Jacques Bouquot didn’t know much about the British Columbia Hockey League when he left the comforts of New England before last season.
Stated the 19-year-old center from South Windsor, Conn., who’s preparing for his freshman campaign at the University of Vermont: “I went in with an open mind and just wanted to become the best player I could out there.”
By the time his one year on the Pacific Coast was over, he accomplished exactly that, but it didn’t happen without turmoil.
After spending his previous three seasons away from home at Salisbury School, where he was captain as a senior, Bouquot was excited to head westward like several of his prep school teammates.
“In the BCHL, the game translates a lot to what we did at Salisbury and other prep schools, so it was a great spot for me,” the 6-1, 180-pounder said. “It was also a good chance to get even further away from home in a place I had never been before where I could learn a lot of things about myself as a person and as a player.”
Bouquot latched on with the Wenatchee Wild after chatting with Wild associate head coach and director of recruiting Leigh Mendelson and paying a visit to the city, which is located in central Washington, toward the end of the 2017-18 season.
“It’s a first-class junior ‘A’ program; the staff and the facility are amazing; the town is amazing,” Bouquot said. “I loved it and thought it would be a great place for me. I asked around and talked to Coach Andrew Will at Salisbury, and he said it seemed like a great spot.”
Unfortunately for Bouquot, he appeared in only five games with the Wild, registering one assist, before suffering a broken left ankle. He remained in Wenatchee while he healed.
“It was hard, especially being so far away from home,” the left-handed shooter lamented. “You don’t really expect that to happen. You’re trying to play well in juniors and get ready for college, and then an injury happens. And when it first happened, the grind of trying to figure out what was wrong with my ankle and not knowing what was going on with it was tough.”
He continued, “I had to rely on some friends and family, and definitely the guys on the team and the coaching staff, to help me through the process. You have to surround yourself with people who will support you no matter what, not just as a hockey player. And they were all great. I gathered a great support system, and that’s what got me through it.”
Nearly two months later in mid-November, Bouquot returned to action, except it wasn’t with Wenatchee. On the same day he was released by the Wild, he was signed by the Chilliwack Chiefs, with whom he finished the campaign.
“The toughest part throughout all of it was getting back to playing hockey,” Bouquot said. “I showed up to a new team and was playing a game two days later without having a lot of full practice time. And because of the injury, I didn’t have the legs and the feet that I was used to having, so it was different for me. I was almost a step behind everyone. The challenge there was figuring out how to get back to full speed, and while I was doing that how was I going to be effective for the Chiefs.”
The Chiefs coaching staff never rushed Bouquot as he worked to regain full strength.
“Jacques has tremendous character and hockey IQ,” Chiefs head coach and general manager Brian Maloney said. “He had to work with his foot speed a little bit, but we allowed him to do that. We were patient with him on that because he’s such a great kid and a good teammate, and I had a soft spot for something about him.”
Bouquot felt he returned to his normal self around mid-February right before the playoffs, which started at the beginning of March.
“I started to hit my stride, and it was just a matter of figuring out my role on the team, getting my feet back under me and getting used to the pace of play,” he said. “Once I did that toward the end of the season, it was fun.”
Bouquot finished the campaign as a nearly point-per-game player with the Chiefs, tallying 28 points (10-18—28) in 31 regular-season games. He also scored four goals in 11 postseason contests.
“We tried to mold him in certain areas of the ice where he’d be effective, and that was along the wall, in the slot and around the net,” Maloney explained. “He bought into everything we asked him to do, and when we started to peak he was a really important player for us.”
Said Bouquot: “Going through the whole experience last year, I matured a lot. It was my first experience in the real world of hockey. Injuries happen, and you don’t expect to ever get traded or released or anything like that. For me, it happened so fast. I learned to role with it and that there was a bigger plan for me. You learn that things are going to happen to you, and it’s not always going to be easy. Knowing now that I can go through something like that is a huge step for me.”
Bouquot was originally committed to Boston College but earlier this year changed his next destination to Vermont, with one reason being Catamounts head coach Kevin Sneddon.
“After I started to find myself toward the end of last season, I thought I was ready for that next step,” Bouquot said. “Then I got a call from Coach Sneddon, who said he was looking for another forward. I didn’t know a lot about the school and the area, so I visited with my dad (Greg) and I loved it. I loved what they’re trying to do with the program.
“But the main thing was I felt I could trust Coach Sneddon. He seems to have a good relationship with his players, and for me that’s really important. Last year, going through my junior experience, sometimes you run into coaches who have more of a business mentality. I wanted to find a coach who was more like Coach Will at Salisbury, who has that personal connection with you where you can go and talk to him whenever you want and is a players’ coach. That’s what I found in Coach Sneddon.”
As for the type of person and player Catamounts fans can expect to see in Bouquot, the newest Vermont forward provided his own self-assessment.
Concluded Bouquot: “I play with a lot of speed and like to make plays. I like to think the game fast and play it fast, which is the way it should be played, with a lot of skill. I’m also hard-working. I love to win and that’s what I want to do here. The program hasn’t had a lot of success the past couple of years, but we have a good group and we are going to turn it around. I’m going to do everything I can to be a part of that.
“As far as a person, I’m just a guy who’s approachable. I’m a very fun guy, easy to talk to, and I have good grip on relationships, so any time the fans see me and want to talk to me, they should feel free. I’d love to get to know all of the fans who come to games and support the program.”
