Dubois rebounds to lead Armada into final

Being drafted third overall behind Calder Trophy nominees Auston Matthews and Patrik Laine comes with plenty of pressure and expectations.

The process has made for a roller-coaster last 11 months for 18-year-old Pierre-Luc Dubois, who was selected by the Columbus Blue Jackets at the 2016 NHL draft only to be cut at the end of training camp. A slow start and a trade threatened to derail his major junior season, but now Dubois is back on top and will lead the BlainvilleBoisbriand Armada into Game 1 of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League final today in Saint John, N.B.

“It was a big year physically but also emotionally too,” Dubois said. “Getting sent down and then getting traded and then losing at the world juniors.

“I learned a lot this year from ups and downs and I’m really happy with where I’m at right now.”

Dubois said coming back from the Blue Jackets’ training camp was tough. The struggle was apparent, as he had six goals and 12 assists in 20 games with the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles – well off his 99 points in 62 games in 2015-16 – before being dealt to the Armada.

“I got back, my team was 10 games into the season already. Our systems from last year to this year changed a lot so I had to get used to that again,” Dubois said. “It was tough getting used to everything again, kind of restarting your life again – well, your life kind of restarting.”

Dubois’s early season struggles didn’t deter Armada general manager Joel Bouchard from making the trade to get the six-foot-three, 202-pound power forward. Bouchard knew that despite a strong start to the season for his team, they were without high-octane players.

“When I made the trade, that morning, personally I felt the players and the fans deserved to have a player like that,” Bouchard said. “Not that my players aren’t any good, I love them, I really like our players, but they needed some help.”

The move to bring in Dubois along with Alex Barre-Boulet from the Drummondville Voltigeurs before the trade deadline has paid immediate dividends for the Armada. Blainville-Boisbriand finished the regular season with a 43-19-6 record before disposing of Drummondville, Bathurst and Charlottetown in the QMJHL playoffs.

The Armada take on the top-ranked Sea Dogs for the President Cup, with the winner representing the QMJHL at the Memorial Cup from May 18 to 28 in Windsor, Ont.