MONTREAL | Cole Caufield wears a Wisconsin Badgers jersey, his alma mater. He stands in front of his locker in the Canadian’s locker room and receives mockery from Joel Edmundson as he replaces his hair before getting bombarded for a photo shoot.
• Read also: A controversial decision
• Read also: Ben Chiarot swap: Kent Hughes got his prize
“You don’t have to be the prettiest, you’re a star,” says Edmundson.
Not so long ago, Caufield’s star was not twinkling too brightly. But with the entry on the scene of Martin St-Louis, she began to become quite brilliant once more.
Since February 9, the day Dominique Ducharme was fired, Caufield sits atop the Canadiens’ scorers with 21 points (11 goals, 10 assists) in 16 games. During that same span, he tops all NHL rookies in goals and points.
Seated at a table in a room adjacent to the team’s locker room in Brossard following his photo op, number 22 offers the simplest answer to the following question: is this the return of the real Cole Caufield?
“Yes,” he says, laughing. Yes. »
After the second yes, he deepens his thought.
“We started winning games once more. There are smiles at the arena, we rediscovered the pleasure of playing and training. For me, I just want to keep growing. For a few weeks, I have been playing as I expected this season. I just want to continue on this path. I believe there are even more good things to come. »
More freedom
Caufield insists on the notion of pleasure. On the ice, we see his cherubic smile once more. But beyond a renewed sense of joy with the change of coach, there are also influences from St. Louis and its center player, Nick Suzuki.
“The team in general plays with more freedom. On my side, I have bigger opportunities. I play with Nick too, it helps me a lot. I have more chances, I also get more appearances and I have more playing time. I started collecting points once more, it’s good for my confidence. I feel all of Marty’s confidence in me. I do my job and he rewards me with more responsibility. »
The good teacher
St-Louis did not transform his little winger with a wave of a magic wand. From his first press conference in his role as head coach, he said he was looking forward to working with him.
“Marty didn’t turn me into a single conversation in his office,” he replied. But when he talks to the team, he gives everyone confidence. You can see her passion, she carries the whole team. It’s contagious. I did video sessions just with him and he told me specific games that I had to correct. He doesn’t just act like a teacher. He doesn’t just give his material, it’s more a dialogue with him. I like to see how he thinks, how he reads the game, I always find that fascinating. »
The low…
In a conversation of almost 30 minutes in an interview with the Journal, Caufield never mentioned two words: Rocket and Laval.
Like the Habs, the Hobey-Baker Trophy winner had a rough start to the season. After ten games this year, he took charge of the American League. On his card, we might read: zero goals, one assist.
“I didn’t think I would go back there (Rocket de Laval), he said. It was a shock. I found that difficult to understand. But I took a step back and realized it wasn’t the end of the world. I slowly regained my confidence. »
“Before my dismissal, I was not playing as I wanted. There was a domino effect. When you don’t score, your playing time ends up melting away. At that point, you can lose confidence. In the NHL, consistency is key. I didn’t have any at the start of the season. Now I think it’s different. »
In his first 30 games this season, Caufield was no whiz kid with just one goal, seven assists and a -15 record.
“I know there were expectations. I also had high expectations for myself. In a market like Montreal, you quickly find yourself under the microscope. I was expected to carry the team. I did not do it. I found it difficult for the first months of the season, but I believe it will make me a stronger person mentally. »
A postponed prediction
Before the start of the 2021-2022 season, Caufield was among the strongest contenders for the Calder Trophy. Trevor Zegras, a good friend of his, even made the bold prediction that he would score 40 goals.
“I wasn’t mad at Z (Zegras). I can now laugh regarding it. I will not reach the 40 goal plateau this year. But when he wrote that, I kind of believed it. I need to believe it. The NHL, however, is the best league in the world. There aren’t many 40-goal scorers. »
“He might write it once more before the start of the next season. I will try to get there. »
