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2006 prospects: Derick Brassard
Written by: Simon Richard on 06/11/2006 
"It wasn’t a bad thing for me, it gave me the chance to improve my game, get stronger and faster," he told Hockey’s Future.
The facts support that statement. A native of Ottawa who grew up in Hull on the other side of the Outaouais River, Brassard played Midget AAA for the Gatineau Intrepides. In 2003, he was a Drummondville Voltigeurs second round selection.
The 6’0 and 174-pound center played 10 games in the 2003-04 QMJHL season. The following year, he found a regular spot in the roster and recorded 76 points, only two points shy of his highly-touted teammate Guillaume Latendresse (MON, 2nd round, 2005).
Despite the fact that he won the 2004-05 QMJHL Rookie of the Year title ahead of the likes of Alexander Radulov (NAS, 15th overall, 2004) and Marek Zagrapan (BUF, 13th overall, 2005), still there wasn’t that much talk about Brassard.
A great 2005-06 season
After having represented his country at the U-18 World Championships in April 2005 in the Czech Republic, Brassard started the 2005-06 season very well. He received an invitation in December to the final camp selection of the Canadian Junior Team but missed the cut by a thin margin, having been released the final day of the camp."It was a great disappointment for me to not be selected on the national team but I learned a lot during the time I spent at the camp, I learned especially to play with intensity on every shift I’m on the ice," he recalled. “My approach in both the practice and the game changed back in Drummondville. I really stepped my game up, working harder and harder every chance I got for the rest of the season. »
Brassard suffered a broken wrist in the course of the season but it didn’t prevent him from having an exceptional year. He played at the ADT Challenge against the Russians and at the NHL Prospects Game. Three times he was named the QMJHL Offensive Player of the Week. He had 116 points (44 goals, 72 assists) in 58 games which ranked him sixth in the league’s scoring list. His 116 points was the best among all the prospects appearing on the NHL Central Scouting Service Final Rankings. It is also 33 points ahead of Latendresse, the Drummondville 2004-05 second leading scorer.
The QMJHL observers recognized the great season Brassard had, naming him on the First All-Star Team and giving him the Michael-Bossy Trophy for the best NHL prospect.
"He had an exceptional season," Drummondville coach and general manager Dominic Ricard said. “He was dominant on the ice and showed consistency, contributing night after night to the success of the team.
"He is well grounded but what is very particular about him is his passion for the game, he loves the game and have fun playing it. I have never met a young man with that much passion for hockey," added Ricard.
Improved stock
As the season progressed, Brassard’s value improved on all expert ranking lists. He was sixth on the CSS Midterm Rankings North American Skaters list. A few months later, he climbed to the fourth position on the final CSS rankings. Only Erik Johnson, Jordan Staal and Jonathan Toews are ahead of him in this category according to the CSS scouts.Not many would have thought in September 2005 that Brassard would have been ranked ahead by the CSS of the likes of Phil Kessel and Peter Mueller.
Obviously, the experts appreciated the fact that Brassard progressed this season.
"Since I played at the 2004 U-17 World Cup in Newfoundland, I did progress a lot," recognized Brassard. "I have trained very hard last two summers and it gave results."
"He is stronger physically and his skating is more explosive," observed Ricard.
According to a senior QMJHL scout, some of Brassard’s moves on the ice are already at the level of the NHL. "This kid is fast on skates, he plays well collectively and has indeed the perfect style for having success in the new style of hockey played in the NHL," observed the scout.
"He must improve his work in the corners and has to get stronger in the upper body," added the scout.
Brassard’s role model is Simon Gagne, who has about the same stature and is also a late born player.
The maturity of Brassard is impressive, which Brassard’s agent David Schatia from Octogon hockey commented on. "Derick is very well surrounded, he has an exceptional family and is especially well supported by his father, Pierre, who played junior for the Cornwall Royals in the 1970’s and was drafted by the Montreal Canadiens."
"My father had a great impact on me, he deserves a lot in my passion for the game and in my progression as a hockey player,” said Brassard, who was given a hockey stick by his father at age two. "When I was young, he took me regularly to the QMJHL games played in Hull."
But soon, the son will have the chance to do the same back to his father. He will invite him to the NHL games to see him play in the big league, against the best players of the world, an opportunity that the father did not have.
Hockey’s Future caught up to Brassard again on Thursday afternoon during the NHL Combine. Unfotunately, he performed very poorly on almost all the fitness tests that he took. some scouts attributed his lack of arm strength to an arm injury he sustained early this season.
HF: Tell me how long have you been here?
DB: We came on Wednesday night from Ottawa, me, Claude Giroux and Mathieu Carle; the flight was delayed and we arrived at 9:00 -- two hours late.
HF: Did you interviews start this morning?
DB: I had seven interviews so far today.
HF: How many more interviews do you have?
DB: I have 20 interviews altogether.
HF: What kinds of questions are they asking you?
DB: They want to know what are your strengths, what do you need to improve in your game.
HF: Were the interviews pretty much the same?
DB: Some teams they seemed more interested in me than others. Some teams the interview was longer than others.
HF: Were there one or two interviews where you felt a real connection with team personnel?
DB: Yes, I had two really good interviews so far. My English is not very good, so I feel like it will be in my favor that I, as a French guy, made the effort to come here and to try to really be able to communicate well with the teams.
HF: What do you feel is the strength of your game?
DB: It’s definitely my ability with the puck. I am more of a playmaker guy than a pure goal scorer. I try to feed my linemates to create chances. That’s what I do the best.
HF: What do you think you need to improve the most to make it to the NHL?
DB: Just my strength. My upper body, lower body. I will work hard in the gym to be stronger on my skates, that is a big part of making it in the NHL.
HF: Do you read the rankings? Do you keep track of where you are supposed to go in the draft?
DB: I do. I always track where I am ranked, but all the guys here know that the draft is completely independent. Where you are ranked is not necessarily where you will go.
HF: You are aware that over the last few months that your stock has risen?
DB: Yes, I am very aware of this, but I can’t be sure that I will be picked high. It is up to the teams.
HF: Some of the drafting position will probably be influenced by what happens over this weekend, did you do anything particular to prepare for the fitness testing?
DB: I started training a month ago. Myself, I just trained to be in good shape. I came here relaxed. I don’t want the testing to stress me a lot.
HF: Did anyone particular help you prepare for the testing?
DB: No, but I got a trainer and I went to see him before I came here. I will be training very hard once I get back home. I know I really need to do that.
Leslie Treff contributed to this article. Copyright 2006 Hockey’s Future. Do not reprint or otherwise duplicate without permission of the editorial staff.
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