The scene takes place in the summer of 2022. It features, on one side, Frédéric Brunet, a young defenseman who turns 19 that summer, and who has just been drafted by the Boston Bruins at 132nd rank.
On the other side, Patrice Bergeron, who is celebrating his 37th birthday that summer, and who is buoyed by his reputation, a reputation that will open the doors to the Hall of Fame as soon as he is eligible. . You will have read this bold prediction here first.
What unites the two players, other than the Bruins? They train together in the summer in Quebec. At the 2022 draft, Brunet told us about his first meeting with Bergeron.
Brunet and Bergeron therefore meet again at the gym later, as the summer goes on. Including one time when Brunet asks the veteran what to expect from physical exams at training camp. Bergeron then mentioned to him the test of the Airbike, a training bike with an oversized front wheel, a bit like those large bis which were trendy in the summer of 1872.
Brunet then noticed that he did not have access to such equipment at his gym. Bergeron’s response: “Come to my house, I have one in the garage! »
“I was there just once, to train before camp,” recalls Brunet, on the phone. I was surprised he offered it to me. I had just moved to Quebec, we barely knew each other. He told me: “You will come to our house, we will do this together.” »
And did the test go well? ” Really ! I met him in a corridor afterwards. He said to me: “I heard it went well. Good job!” »
A year after these attentions from Bergeron, Brunet took another step towards his dream by signing his three-year entry contract with the Bruins. He will start the season in Providence, in the American League. It was precisely from the capital of Rhode Island that the 20-year-old athlete answered our call.
After his 2022 camp, Brunet returned to junior, where he dominated. In 66 games, in Rimouski then in Victoriaville, he amassed 73 points, the second highest total among QMJHL defensemen, and was a finalist for the Émile-Bouchard trophy (defender par excellence).
Returning to the Bruins environment this summer, he got a glimpse of life without Patrice Bergeron, only to see that leadership remained in good hands. Starting with the new captain, Brad Marchand.
Brunet didn’t interact much with number 63, since he wasn’t in the same group as him at camp. So, is there a veteran who has pampered him?
“Brandon Carlo,” he responds instantly. We were divided into two groups. Brandon was always in my group, I asked him questions and he was so happy to answer me, I never felt like I was bothering him. »
The Gatineau took advantage of this camp to play his very first preparatory game in the NHL. It was September 26 in Buffalo, against the Sabers who notably sent Rasmus Dahlin, Tage Thompson and Jeff Skinner into the fray. “In the locker room, I was sitting next to Carlo and he reassured me,” recalls Brunet.
A match that started abruptly, that said. His very first appearance: shorthanded, against the Sabres’ first unit.
“I was on the side where Thompson takes one-timers. I thought it was incredible to be there! But they scored, a nasty passing play, their first pick [Zach Benson] made the pass from behind, without looking. Skinner pulled on the bar and it went in.
“At the start of the match I was a little impressed and stressed. But the more it progressed, the more I made good decisions. It was an incredible experience. Last year, I had my first camp, and there, my first match. »
The Bruins cut him a few days later. They haven’t closed the door on him returning to the junior ranks as a 20-year-old, but for now they want to see him in action in the American League. Their message? “That I continue to play to my strengths, be my offense. But my decisions with the puck and my defensive play must take a step forward. »
During that same meeting, they also told him that his contract would “be resolved” shortly. On October 4, the document became official. An interesting decision by the Bruins, who could have simply offered him a one-year contract from the American League, since they had until June 1, 2024 to offer him one from the NHL.
“It’s a great mark of respect and recognition for what he did in junior,” noted his agent, Paul Corbeil.
This one-year American League contract strategy has often been employed in recent years by the Canadiens, with players drafted at 19 or 20, like Brunet. Rafaël Harvey-Pinard and Xavier Simoneau, claimed at 20, have had to accept this compromise in recent years. The advantage for the teams: American League contracts do not count towards the limit of 50 to which the teams are entitled, who thus give themselves an additional year before committing to the player for three years. The CH used the same mechanism last spring with Jared Davidson, a forward drafted 130th in 2022, two ranks ahead of Brunet. As the wisest say, everything is in everything.