For Beaulieu, father knows best
Sarnia coach has some tough words about his son’s play
HAMILTON, ONT. — If there’s a knock against Canadiens defence prospect Nathan Beaulieu it’s the complaint he can’t play defence.
But his father, Sarnia Sting head coach Jacques Beaulieu, says that’s not true.
“Nathan knows how to play defence; he just has to be willing to do it,” Jacques Beaulieu said in a candid appraisal of his son. “He has good offensive skills, but now he’s going to have to play more defence if he’s going to succeed at the next level.”
A 19-year-old rookie with the Hamilton Bulldogs, Beaulieu agrees with his father.
“It’s about always getting better defensively,” Beaulieu said after the Bulldogs beat the Abbotsford Heat last Sunday at Copps Coliseum. “Concentrating on defence and getting bigger and stronger — those are three things I’ve dialed in on.
”When it comes to defence, it’s mentally maturing and knowing I have to do it. That’s another part of the game that can be improved upon.”
Hamilton head coach Sylvain Lefebvre said he’s happy with Beaulieu’s early transition to the pro game, but has identified areas in which the youngster needs improvement.
“There are times when he has the puck in our end and he’s too casual bringing it out,” Lefebvre said. “And there are times when he makes mistakes late in a game because he’s tired. Those are things you can work on, and he’ll get better as he gets stronger.”
Lefebvre has paired Beaulieu with Frédéric St. Denis, the most experienced member of the Hamilton defence corps, and has given him the opportunity to get plenty of ice time.
Beaulieu was a standout in junior with the Saint John Sea Dogs, helping the team win the Memorial Cup in 2011 — he was a tournament all-star — and reaching the final in 2012 before losing to Shawinigan. The Canadiens drafted him in the first round (17th overall) in 2011 and project him as a possible complement to the more physical Jarred Tinordi.
Surprisingly, it’s Beaulieu’s defence that has stood out in the early going with the Bulldogs. He’s still looking for his first professional point, but he has been even or better in the plus-minus ratings in five of his six starts and is plus-2 for the season.
“Everyone’s good,” Beaulieu said when asked about the differences between the AHL and the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. “There are no bad teams. You have to bring your ‘A’ game every night. In junior, there’s a couple of teams that are rebuilding and aren’t as skilled. You have to be prepared.”
Beaulieu’s one shaky performance was the night Jacques got away to see his son play against the Rochester Americans in Buffalo. The Bulldogs dropped a 3-1 decision and Beaulieu got burned when he pinched in with the score tied 1-1.
“In junior, he might have gotten away with that, but when you’re in the pros you have to be careful,” Jacques said. “Rochester came back and scored on that play. But the thing to remember is that we’re talking about a 19-yearold kid. He’s going to learn.”
Beaulieu credits his father for much of his success.
“He coached me when I was growing up and I liked it,” the young defenceman said. “He did a good job of separating the father and coach roles and he taught me a lot.”
When Jacques went to Saint John as coach and general manager, he selected his 15-year-old son in the fourth round of the QMJHL midget draft.
“I remember one of the owners wasn’t too happy with the selection, but he turned out to be the 17th player selected in the NHL draft, so I guess I made a good choice,” Jacques said.
That wasn’t the only time Jacques clashed with Sea Dogs ownership. He was dismissed in 2009, but not before he put together the nucleus of the team that would go to two Memorial Cup finals.
The Sea Dogs roster included first-round NHL draft picks Jonathan Huberdeau, Simon Després, Zack Phillips and Beaulieu, as well as secondrounder Tomas Jurco.
“I built that team,” Jacques said.