C Théo Rochette - Quebec Remparts, QMJHL (Undrafted)

[SergeConstantin74]

Interesting...

Click to read more...

 

[Speyer]

I haven't seen him play yeat but from what you hear about thim trough the grapevine, he seems to be the most talented Swiss forward prospect since Hischier. Would be a ballsy move from him if he goes trough the Q draft, as he wouldn't have any control on where he might end up. I don't think any (prominent) Swiss prospect ever took that route.

 

[alko]

I haven't seen him play yeat but from what you hear about thim trough the grapevine, he seems to be the most talented Swiss forward prospect since Hischier. Would be a ballsy move from him if he goes trough the Q draft, as he wouldn't have any control on where he might end up. I don't think any (prominent) Swiss prospect ever took that route.

Hischier was drafted in 2017, Rochette will be in 2020. You didnt impressed me.

 

[wein]

Apparently he's going to be in Quebec next week to meet with teams. The Q draft is next Saturday I believe.

I wonder whether he will be willing to report anywhere?

 

[Dodospice]

I haven't seen him play yeat but from what you hear about thim trough the grapevine, he seems to be the most talented Swiss forward prospect since Hischier. Would be a ballsy move from him if he goes trough the Q draft, as he wouldn't have any control on where he might end up. I don't think any (prominent) Swiss prospect ever took that route.

I think he’d actually have more control on where he would end up, if he goes through the Q draft. If he isn’t happy with the team he ends up on, he can go back to Switzerland and play, he can also basically force a trade to other teams. If he went through the Euro Draft, he’d really have no control.

 

[SergeConstantin74]

It looks like he will be the 1st overall pick in the QMJHL Draft next week unless what his father says isn't true. He says he'll go to any team that drafts him and plans to make him play big minutes.

Théo Rochette, un nouvel espoir de taille - TVA Sports

Chicoutimi has the 1st pick. It will get interesting with Chicoutimi and Rimouski in the same division, playing 8 games against each other.

Lafrenière vs Rochette for the 2020 draft.

 

[wings5]

He was just declared eligible and now is expexted to go first overall ? Seems unexepected considering it seems not many people were talking about him before in NA.

 

[Daximus]

That's awesome if true. Another big name kid comes over from Europe to play in the Q. Damn Q always gets the good euros.

 

[SergeConstantin74]

He was just declared eligible and now is expexted to go first overall ? Seems unexepected considering it seems not many people were talking about him before in NA.

It says in the article it was a long process.

After a lengthy process, the QMJHL finally got the green light on Friday to make him eligible for this year's draft. According to our source, the Portland Winterhawks have been the most difficult team to convince in the CHL because they would have liked to recrute the talented Swiss in next year's Import draft.

However, Rochette's family wanted him to play in Quebec and Commissioner Gilles Courteau was very active in this matter, we are told.

 

[Thebesthockey]

No way spending a first overall con this pick

 

[Brett44]

That's awesome if true. Another big name kid comes over from Europe to play in the Q. Damn Q always gets the good euros.

His family from Québec and he played 5 years there.

 

[Daximus]

His family from Québec and he played 5 years there.

Yeah I figured given the dual citizen thing.

 

[S E P H]

His family from Québec and he played 5 years there.

He's not from Quebec though, he was born in Suisse and has played for them internationally albeit not in any IIHF tied tournaments.

 

[Speyer]

It looks like he will be the 1st overall pick in the QMJHL Draft next week unless what his father says isn't true. He says he'll go to any team that drafts him and plans to make him play big minutes.

Théo Rochette, un nouvel espoir de taille - TVA Sports

Chicoutimi has the 1st pick. It will get interesting with Chicoutimi and Rimouski in the same division, playing 8 games against each other.

Lafrenière vs Rochette for the 2020 draft.

Well if he really reports to Chicoutimi, he must have balls of steel. I am by no means an expert when it comes to the CHL but that roster looks brutal and the best players are not returning. We will have to wait and see if he can steer that ship on his own but I have my doubts...

 

[SergeConstantin74]

Well if he really reports to Chicoutimi, he must have balls of steel. I am by no means an expert when it comes to the CHL but that roster looks brutal and the best players are not returning. We will have to wait and see if he can steer that ship on his own but I have my doubts...

It’s CHL hockey. Teams rebuild fast. 3 years ago Bathurst was at the bottom and now they’re Memorial Cup champs.

Chicoutimi has 5 picks in the top 22 in this year’s draft. They’ll have a young but talented team that will develop together.

Also, they will get a couple of players from Bathurst to complete the deals they made with them and that sent Galipeau and Rubtsov to Bathurst.

So no, he won’t be on his own.

 

[Brett44]

He's not from Quebec though, he was born in Suisse and has played for them internationally albeit not in any IIHF tied tournaments.

I said family not him.after Québec he played for Neuchâtel in switzerland and since 4 year in Lausanne.

 

[Speyer]

It’s CHL hockey. Teams rebuild fast. 3 years ago Bathurst was at the bottom and now they’re Memorial Cup champs.

Chicoutimi has 5 picks in the top 22 in this year’s draft. They’ll have a young but talented team that will develop together.

Also, they will get a couple of players from Bathurst to complete the deals they made with them and that sent Galipeau and Rubtsov to Bathurst.

So no, he won’t be on his own.

Maybe not compleatly on his own but this 5 picks will all be very young and their rebuild seems to have just started this offseason. They will have a very difficult season next year. So Rochette, if he was picked by Chicoutimi, would probably be the most important player on a very young roster. Also rebuilding attemps don't go always as planned, if they would the Oilers would be a top team in the NHL right now. You have to give props to the kid tough for taking this route, since its definitley not the path of least resistance.

I really hope you are right though and Rochette thrives in the Q even tough challenging Lafreniere seems a bit to much to ask for.

 

[SergeConstantin74]

Maybe not compleatly on his own but this 5 picks will all be very young and their rebuild seems to have just started this offseason. They will have a very difficult season next year. So Rochette, if he was picked by Chicoutimi, would probably be the most important player on a very young roster. Also rebuilding attemps don't go always as planned, if they would the Oilers would be a top team in the NHL right now. You have to give props to the kid tough for taking this route, since its definitley not the path of least resistance.

I really hope you are right though and Rochette thrives in the Q even tough challenging Lafreniere seems a bit to much to ask for.

That's what he wants according to his father. Being an important player on a team right away. Chicoutimi started its rebuild in the last off season. They're on the rise. They probably will contend as soon as next year.

You can't compare NHL and CHL rebuilds. Like you said, you don't seem to know much about the CHL.

 

[Speyer]

That's what he wants according to his father. Being an important player on a team right away. Chicoutimi started its rebuild in the last off season. They're on the rise. They probably will contend as soon as next year.

You can't compare NHL and CHL rebuilds. Like you said, you don't seem to know much about the CHL.

Well I think Its very legitimate to be sceptical about naming a team, that apparently hasn't made the finals since the mid 90's and finished 15th out of 18 this season a contender next year. And rebuilds can always go wrong no matter what level of play even though the competing windows are shorter in Junior.

 

[SergeConstantin74]

Well I think Its very legitimate to be sceptical about naming a team, that apparently hasn't made the finals since the mid 90's and finished 15th out of 18 this season a contender next year. And rebuilds can always go wrong no matter what level of play even though the competing windows are shorter in Junior.

Of course it can go wrong but it can be said for any team he would go to. Chicoutimi has the first pick so it will be their choice. They have something good going on right now and a good management team so adding a top player is the best move looking forward.

 

[duga]

If things go wrong in CHL, he always has the options to return to Switzerland. That isn't my biggest concern.

But what happens if he plays really strong?
Hockey Canada could lure him to play for Canada in the future. And from his perspectives, that's quite tempting, I guess. With proper development he should be good enough to get eventually a call from Canada for the U-18 and u-20 WHC, when it's time for him and his peers. It would be a huge loss for Switzerland. A loss, they hardly can afford.

That's a way bigger concern IMO.


Let's hope that the quality the swiss NT showed recently and the risk of being lost in depth for Canada in the future, when it comes to the big international tournaments, let him stay conservative.

I never knew how it works exactly with changing nations. But if he had played the U-18 WJC last month, that would have made a change more complicate, right?

 

[Speyer]

Of course it can go wrong but it can be said for any team he would go to. Chicoutimi has the first pick so it will be their choice. They have something good going on right now and a good management team so adding a top player is the best move looking forward.

Exactly for Rochette specifically that is the case. However there is a tendecy for european top prospects, out of Swizterland at least, (Ehlers, Niederreiter, Hischier, Meier etc,) to only consider CHL teams that are structurally and financially very strong. I am talking about teams like Portland, Halifax, London and so forth who are the crème de la crème of their leagues. And those organisations just have a higher chance to succed than your average CHL team due to several reasons i don't need to specifiy here.

In a Interview Hischiers agent said a few months ago that talks with Halifax took them about a year and he wouldn't have crossed the ocean for any other organisation. They evaluated the teams roster, facilities, coach, management etc. before they acceped. For the same reason Nathan Mackinnon has never played for Baie-Comeau.

Now you can think about this "cherry picking" strategy whatever you want but you can't deny that it often put those prospects in very favorable postions on draft day.

Rochette on the other hand apparently decided, probably also because ouf his family background, not to cherry pick his team. That doesn't mean he won't suceed but he is defenitly taking a higher risk with that route.

 

[Marc the Habs Fan]

Chicoutimi bound.

 

[Duff88]

Drafted 7th overall by Chicoutimi, who also had the first overall pick which they used to select Hendrix Lapierre. Will be interesting to see if it pays off.

 

[duga]

Rochette was asked a few questions by his former team HC Lausanne. Here's an out-take:


L’équipe de Suisse U18?
« J’espère que l’on va obtenir de bons résultats durant cette Coupe du monde à Edmonton. D’un point de vue personnel, j’espère avoir un rôle assez important à jouer au sein de l’équipe. L’objectif est de réussir à bien progresser, et d’obtenir de bons résultats.
J’ai encore le choix entre la sélection canadienne ou suisse pour le futur. J’avais la possibilité d’aller au camp d’entraînement du Team Canada cet été ou de l’équipe suisse, mais je pense qu’il n’y a pas vraiment de question à se poser. J’ai commencé avec la Suisse, je suis suisse, je suis né ici, donc je pense que je vais rester ici. Je vais très probablement jouer pour la Suisse. »

A summary about the bolded part in english:
he's got the options to go to U-18 summer camps of both Canada or Switzerland. He hasn't made a final decision yet but is leaning more towards Switzerland as he was born and started his development over here. He feels being swiss.


Im slightly less concerned now, but considering this interview was made in Switzerland, it might would sound a bit different when made in Canada. If true though, we will see him at the Hlinka memorial this year.

Here's the full interview (in french):
Théo Rochette: "Je vais très probablement jouer pour la Suisse" - Lausanne Hockey Club