Jonathan Huberdeau was drafted by the Quebec company Knapper
Dek hockey is growing considerably in terms of popularity in Quebec. The main quality brand in terms of dek hockey, namely Knapper, has just found its new ambassador. It is the Florida Panthers' forward Jonathan Huberdeau.
The co-owner of Knapper said he was very proud to have such a spokesperson in his ranks.
"Knapper is super proud to have drafted the first pick on their list," said Patrick Bazinet, co-owner.
Huberdeau has been doing a lot of walking around the dek hockey centers this summer in order to keep his cardio intact for the current campaign. He wanted to remind us how easy it is to let yourself slide on the ice, unlike in dek hockey.
"Sometimes, on the ice, you can let yourself go a little..."
The St. Jerome native has been playing dek hockey for about 15 years, which has helped him greatly in his development as a professional ice hockey player.
"Because the ball is always in the air. I think it's helped me a lot with deflecting pucks in the season. It's the kind of little things that people don't know, but it can be a game changer."
The Panthers' all-time leading scorer wasn't afraid to get involved in a project of this magnitude, as he knows that dek hockey will catch on in Quebec. Ball hockey is much more affordable financially, especially due to the little equipment the sport requires.
"There are young people who don't have the chance to skate in the winter. [Dek hockey] is a sport where you don't need a lot of equipment, anyone can play it."
His roster has some very big plans this year, including the addition of veteran Joe Thornton.
"I see their lineup on paper, I watched them play last season and I just like this team. I like what they're building and I'm excited to be a part of it. At the end of the day, it's all about winning the Stanley Cup and the Panthers are right there, in my opinion," said Thornton.
The Quebecer commented on the statement of his new teammate, who obviously has very big plans for the Sunrise team.
I think we're there," said Jonathan Huberdeau, regarding the veteran's reference to big honours. We proved last year that we can cause surprises. Coming from a veteran like him, it's sure fun to hear. But we know we have a good team, we know what we can do and the chemistry is very good.
Often, Quebec players forget their roots, but obviously this is not the case for Huberdeau, as he remains very active in Quebec. What an ambassador this "Hooby-Dubby-Doo" is.
