With the loss to the Kelowna Rockets in the semi-final of the Memorial Cup last Friday night, the junior chapter of Montreal Canadiens prospect goalie Zach Fucale has finally come to a close. Fucale has had a bit of a wild ride in junior, experiencing many highs and lows throughout his four year career. As Fucale will finally enjoy a well-deserved rest, it is time to look at his past, present and future.
The Past:
The Halifax Mooseheads drafted Fucale 11th overall in the 2011 QMJHL draft and he immediately became their starting goalie, a daunting task for a 16 year old boy. Fucale proved to be up to the challenge setting Quebec junior records for most wins by a rookie as well as being named the Defensive Rookie of the Year and to the All Rookie Team. In his 2nd year, Fucale would go on to backstop the Mooseheads to the Memorial Cup Championship, playing on a stacked team with Nathan MacKinnon and Jonathan Drouin. It was with the 36th pick in the 2013 draft that the Canadiens would choose Fucale spawning talk that he would become the heir apparent to Carey Price. In 2014 Fucale would become the fastest QMJHL goalie to reach 100 wins. Inconsistency would sometimes plague Fucale as he would be criticized for giving up soft goals yet at the same time complimented for his tough mental game and ability to close the door when needed. On the international stage, Fucale was part of the Canadian National Junior team in 2014 when they lost the Bronze medal game to Russia. In 2015 as the undisputed started, Fucale would lead Canada to a perfect record and a gold medal.
When Fucale returned to the Q after the World Junior Championships, it was to the Quebec Remparts and not the Mooseheads as he was traded right before the start of the tournament - thus guaranteeing another shot at the Memorial Cup as Quebec would be the host city. Unfortunately, Fucale would continue his pre World’s struggles throughout the Spring and go on to lose the playoff starting job to Callum Booth. As Quebec got behind Cape Breton in the first round of the Q playoffs, the Remparts looked to Fucale to change their fortunes. Fucale rose to the challenge drawing from his previous experiences and led the Remparts comeback, as the Remparts took the series in 7. Fucale and the Remparts would go on to win 10 straight games, sweeping Charlottetown and Moncton and taking the first two games against Rimouski. Ultimately the Remparts would lose the Quebec finals to the Rimouski Océanic in 2OT in the 7th game. While Fucale’s Memorial Cup numbers do not look good on paper - W/L record of 2-2-1, GAA of 4.75 and Save Percentage of .872, they don’t tell the whole story either. The Remparts beat finalist Kelowna Rockets in the first game and lost the second game to the eventual champions Oshawa Generals in Overtime 6-5. After losing again to their nemesis Océanic, they rebounded the following night winning the rematch tiebreaker game. Playing their 3rd game in 3 nights, the Remparts had nothing left in the tank allowing the Kelowna Rockets to score 9 times in the semi-final game. Fucale, ever the warrior, did not want to end his junior career on the bench.
Quebec coach Philippe Boucher says he checked in with Fucale a couple times during game; Fucale wanted to stay in and he was good with that
— Ryan Kennedy (@THNRyanKennedy) May 30, 2015The Present:
After a busy junior career which included 4 years as the starting goalie, 4 years of playoff appearances, 2 long Memorial Cup runs and 2 years on the Canadian National Men’s Junior U-20 team, it is time for Fucale to take a breath before he begins training for his professional career. This will be a busy summer for him with the Canadiens Summer Development Camp, Rookie Camp and Training Camp. No doubt Fucale will work hard to be ready for all.
The Future:
Fucale is a proven winner. He may not always have the numbers to back it up, but he knows how to win. His mental strength and resiliency have been tested and proven time and time again while his high end athleticism has led to some spectacular saves.
.@Fucale31 calm under pressure for @quebec_remparts. READ: http://t.co/qv5eN7dkHd #MCMemorialCup pic.twitter.com/uZdp2mdCKt
— 2015 MC Memorial Cup (@MCMemorialCup) May 28, 2015Today though, just about every Habs trade rumour includes either Zach Fucale or Jarred Tinordi or both. While the Habs are seemingly set in goal with Carey Price, it would be prudent of the Canadiens to continue to develop Fucale in the minors. Price’s current contract extends for the next 3 seasons and after that there are no guarantees that Price stays. Some might even say that those 3 seasons are the window when the Habs have to push for a Stanley Cup. Trading Fucale now might get a piece of the puzzle to help the Habs be a better team today. On the other hand, what happens if the Habs perform poorly over the next few years, Price doesn’t want to re-sign and Fucale is long gone? The return on trades for goalies are usually quite low. For Habs GM Marc Bergevin to even consider trading Fucale, he must be positive that the return to the Canadiens would be as much as a sure thing as possible and not just a rental. There is no need to rush Fucale either. Under the proper guidance of goalie coaches Stephane Waite and Vincent Riendeau, Fucale should continue to flourish and develop in the minors. There will be little pressure in Fucale's first year in St. John's as he will most likely share the load with Mike Condon. One thing is certain though and that is proven winners do not come easily. For now, and perhaps to the chagrin of opposing GM’s, the Habs are in a position of strength with Price starring in net and Fucale in their back-pocket.