It is necessary to know the corners of RDS well to go to the room assigned to the team of the Antechamber. Somewhere on the first floor is a large room decorated with photos of guests. Five televisions are hung on a wall so that you can watch several sporting events simultaneously. When Denis Gauthier is present, it is not uncommon for a sixth screen to be added. If the Sherbrooke Phoenix is in action, Denis inevitably turns on his tablet to make sure not to miss any presence of his two sons who play for the same QMJHL team.
Kaylen, 20, is a defender. He is preparing to make the jump with the Patriotes from the University of Quebec in Trois-Rivières next year. Ethan, 18, plays center. Everything indicates that he will be drafted in the first round at the next NHL draft in June.
Two very different but equally important steps. The father has seen the scenario take shape for a long time. “I have never sold a false dream to my children. I’ve always told them anything is possible, but I feel like the wall is coming faster or hitting harder if you’ve been filled in by your parents all these years. »
This is why the eldest never believed that he would follow the same path as his father, a robust defenseman who played more than 500 games in the NHL. “He’s always been very realistic regarding what he is and what he isn’t. He had never really made up his mind. Kaylen defied the odds by being drafted into the major junior. Four years later, the captain of the Phoenix has earned an enviable reputation thanks to his discipline and work ethic. If he reaches the professional ranks, it will be following completing studies in finance.
Kaylen Gauthier
Conversely, the youngest was talked regarding everywhere he went thanks to his outstanding offensive skills. “I didn’t have the same speech with Ethan. It was completely different. He had a special talent that I sensed early on. The latest NHL Central Scouting list ranks him 14th among North American skaters heading into the draft. “He can believe in it in a more real way because he has real potential,” explains Denis, recalling that the big brother has also had his role to play in recent years. It was he who made the gifted youngster understand the importance of remaining humble despite his talent.
Being a dad and a hockey expert
As soon as he retired from playing in 2009, Denis became a commentator at the Sports Network. Night following night, he analyzes the performance of NHL players. If he never interferes with the work of the coaches, he allows himself to advise his sons. He had to question himself a few times to make sure his tone wasn’t the same as on the set of Hockey 360. “I don’t say anything to my guys that they don’t want to listen to. I ask them if they want to hear it and sometimes they don’t. I don’t feel like pissing them off with this, but it sure makes me itch because I just want to help them. Balance then becomes an important notion.
This is also true within the family dynamic since Denis and his spouse Stéphanie also have a 15-year-old daughter. Kellyann practices several sports, including volleyball and soccer. Parents try to be as fair as possible in terms of attention, even if the spotlight is on the middle child in this draft year. “Sometimes I get on my nerves and go to volleyball instead of hockey because I know it’s important to her. Kelly also understands my background and my attachment to my sport. She forgives me, ”sums up Denis with a laugh, while adding that his daughter and Ethan communicate on a daily basis.
Manage emotions and expectations
Less than five months before the NHL selection session, the father is frequently questioned by recruiters. They bombard him with questions regarding Ethan’s character and progression to fill out their appraisal report. They also see with their own eyes the family genetics at the physical level. The same comments inevitably come up: “The apple doesn’t often fall far from the tree. He was born into a hockey family. He’s been in arenas young. He knows what it takes because he saw his father and his cousin Julien, ”lists Denis.
He said, however, that the fact that he himself was selected in the first round, like his nephew who plays for the Rangers, does not change anything. “It’s not a pressure or a distraction. What’s fun for Ethan is that he knows it’s possible because it’s happened to people he knows. It is not an unattainable dream. »
Ethan Gauthier
The fact remains that the stress has gone up a notch since January 25. A few hours before the CHL Top Prospects Game, RDS junior specialist Stéphane Leroux announces that the Canadiens have great interest in the young Gauthier. The reactions were quick to multiply. Dennis is torn. As a player, he dreamed of donning the blue-white-red jersey. As a father, he apprehends the pressure put on the shoulders of Quebecers in Montreal. “I am extremely afraid of social networks. Can he take this? It is made strong, but it is sure that I have my fears. That said, if the Canadian drafts him this summer, I would be happy as a pope. It would be my dream that I would live through him. »
The father then makes way for the analyst and the potential conflict of interest that the situation might represent. “To hear Benoit or Gaston say that he played a rotten one when I was with them at the Antechamber, I don’t know how I would react. »
With more than four months until the draft, there is still plenty of time to speculate on what awaits Ethan and his family. One thing is certain, there will be many of them in the stands in Nashville to start the next chapter by his side.
“Are you going to cry Denis? »
“Very possible. It doesn’t show because of my stature, but I’m still a sensitive guy. »
No one can blame him. Denis will always be a father, before being a hockey man.