When Anthony Duclair was 15 and living in Pointe-Clair, Que., he knew college was his career path and didn't hesitate to tell interested teams in the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League.
It wasn't so easy to ignore Patrick Roy, who was then the coach and general manager of the Quebec Remparts.
“Pat still decided to draft me,” Duclair said Monday at the Islanders' charity golf tournament. “For a 15-year-old kid trying to make the NHL, it's tough to say no to Patrick Roy.”
Duclair ended up playing for the Remparts.
And apparently it was just as hard for the 29-year-old NHL veteran to say no to Roy, because Roy played a key role in persuading Duclair to sign a four-year contract as a free agent this summer.
Duclair arrived on Long Island a few weeks ago for his first training camp with the team and has been taking part in veteran skating with the team since then.
Roy said he plans to have Duclair on the top line with Mathew Barzal and Bo Holbert when training camp opens Thursday, a reunion of sorts for Duclair and Holbert, who were roommates on Canada's national team at the Hilinka Gretzky Cup as 17-year-olds.
“I know Beau really well. I've met him by chance when he was in Vancouver and we've played against each other. Obviously he's a really solid 200-foot player,” Duclair said. “He's a guy you can rely on in any situation. He's one of those guys I'm really looking forward to playing with and learning from.”
What about Barzal?
“He's a superstar in this league, and he's been that way since he got here,” Duclair said. “You just see him playing against him and what he does every night and how much passion he has and the level of competition. A lot of superstar players really love to compete, and he's one of them.”
The Islanders' top priority during the offseason was adding a scoring winger to play alongside their two stars.
Duclair, who scored 24 and 31 goals respectively over the past two seasons when fully healthy and has the speed to keep up with Barzal, should fit the bill.
Duclair has played on both special teams throughout his career, and he became an option after the Isles struggled on both the penalty kill and power play last season.
“Just watching him the last two weeks, he can fly up the ice,” Barzal said. “He can definitely be dangerous in transition, off the fast break, with that speed. It'll be interesting to see what happens. … Anyone who gets to play with him will be lucky.”
