In the Summer of 2021, the Chicoutimi Saguenéens were ready to turn the page on a couple of seasons that featured both impressive successes and constant setbacks. With the cloak of the pandemic covering everything, the organization took its first step back to the top by investing its first pick in that year’s Draft – second round, 35th overall – on a kid who, like the rest of that year’s class of prospects, barely saw the ice over the previous year.
That kid was Emmanuel Vermette.
Now, the 21-year-old young man reflects on five seasons of growth in a blue and white sweater, how it all began, and how he got what he needed in taking those first tricky steps into the world of major junior hockey.
“For me, as a power forward coming in at 16, not having played the season before, it was hard,” Vermette recalls. “It took me a bit more time than some others to adapt and be able to play my game. But Yanick and our coaching staff were really great. They were really patient with me and I had all the support I needed from them.”
Head Coach Yanick Jean has seen a fantastic progression in the guy who now wears the ‘C’ for this year’s QMJHL champions. Part of the credit goes to both Vermette’s willingness to be better and the past players who helped him reach the level he’s now achieved.
“He’s taken some huge steps,” Jean points out. “The challenge for Emmanuel was consistency. He came to us straight out of (the U15 level) and it was tough for him at times. But he’s grown so much as a player and especially as a leader. Guys like (former Saguenéens captains) Jonathan Desrosiers and Kassim Gaudet really helped him along the way.”
Vermette has indeed come a long way, reaching the point-per-game plateau for the second straight campaign and posting ten goals in the Sags’ championship charge. The winger from Québec City, Quebec capped off that run with a goal and an assist in Chicoutimi’s game six triumph over Moncton on home ice. Much like his Head Coach, Vermette is quick to credit those who have surrounded him over the years in the club’s title quest, as well as those who make sure the group maintains that goal.
“It’s really important for us to have not only good players here but great people, too,” he explains. “Yanick makes sure that every player that comes through here is a good person before everything. This year, we brought in some guys that were captains or assistants on other teams and, of course, they were going to have to take a smaller role with us. But everybody was aware of that, and every guy that came through here was ready for it and ready to accept it. It made things really easy, having everybody on the same page. Everybody had the same goal, so it all fit together perfectly.”
They also endeared themselves to the fans in Chicoutimi, whose desire for a Gilles-Courteau Trophy after a 32-year drought was finally realized. Vermette has experienced the last half-decade of those ups and downs with those passionate fans, many of whom had tears in their eyes when the trophy made its appearance at center ice on the evening of May 17. He fully understands what this triumph means to those who’ve supported him these last few years.
“It’s a hockey town,” Vermette says. “The whole city lives through the Sags and the atmosphere is incredible. Through the years, we had some tough years and, still, the fans were always behind the team. It’s a great city to play junior in. Everything here is top-notch.”
And so it was, in front of those emotional boosters, that Vermette became just the third player in the over five-decade long history of the Saguenéens franchise to be handed the QMJHL’s championship trophy to hold aloft. What goes through a five-year player’s mind when he gets to hold it over his head?
“First of all, it’s a dream come true,” Vermette says without hesitation. “It’s something I’ve wanted to live ever since I was young. The first thing that came to my mind was my parents. They’ve done so much for me ever since I’ve been a kid, all the hours and the time they put in me. It’s something I can never pay them back for and that’s why I love them.”
Vermette also doesn’t hesitate when he thinks of all he will miss as he departs the place he’s called his second home over the past few years, first for Kelowna, BC and the 2026 Memorial Cup presented by Kubota, then for the next steps in his personal and hockey lives.
The rink, the people, his brothers on the ice. All of it is top of mind. And all of it reflected in the comments of his proud Head Coach, who made him the first building block of an eventual title-winner.
“After five years, we’ve created a great bond. I’ll be sad to see him go. But at the same time, he’s got some great tools that he can now use for life.”
