Hard work pays off
Wilson Forest enjoys QMJHL career after not being drafted in first eligible year
Being drafted by a major junior team is the hope of many young hockey players, but Wilson Forest’s dream took a little longer than expected.
The 20-year-old defenceman was eligible for the 2014 Quebec Major Junior Hockey League Entry Draft, but unfortunately, he never did hear his name called in Sherbrooke, Que.
“I wasn’t discouraged or frustrated when I didn’t get drafted,” said Forest. “I kept working hard and kept working on my shot and skating — I never got down on myself.”
Forest’s dream became a reality at the 2015 QMJHL Entry Draft when the Rimouski Océanic selected the then 17-year-old in the 10th round, No. 181 overall.
“My family was really happy that Rimouski drafted me, and I was really happy to have a chance to be a hockey player for the Océanic,” said Forest. “It was a great experience and something I will always remember.”
Forest was raised in Matane, Que., a community of about 14,000 people, and the home base for the Matane-Baie-Comeau-Godbout ferry service.
Although Baie-Comeau is only across the St. Lawrence River from his hometown, Forest grew up an Océanic fan.
“Rimouski is about an hour away from my town, so as a child I would go to the Océanic games and support the team,” said Forest.
“Playing hockey so close to home was great because my family and friends were almost at every game — It was awesome.”
Like many hockey players, Forest began playing the sport at a young age and played his minor hockey years in Rivière-du-Loup, Que., about two hours from his community.
Following his minor hockey career, Forest suited up for the Collège Notre-Dame Albatros of the Quebec Midget ‘AAA’ Hockey League, appearing in three games with the team during the 2013-14 season.
Forest secured a full-time role with the Albatros during the 2014-15 season, scoring three goals and adding seven assists for 10 points, and was later picked by Rimouski at the draft.
In August 2015, Forest attended his first training camp with the Océanic, but things didn’t go as planned.
“I went to the team’s camp and I thought I had a pretty good camp, but they cut me,” said Forest, whose father, Luc, played senior hockey during his playing years.
In 2015, he joined the Sorel-Tracy Rebelles of the Quebec Collegial Hockey League, where he posted a goal and six assists in 29 games.
Forest played his first career QMJHL game with the Océanic on Sept. 23, 2016, recording an assist in a 5-0 win over the Baie-Comeau Drakkar in Baie-Comeau, Que.
“I was really nervous to play my first game, but the game went well,” said Forest. “I played a simple game, I put pucks on the net, and I didn’t try to do too much.”
In his rookie campaign with the team, Forest had two goals and 11 points, before notching four goals and 21 points last season for the Quebec-based franchise.
In June, Forest found himself in a difficult position when the Océanic secured its overage spots with Charle-Edouard D’Astous along with acquisitions Jimmy Huntington from Victoriaville and Olivier Garneau from Quebec.
Forest was eventually traded to the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles at the 2018 draft for prospect Phillippe Casault and a second-round pick in 2018.
“I was a bit surprised with the trade, but then I realized that Cape Breton is almost like Matane — it’s by the water and the forest – and I’m really happy to be with the Screaming Eagles.”
Forest played his first game against his former team last Saturday when Cape Breton visited Rimouski as part of the club’s recent four-game road trip.
“It was really weird for me to walk into the visiting team’s dressing room,” laughed Forest. “It was the first time that I had seen my family since training camp and all of my friends were there, so it was nice to get the win.”
Forest, who considers himself a two-way defenceman, hopes to earn a professional contact or a university scholarship after his major junior career. However, for now, his focus remains on the Screaming Eagles.
“We’ve had some difficult games this past week, but I think we have a really good hockey team,” said Forest. “We have some things we have to work on,
but I think we can surprise a lot of teams this season.”
On Thursday, Forest will once again play his former team — for the last time in his career — when the Screaming Eagles host the Océanic at 7 p.m. at Centre 200 in Sydney.