How well do you know Cédric Paquette?
How well do you know Cédric Paquette?
Over the next few weeks, I'm going to do a series of articles on the Habs' newcomers that I'll call "How well do you know", in order to prepare us for the 2021-2022 season!
Cédric Paquette is 6-feet-tall and weighs 205 pounds. He is originally from Gaspé. He played his junior hockey with the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada. In his last season in junior, he had 83 points and 103 penalty minutes, that pretty much sums up Paquette.
Nickname: Dump Truck.
Cédric is nothing spectacular, but no one can do without him when it comes to doing "big" jobs according to his former Lightning coach Jon Cooper. (Reported by Félix Séguin of TVA Sports)
For those who like to compare, Paquette is a Steve Bégin 2.0! He is good in both directions of the ice. He is very aggressive and doesn't back down from anyone. He is sort of a hybrid player who can play all positions up front, as well as center and both wings. He is versatile, "gritty", which means courageous, brave, surly, but he is still a very useful player.
Of note: he's in the leaders in playoff checking since 2014 with 269! In good company in this category with Ovechkin, Martin, Wilson and Reaves. Plus, he is a Stanley Cup winner. He brings with him a lot of experience despite being 28 years old.
He is also known for his leadership on and off the ice. The kind of player you can never take out of the lineup, he plays sometimes on the 4th line and other times on the 3rd line without ever complaining. He knows his role perfectly. He will also be an expert on the power play. Montreal Canadiens fans will love him like they loved Maxim Lapierre and Steve Bégin. In fact, Cédric is a perfect mix between Lapierre and Bégin.
His best season in the National Hockey League is 13 goals and 80 penalty minutes in 2018-2019 and in the AHL 20 goals and 150 penalty minutes in 2013-2014.
A great addition for the Habs without any drums and trumpets, but once the season starts, you'll quickly realize why Paquette is in the lineup.
In terms of athletic clichés, he always gives his 110%.
Barbu de Ville
