Fucale’s father a proud Habs fan
When the Canadiens selected his son, Zachary, in the second round of June’s National Hockey League entry draft, they spared Jack Fucale and his cousins, who are diehard Habs fans, from rooting for another team.
That potential scenario had been the subject of fun, lighthearted exchanges among them before the draft.
“We were all discussing this: I said, ‘How are we going to do this?’ ” Jack Fucale recounted on Tuesday.
“It’s only automatic that we’re going to become fans of whatever team he goes to.”
As it turned out, the talk was for naught. The Canadiens selected Zachary Fucale, a goaltender with the Halifax Mooseheads, in the second round (36th overall).
“It makes everything so much easier, right?” his father said.
“How can a Canadiens fan become a Toronto Maple Leafs fan or a Boston Bruins fan? How do you do that? You just can’t.”
Jack Fucale, his wife, who is also a big Canadiens fan, and their t wo daughters, along with other family and friends, watched Zachary make his Bell Centre debut at Saturday’s scrimmage and again on Sunday when he played for part of the Canadiens’ first preseason game against the Buffalo Sabres.
Fucale called it “very heartwarming and overwhelming at the same time” to see his son play there.
The two had watched a number of Canadiens games together at the Bell Centre in the past. Fucale, who owns a transportation company, would buy Canadiens game packages.
“So there were a few years when Zach and I were at the Bell Centre quite often,” he said.
Asked if he had any concern about his son being put in the media spotlight in Montreal, Fucale said: “No, because he can handle it. He’s handled it up until now at a very, very young age. And so I don’t see it getting problematic at all.”
Fucale grew up in a bilingual home in Rosemère and attended French and English schools. He looked poised at the Canadiens’ training camp, fielding reporters’ questions in both languages. He’d already faced some media attention in the past as a top prospect and No. 1 goalie for the Halifax Mooseheads, who won the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League championship last season and the Memorial Cup.
Fucale, who signed a threeyear entry level contract with the Canadiens last weekend, was among 14 players released from the Habs’ training camp on Monday after their 6-3 preseason loss to the Boston Bruins. It’s not a surprise that Fucale, who is only 18, is returning to his majorjunior team.
Fucale called the training camp helpful for his development and said he learned a lot.
“I saw the level of play is very high, it’s very fast. So for me, it’s very important to work on every part of my game,” he told reporters Monday night.
“There are so many screens during the game. A lot of people are trying to obstruct the view. And guys are stronger, they’re smarter, their shots are just harder,” Fucale added.
Fucale said he didn’t want to look too far ahead when asked about trying to land a spot on Canada’s team for the world junior championship in Malmö, Sweden, which starts on Dec. 26.