to gain some respect from the boys here."
All he had to do was be true to his
personality. With the hard-nosed style he preaches, he's rarely slow to make
his presence felt.
"I may not be the biggest or the
greatest, but if I keep doing what I did in midget and junior, I should be
okay," mentioned Pelletier who was relieved that his identity didn't lose
its effectiveness at this higher level.
He got that validation at an opportune time
as he shined with a one goal, two assist performance - earning him first star
honors - against none other than Joel Bouchard's new club.
"They have a young team and I think
they're going to be good within a month. But for sure it was really good to win
that game," said Pelletier of the 6-2 triumph over the San Diego Gulls.
When he reflects on his convincing start to
the season with the Heat, Pelletier comes to this conclusion about his camp
with the Flames.
"I realized I was pretty stressed out
for those (prep) games. If I had just played my style of game, it might have
gone better. Next year, or whenever I get a chance, it's up to me not to worry
too much," said Pelletier.
"But it's not a failure to be here,
I'm here to develop as well as gain strength and confidence," he rightly
aimed as the Flames (4-1-1) are off to a strong start.
For now, Pelletier is paired with Matthew
Phillips and Adam Ruzicka who have valuable experience for his development.
Behind the bench, Mitch Love is making his AHL head coaching debut. Pelletier
has worked with him at the Hlinka-Gretzky tournament and the World Junior
Championship.
Love becomes a crucial ally in helping the
Flames' first-round pick (26th overall) develop in 2019. A more complete game
from one end of the ice to the other and a focus on physical development are
the priorities.
A bit of a stretch, but fun to be had
As for his teammates, the change is drastic
with the LHJMQ and Midget AAA when he was surrounded by many friends. With
Stockton, Pelletier barely knows Connor Zary (from the CMJ) and Dmitry
Zavgorodniy (from the Ocรฉanic).
"No one speaks French either. In
short, everything was new for a week. The guys also know that I don't speak
English that well so we're having fun with it and it's been fun so far,"
said Pelletier, a teammate who has been adored at every stop.
Before entering his 20's, it was already a
big challenge to play with the Widcats in Moncton for three seasons and with
the Foreurs in Val-d'Or for one last year. However, it doesn't compare to
moving to California.
"It's true that it was a blow. It was
still hard to find a house to rent and to decide if I would share it. That's a
lot of little adjustments in a few days," said Pelletier, who lives with
Zary.
For a young person like Pelletier who comes
from a tight-knit family, the adjustment doesn't happen as quickly as a few
skateboard strokes.
"I think it's going to be hard because
I'm still close to my parents and my brothers. But my seasons in Moncton and
Val-d'Or have prepared me a little bit. I've already looked at it and we have
like a break (of a week) for Christmas. It's going to be tough at times, but it
will pass quickly with the games", said the left-hander.
We have to admit that his reality will be
quite different from that of a Quebec prospect playing with the Toronto Marlies
or the Belleville Senators, but he has already found some positives.
"We've started a golf league, it's
pretty much the only thing to do here after the summer.
