Pro coaching in the cards?
Eric Lecompte was a first-round draft pick of the Chicago Blackhawks in 1993 and played 14 years in Europe and minor pro.
Now, he’s bringing his considerable hockey experience to the midget espoirs Royals.
What do you think of espoirs hockey?
Lecompte: The skill level of the players is very good. But they still need to learn how to play the game. I think that’s what may be missing. If you don’t understand how to play the game, it doesn’t matter.
You previously coached at Harrington College. Were you surprised to hear it suddenly closed this year?
Lecompte: Seriously, it may sound funny but I have no idea what happened. I was surprised to hear it closed.
Are we going to see more scolaire hockey?
Lecompte: I think we should. Now we have to educate the parents. It might sound stupid, but when you talk to parents, they say: “Oh, my son is not going to play juvenile. It’s bad hockey, he’ll play midget AA instead.” Well, the way I see it the (juveniles) are on the ice every day; they can do their homework at night because they don’t have
practices, they have free time to do something else. They are well-surrounded, the development is better, so why not?
Where does juvenile fit in the structure with midget espoirs and midget AAA?
Lecompte: It fits right after midget espoirs. If you don’t make espoirs, you can play juvenile, which might be stronger than midget AA. Just because you get cut at 15, you’re not done. You could still try for midget AAA after a year of juvenile.
Is Grade 7 too young to begin sport études?
Lecompte: I think it should start even earlier than that. I wish I had that when I was
growing up playing in Montreal with the Hurons.
How can Quebec develop more players for the NHL?
Lecompte: Well, this is only a personal (opinion) … but how come we don’t have a sixth or seventh defencemen on Team Canada under-20? How come we never have those guys? How come we rarely have third or fourth liners? Why? Because we don’t develop these kind of players.
Are you trying to do that with the Royals?
Lecompte: That’s how I built my team this year. I kept two players who, in my opinion, knew how to play. I’m honest. I did it. I kept those kids because they were blocking shots, playing defensively. They were smart players. And they were typical third-line players. … I can’t ask a guy who’s got all the skills in the world and who is offensive to suddenly play defensively. It’s not going to work. It’s not naturally in him.
Do you have pro coaching aspirations?
Lecompte: I have a family and I don’t know if I’m ready. My daughter is 14 and my son just started school. But I’d like to coach pro. The passion is there.