Zachary Fucale’s father is a proud Canadiens fan

Source : montrealgazette.com

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 When the Canadiens selected his son, Zachary, in the second round of June’s National Hockey League entry draft, they spared Jack Fucale and his cousins, who are diehard Habs fans, from rooting for another team.

That potential scenario had been the subject of fun, lighthearted exchanges among them before the draft.

“We were all discussing this. I said: ‘How are we going to do this?’ ” Jack Fucale recounted on Tuesday.

“It’s only automatic that we’re going to become fans of whatever team he goes to.”

As it turned out, the talk was for naught. The Canadiens selected Zachary Fucale, a goaltender with the Halifax Mooseheads, in the second round (36th overall).

“It makes everything so much easier, right?” his father said.

“How can a Canadiens fan become a Toronto Maple Leafs fan or a Boston Bruins fan? How do you do that? You just can’t.”

Jack Fucale, his wife, who is also a big Canadiens fan, and their two daughters, along with other family and friends, watched Zachary make his Bell Centre debut at Saturday’s scrimmage and again on Sunday when he played for part of the Canadiens’ first preseason game against the Buffalo Sabres.

Fucale called it “very heartwarming and overwhelming at the same time” to see his son play there.
The two had watched a number of Canadiens games together at the Bell Centre in the past. Fucale, who owns a transportation company, would buy Canadiens game packages. “So there were a few years when Zach and I were at the Bell Centre quite often,” he said.

Asked if he had any concern about his son being put in the media spotlight in Montreal, Fucale said: “No, because he can handle it. He’s handled it up until now at a very, very young age. And so I don’t see it getting problematic at all.”

Fucale grew up in a bilingual home in Rosemère and attended French and English schools. He looked poised at the Canadiens’ training camp, fielding reporters’ questions in both languages. He’d already faced some media attention in the past as a top prospect and No. 1 goalie for the Halifax Mooseheads, who won the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League championship last season and the Memorial Cup.

Fucale, who signed a three-year entry level contract with the Canadiens last weekend, was among 14 players released from the Habs’ training camp on Monday after their 6-3 preseason loss to the Boston Bruins. It’s not a surprise that Fucale, who is only 18, is returning to his major-junior team.
Fucale called the training camp helpful for his development and said he learned a lot.

“I saw the level of play is very high, it’s very fast. So for me, it’s very important to work on every part of my game,” he told reporters Monday night.

“There are so many screens during the game. A lot of people are trying to obstruct the view. And guys are stronger, they’re smarter, their shots are just harder,” Fucale added.

“Every little aspect of the game is better in the NHL and you’ve got to adjust and get better.”
Fucale said he didn’t want to look too far ahead when asked about trying to land a spot on Canada’s team for the world junior championship in Malmö, Sweden, which starts on Dec. 26.

“I just want to continue doing my job, just keep working, and if I earn a spot on that team I’ll be super happy,” he said.

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Habs : Final impressions

Source : canadiens.nhl.com

Prospects and invitees closed out the Canadiens’ annual development camp on Sunday with a fast-paced scrimmage that saw Team Red register a 6-3 victory over Team White at the Bell Sports Complex.

Ben Duffy, who signed a tryout contract with the Habs in late June after leading the QMJHL in scoring during the 2012-13 season with the Prince Edward Island Rocket, scored three goals for Team Red in the win.

“It was a good team effort. Playing with [Sebastian] Collberg and [Erik] Nystrom, they made it pretty easy for me to play my game,” praised the Lower Sackville, NS native, who capped his Junior career with 39 goals and 110 points in 68 games. “I’m here to be a skill player. That’s what I do. Just being on a tryout basis, I knew I had to step up a little more and I think I’ve done that. I think I’ve stepped up offensively and showed what I can do.”

The all-time leading scorer in Rocket history, Duffy believes he made significant progress over the course of his first professional camp experience, and he was looking to close it out on a high note.

“I started off a bit slow. It was my first camp, just trying to adjust and get used to everything. As I got comfortable in my game, I started to hit my stride and I played well,” explained the 21-year-old centerman, who went undrafted and has committed to play for the University of New Brunswick come September to further his development. “I thought I might get a few opportunities [to be drafted], but I think it shows a lot about my character to kind of bounce back from stuff like that and take advantage of the opportunities that I do get.”

Like Duffy, goaltender Zachary Fucale is adamant that he leaves the Canadiens' development camp with a wealth of new information that will prove useful going forward.

“I could name a lot of things [that I’ll take way]. Just the way it works around here is a big thing. The philosophy of the Montreal Canadiens, and playing with guys who are much older, 22 and 23-year-old pro guys. So, it’s different and it’s fun. I think everyone enjoyed this whole week for sure,” mentioned the No. 36 overall selection in 2013, who turned aside 17 of the 20 shots he faced for Team Red. “We’re going to get back to fundamentals and work on little things and make sure we arrive ready in all aspects of the game for September’s [rookie] camp.”

That sentiment was echoed by Michael McCarron, the Canadiens’ first-round selection, 25th overall at the 2013 NHL Entry Draft.

“It’s given me a lot of work that needs to be done to get up and play here,” admitted McCarron, who played alongside Sven Andrighetto and Jeremy Gregoire for Team White. “I had a pretty good weekend here. I just need to work on a few things, like my consistency and my quickness and I feel like I’m right there. So, just a little more work needs to be done and I feel like I’ll get here.”
Nystrom, Zach Hall and Louis Leblanc also tallied for Team Red, who outshot their opponents 38-28. Maxime Gravel, Patrick Holland and Darren Dietz scored for Team White.