By Justin Vézina At the end of its spectacular 2023-2024 season, the Laval Rocket held its end-of-season media availability to bring the campaign to a close. Ten players, plus head coach Jean-François Houle, appeared before the media. For those who wish to view all the press conferences, they are presented below. However, for those who […]
Category Archives: News
Lucas Condotta, a locker room and community favorite
By Justin Vézina Which came first? The Rocket’s love for Lucas Condotta or Lucas Condotta’s love for the Rocket? It doesn’t really matter. All we know after the Ontario forward’s two full seasons with the Montreal farm team is that they’re a perfect match. Since signing with the Laval team in March 2022, the man […]
An “excited” David Reinbacher joins the Rocket
By Justin Vézina “I’m finally here and I’m so excited.” That’s how young defenseman David Reinbacher summed up his thoughts after his very first training session with the Laval Rocket. Freshly arrived on Monday after a third professional season in Switzerland with EHC Kloten, the Montreal Canadiens’ first-round pick in the 2023 draft met his […]
William Trudeau and the challenge of the second season
By Justin Vézina The sophomore season slump is a well-documented concept among top athletes. That difficulty in continuing to progress or simply maintaining the same pace as in the rookie year. Now in his second professional campaign, William Trudeau had no choice but to face this rite of passage and try to ward off the […]
Logan Mailloux, rising star
Jean-François Houle gathered all his players at the centre of the ice at Place Bell. A routine scene for an early January training session. Together, they form a circle in front of the head coach. The Laval Rocket coach, rather than announcing instructions for a new drill, uttered the words, “Logan, you’re going to the […]
Jakub Dobeš : Winning at all costs
By Justin Vézina “When I’m involved, I play better. When the stakes are high, it’s a plus for me. I feel I’m becoming more competitive and even better.” These are the words of goalietender Jakub Dobeš, whose brilliance over the past month has kept Laval’s playoff dream alive. Indeed, the team is now on the […]
Tobie Paquette-Bisson, the rise of a mentor
By Justin Vézina Tobie Paquette-Bisson’s phone has been busy this summer. On the other end? His former teammates Gabriel Bourque, Brandon Gignac and Olivier Galipeau, who were all preparing to wear the uniform of the Laval Rocket for the 2023-2024 season. But also, his former head coach, Jean-François Houle. What was the nature of the […]
A benchmark trip
By Justin Vézina “We’ve got to have more games like this,” Rocket head coach Jean-François Houle summed up after Sunday’s 6-2 win over the Manitoba Moose. The message was well received. So much so that on Monday lunchtime, the Laval club used the same recipe to achieve the same result. They triumphed 5-2 over the […]
Material for the highlight reel
By Justin Vézina Jakub Dobeš has been generous in recent days. In the first few games of November, he single-handedly provided enough spectacular saves to send a DVD set into production. The goalkeeper was imperial, making numerous saves in extremis in the Laval Rocket’s last few games. First, on Wednesday November 1, despite a 4-1 […]
Lias Andersson, leader on and off the ice
By Justin Vézina “He’s someone who talks a lot to the players, especially the young ones. He knows he has experience, so on the bench, he tries to explain to certain players where to place themselves. He’s a good communicator.” These are the words of Rocket head coach Jean-François Houle. Which veteran is he praising […]
