After being drafted in the fifth round by the team he grew up cheering for on Saturday, Alexis Cournoyer spoke to the media from his childhood bedroom, lit by a Montreal Canadiens [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/montreal-canadiens]’ scoreboard and featuring a Canadiens’ goalie poster in the background. The 19-year-old netminder looked like a kid on Christmas morning, fielding questions from the press. He had spent the day watching the draft with his whole family at his father’s house with his girlfriend’s family as well, and by the time the Sainte-Flanelle finally called his name, he was just about to get in his car to go to the airport. Thinking he might not get drafted, he had accepted an invitation to the Nashville Predators’ [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/nashville-predators] development camp, and he was beaming when he said that in the end, he had to cancel his plane tickets and that his trip to development camp would be much shorter than expected, and by car rather than plane. For those who are always asking for the Canadiens to draft “un p’tit gars de chez nous”, Cournoyer is the ultimate pick. An underdog who was discarded in the QMJHL, he only joined the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles after the Christmas break, and he was proud to explain the twists and turns of his path to the NHL. Mentioning that even though it’s a cliché, hard work and perseverance do pay off. In the days leading up to the draft, Cournoyer’s father had posted on social media that if his son were drafted, he’d run in the street wearing only his underwear, when asked if he thought his father would do through with it, he took a quick look outside through the window and said, “Well, it’s raining right now so I hope he won’t. He’s a die-hard fan and sometimes he’s heavy, but I’m not mad at him for that kind of stuff, my friends like to laugh about it.” The youngster repeated many times how happy he was to be drafted by the Canadiens, adding that he had the logo tattooed on his heart, that no one was happier than he, and that it was an honor. He describes himself as a big goalie who used his frame well. He’s got poise and confidence, putting his teammates’ minds at ease and inspiring confidence. Of course, being drafted by the Tricolore doesn’t guarantee that he will play for the Habs one day, but it’s certainly a step in the right direction. Considering how genuine, expressive, and friendly the kid looked, he’ll have everyone in Quebec rooting for him. Photo credit: Eric Bolte - Imagin Images -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Canadiens stories, analysis, breaking news, and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News [https://news.google.com/publications/CAAqBwgKMK-q0gsw7sXpAw/sections/CAQqEAgAKgcICjCvqtILMO7F6QMwo-DfCA?hl=en-CA&gl=CA&ceid=CA%3Aen], never to miss a story. Follow Karine on X @KarineHains [https://x.com/KarineHains] Bluesky @karinehains.bsky.social [https://bsky.app/profile/karinehains.bsky.social] and Threads @karinehains [https://www.threads.net/@karinehains]. Bookmark The Hockey News Canadiens' page [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/montreal-canadiens/] for all the news and happenings around the Canadiens. Join the discussion by signing up to the Canadiens' roundtable [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/montreal-canadiens] on The Hockey News.
