NHL draft caused a “blackout”
After all, victories and triumphs are still the greatest thing for every athlete. “Winning the championship with Berlin was pretty cool,” Fontaine says, looking back on his first year in Germany. The offensive player also mentions two other highlights in his career. First, he won the QMJHL, one of Canada's top three junior leagues, with the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies in 2016. However, they didn't make it to the Memorial Cup, the official junior championship in the motherland of ice hockey. "Unfortunately, we lost in overtime in the final against the London Knights with Mitch Marner, Evan Bouchard, and Matthew Tkachuk. It was still a great year,“ he recalls.
June 25, 2016, was also a special day in his life. On that date, he was drafted by the New York Rangers in the sixth round, 171st overall, at the former First Niagara Center in Buffalo. Fontaine was there with his parents. ”When I heard my name, I kind of blacked out. I don't remember everything, but it was incredible," Fontaine said with a laugh about what is probably the most emotional moment for any young player.
A special honor – even without playing in the NHL
However, he did not get to play in the NHL in the years that followed, instead playing in the AHL. From his point of view, the time after the draft was unfortunate. “As a young player, you wait for your chance. And when my window opened, I got injured two years in a row. It was just bad luck,” he said. At least he got to play for the Rangers in a few exhibition games at the legendary Madison Square Garden – in front of his family. Fontaine enthuses: "It was only in preseason, but it was still a great experience to wear that jersey. The history and culture of the Rangers are unique.“
An idol in the family
But the Montreal Canadiens, his favorite NHL team, are also one of the most glorious clubs in the world. It's no wonder that Fontaine cheers on the ”Habs." After all, he was born and raised in Montreal, Quebec. And so, how could it be otherwise, as the youngest of three children, he fell in love with our sport at an early age. “I have an older brother and an older sister. My brother also played ice hockey. When I was younger, I wanted to be like him. He was my first role model,” Fontaine recounts.
“My father built an ice rink in our backyard, so I followed in my brother's footsteps. And that's how I got into ice hockey.” Fontaine was truly overwhelmed when he saw his first NHL game live.
“The level, the speed, and just seeing how they shoot,” he says. At that time, he was particularly focused on Montreal's legendary Finnish captain Saku Koivu, who was the first European to lead the Canadiens from 1999 to 2009. “He was the best player there and had a special status,” says Fontaine.
