He’s no doubt remembered fondly by fans in Victoriaville, less so by opposing goaltenders of that era. Maxim Noreau’s time in the QMJHL, not to mention his lengthy pro career, was an incredible feat in itself.
These days, he’s making it his mission to bestow those lessons, not to mention finer points of on-ice play, upon the next generation of potential stars.
“Who would’ve thought that I’d go from being undrafted in the ‘Q’ at 16, to a first-rounder the next year, then captain and leading scorer (among Tigres defencemen) two years later,” Noreau ponders. “Then, undrafted in the NHL but still being able to make it, plus play in two Olympic Games.”
And that’s just his partial resume.
But it all started with that three-year ‘Q’ career on the Victoriaville blueline, during which he proved not only capable with the puck on his stick but also able to mix it up away from it. It also leads to reflection upon a pair of junior teammates, one among the most underrated QMJHL skaters of the past two decades, the other a future NHL mainstay, that made a lasting impression.
“Having Morten Madsen there was important both for the team and myself. He was very skilled but also had a lot of confidence about him,” Noreau, who also credits former Tigres Head Coach Stephane Lebeau as a major influence, recalls. “I became really good friends with Morten. We were actually roommates my first two years of pro. Jason Demers was also one of my really good friends who eventually became my defence partner.”
“He knew his job was to slide one-timers over to me and I’d just fire them off,” he adds, with a chuckle.
After four seasons, mostly in the AHL, Noreau, who also appeared in six NHL games for the Minnesota Wild, made his way to Europe. Part of it was for the sake of his own confidence after dealing with the challenges of the AHL, where competition among teammates can be as tense as battling the opposition.
“I signed a one-year deal in Switzerland with no expectations,” Noreau admits. “I was getting tired of being labelled a career AHLer so I figured I’d go over for a year and then come back (to North America) and try again. But when I got there, I got the green light to play my game. Plus, there was no (stress over) call-ups. There was no better league to be in over there. Before Christmas that first year, I was already receiving multi-year offers and negotiating for the next three or four years of my life.”
This led to a life-changing decision whereby Noreau would spend 11 of the final 13 seasons of his pro career in Europe. It was a time fondly remembered by Noreau and his family, which includes his wife, his sons aged eight and five, and a baby girl born on New Year’s Eve, 2024.
It wasn’t Noreau’s first experience with the raucous crowds of the Swiss National League, however. While still in the AHL, he was first selected to represent Team Canada at the Spengler Cup in Davos, Switzerland. Fast forward to today and he’s walked away from the game with four Spengler gold medals in his trophy case, as well as two appearances with Canada at the Winter Olympics. Those two appearances could not have been any different.
“In 2018 (Pyeongchang, South Korea), with no COVID, my family came over, two of my best friends were there with their wives,” he recalls. “My son was born in late 2016 so my wife brought him over. To win a (bronze) medal and to get to share that with them was so special. In 2022, (Beijing), China had zero tolerance when it came to safety measures. Not being able to put it together on the ice and losing in the Quarterfinals was pretty tough, too.”
“People say “Oh, you got to go to China”. I say “No, I got to go to the Olympic Village,” adds the defenseman with a laugh.
Just prior to retiring in 2024, Noreau started what has become his post-playing passion. While chatting about a lack of decent places to skate near his home along Montreal’s South Shore, he decided to act. Not only did he organize skates for him and his friends, he took the idea back to Switzerland for the last half of his final season in the National League, organizing skates and skills development sessions for members of the Rapperswil-Jona junior team.
“It all happened organically,” Noreau explains. “Instead of getting paid, I asked for free ice. We ran the practice, the Zamboni would come out, then I’d go back out and film stuff for my social media pages and for use during future practices. It let us really dive into details. My social media platforms kind of took off and eventually guys back home started messaging me offering to attend if I started running skates once I retired.”
Now settled back in Montreal, Noreau serves as a Skills Development Coach for the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada. When not on the ice with his ‘Q’ pupils, he can be found running Noreau Hockey, a skills development program geared mainly towards players from the U11 to U18 levels. He works with up to 200 kids each week, not including private clinics.
“I try to bring a pro approach,” Noreau points out. “Even though they’re younger kids, I try to treat them like professionals. I’ll grab clips from everywhere. I was downloading Scott Stevens clips from 1997 the other day. Guys like (Brayden) McNabb in Vegas or Cale Makar. I show these kids how those players defend and how they hold their sticks. Their generation is very visual. There’re times when I don’t even bring my (white) board on the ice. I just bring my iPad.”
He also brings a message. Don’t worry about the stats sheet. And keep proper perspective.
“I’ll ask kids in U15 or U18 how often the top scorer on their team goes on to be that same player in the NHL for 15 years,” Noreau says. “There’s not too many. Everyone wants to score, but it’s also important to grind it out and understand what roles are about.”
“I’ll take younger guys out on the ice and rip shots on net that they can’t come close to matching,” he continues. “Then I remind them, even with that shot, I’ve got six NHL games under my belt with zero points. That’s how hard it is to get there and stay there. It makes the point even more valid. Your current situation isn’t your final destination.”
“It’s what my whole career’s been about.”
