Five full seasons in the junior ranks. Three repechages without hearing his name. Three invitations to NHL camps. And finally a contract.
At the other end of the line, Jérémie Biakabutuka speaks quickly… and a lot. And for good reason: a few hours earlier, he put his signature on the bottom of an agreement binding him to the St. Louis Blues for the next three seasons.
“My family and I have been working hard for this contract for a long time,” the 21-year-old defender said straight out. It is very moving. I feel pampered. »
This piece of paper, indeed, represents the culmination of a long and patient wait. The 6’4″ colossus and just over 200 lbs played precisely 300 games in the QMJHL, playoffs included.
Former first-round pick of the Val-d’Or Foreurs, he was promised a flourishing future. La Presse had also included him, in January 2020, in its list of the 17 most promising 17-year-old hopefuls in the province. He appeared there, among others, with Hendrix Lapierre, Mavrik Bourque and Thomas Bordeleau, all drafted a few months later by NHL teams.
Biakabutuka waited his turn. Once. Then two. Then three. The San Jose Sharks invited him to their development camp in 2020. He left empty-handed.
Last fall, the Detroit Red Wings invited him to their training camp. He withstood early cuts and piqued the curiosity of the coaching staff. The organization made him an offer to retain his services, but the young man and his entourage did not consider it interesting enough to accept it. He therefore made the bet to play a fifth and final season in the QMJHL.
Until then, Biakabutuka felt he had more or less been able to show recruiters everything he was capable of, finding himself in mature teams where he played a more limited role.
In Charlottetown, at age 20, he was suddenly among the most experienced of a young group that was beginning a new cycle. Head coach Jim Hulton met him quickly to tell him the game plan.
“He said to me: ‘You are going to play 30 minutes, in all situations,’ the defender said. On the power play, shorthanded, four on four, in overtime… I was able to show all the facets of my game. I think when people saw that, it interested them more. »
His offensive explosion couldn’t have hurt: 42 points, including 17 goals, in 56 games. By far his most prolific crop among juniors.
After the Islanders’ quick elimination, the phone rang: the Red Wings were offering him a tryout with the American League’s Grand Rapids Griffins. He played the first three games of his young professional career there.
The experiment did not continue with the Wings, well off in defense. But the good impression he left has come a long way. At the start of the summer, the Blues invited him to their development camp, with the avowed intention of hiring him.
The Longueuillois came there with caution. “In that world, you’re never sure of anything,” he recalls. However, we know what happens next.
Although it’s time for celebrations among the Biakabutuka, Jérémie admits that moments of doubt have been inevitable in recent years.
“As long as you believe in it all the way, good things can happen,” he philosophizes, admitting nonetheless that “it wasn’t easy.” He has seen players of his age pass in front of him, without in his eyes, they are better than him. “Of course you ask yourself: why them and not me? “, he admits.
His father, “the first person who believed” in him, often shared his disbelief. “But he was pushing me and telling me not to let go, even when it was hard. »
“Of course there are frustrations. But you have to learn to manage your emotions, not to get discouraged. Even if you are angry, when you have a dream and you love hockey, you get up every morning to work and you do not give up, despite the hardships. »
Until he leaves for rookie camp in St. Louis in September, the defenseman will continue his intensive training near his home in Longueuil as well as in Montreal. Blues staff have already contacted him to initiate individual follow-up. “I’m living on cloud nine right now,” he says.
“I was treated well by all the teams, but when you’re a guest player, you feel it. There, I am made welcome in the family of the Blues. It’s an incredible feeling and it gives me more motivation. I don’t want to let these people down; I want to prove to them that they made the right choice. It’s really trippy! »
At least one season probably awaits him in the American League. However, he will still attack the camp aiming for “the big league”.
“You never know what can happen,” he stresses.
He is well placed to testify to this.
