Three years ago at the famous Quebec International Peewee Hockey Tournament, Alexis Joseph simply refused to lose.
After his Montreal Canadiens squad whittled a 4-1 deficit down to 4-3 in the third period against a team from Czechia, the big centre took matters into his own hands.
First, there was the tying tip with the goalie pulled. Then, the overtime winner on a breakaway.
It was, in the mind of his coach and longtime NHLer Jason Pominville, trademark Joseph.
"Every time the game was big or the challenge was big, he would always rise to the occasion," Pominville, who was on the coaching staff for Joseph's minor-hockey teams the past four years, said in a telephone interview this week.
"He always found a way in the biggest games and best moments to step up and find a way to make a difference."
Those traits, not to mention Joseph's six-foot-four, 200-pound frame, made him the clear No. 1 overall pick for the Saint John Sea Dogs in this year's QMJHL Draft. It hasn't taken long for the 16-year-old to make an impact at the major-junior level.
After going scoreless in his first three games, the native of Lachenaie, Que., broke out with a hat trick last week in a road win over the Halifax Mooseheads.
"It was pretty fun being with all the boys and winning," Joseph said after a round of golf in New Brunswick earlier this week.
Always one of the biggest kids on his teams, Joseph is accustomed to using his size to his advantage.
Sometimes that's not the case with big junior players, who experience a major growth spurt at some point. While he's by no means a finished product, Joseph isn't dealing with as much awkwardness as some other teenagers his size.
"Some kids that grow quicker look a little clumsy when they have their big growth spurt," Pominville said.
"His hand-eye ... stick-handling, mobility east-west is really, really effective for a guy that big. He does not look clumsy when he skates either because he's always been bigger and has learned to develop it. Big guys can look a little bit slower but once he gets going, he's got a good stride. He can move."
Along with his physical gifts, Joseph thinks the game at a high level.
Pominville and Sea Dogs general manager/coach Travis Crickard, without prompting, both were quick to praise Joseph's mental approach. Pominville said he was asking about breakouts and power-play structure way back at the peewee age level.
"He’s very inquisitive," Crickard said. "He asks a lot of questions, he wants to understand the reasoning for things or decisions.
"That goes well beyond the hockey side of things. Whenever we have our mental performance coach or nutritionist or strength coach in our environment, he asks a lot of questions of those people too. He’s very much all in on his holistic development as a player."
With all these tools in his back pocket, it's not a surprise that Joseph doesn't feel overwhelmed as the new face of a franchise with a championship tradition.
"I don't feel pressure (being the No. 1 pick)," Joseph said. "Maybe I have some pressure, but I don't feel it. Just try to do my best every game."
While he develops his hockey skills, Joseph is also improving in another area. After growing up mostly speaking French, Joseph is playing in a city where English is used by most residents.
He can converse very well in English, as evidenced by a 10-minute telephone interview, but he admits there are times he's stumped. No big deal, though.
"My best friend is Google Translate," Joseph said with a chuckle.
Fans in the Port City should enjoy Joseph while they can. If he keeps on his current track, he easily could follow in the footsteps of former Sea Dogs like Jonathan Huberdeau and Thomas Chabot.
"The physical attributes and tools are going to make him a very high-level pro prospect as he progresses through his time in the league here," Crickard said. "Couple that with the competitiveness and the drive to get better through his coachability and I really think the sky is really the limit for him."
Small towns, big dreams
The NCAA's rule change might only make things harder for the CHL's small-market teams, but it's not impossible to overcome challenges.
Teams from two of the smallest centres in the CHL are off to promising starts. The Owen Sound Attack are 4-0 in OHL play, while the Prince Albert Raiders lead the WHL's Eastern Conference at 3-0-1.
The Raiders feature a top 2026 NHL Draft prospect in six-foot-two defenceman Daxon Rudolph, while the Attack have one of the top goalies in the CHL in Los Angeles Kings prospect Carter George.
A tough three-in-three weekend against three heavyweights — Kitchener Rangers, Saginaw Spirit and Windsor Spitfires — should provide a great evaluation tool for the Attack, who are ranked No. 10 in this week's CHL rankings.
The Attack won their first and only OHL title in 2011 when Owen Sound fans filled the rink in Mississauga, Ont., for Game 7, while the Raiders won WHL titles in 1985 and 2019.
Marc Habscheid, the coach of the Raiders' 2019 squad, makes his return to the Saskatchewan city on Saturday as coach of the Red Deer Rebels.
Games to watch this week
Friday, Oct. 3: Charlottetown Islanders (4-0-0-1) at Blainville-Boisbriand Armada (4-0), 7 p.m. ET
An early showdown between conference leaders. The Armada entered the season as potential QMJHL favourites and are No. 1 in this week's CHL rankings, while the Islanders are a nice surprise under longtime GM/coach Jim Hulton. Goaltender Donald Hickey, from Conception Bay South, N.L., has allowed just four goals in three games and has a .955 save percentage
Friday, Oct. 3: Penn State (0-0) at Arizona State (0-0), 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT
The much-anticipated NCAA debut for Penn State's Gavin McKenna, the projected No. 1 pick in next year's NHL Draft. The game is at Mullett Arena, the undersized home of the Arizona Coyotes before they bolted for Utah.
Friday, Oct. 3: Prince George Cougars (2-0) at Spokane Chiefs (2-1), 10:05 p.m. ET / 7:05 p.m. PT
This could be Cougars star goalie Joshua Ravensbergen's season debut after he was returned from San Jose Sharks camp. The Sharks picked the North Vancouver native late in the first round (30th overall) this year.
Saturday, Oct. 4: Windsor Spitfires (5-0) at Brantford Bulldogs (2-0-1), 4 p.m. ET
Could this be a preview of the OHL final? Both teams are loaded and primed for big playoff runs. Windsor is ranked second in this week's CHL rankings, while Brantford is No. 3.
