Rafael Harvey-Pinard had a masterful first professional campaign. He imposed himself from the start thanks to his energy, his hustle and his fighting spirit in front of the net. In the end, he delivered a scorecard of 20 points, including nine goals, in 36 games. Joël Bouchard used him in all sorts of ways because he loves the style of play advocated by Harvey-Pinard.
At the junior level, the one affectionately known as "RHP" was quick to seduce his coach at the time with the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies, Gilles Bouchard, because of his attitude. When the Huskies won the Memorial Cup, it was Mario Pouliot who was in charge of the team's guides and he spoke at length about the warrior attitude of the "little" Harvey-Pinard. According to him, he has never coached a player as dedicated and hard-working as Rafael Harvey-Pinard. He even told me: "He's going to play in the show because of his immense desire!"
That being said, based on these elements and the dialogue Harvey-Pinard held during an interview with Guillaume Lefrançois, I dare to believe that he could surprise and maybe break into the lineup. At least, be one of the first ones called up when players end up in the infirmary. This guy is built to win on a fourth unit in the NHL.
"For sure I'd like to play some games up there during the season, that would be in my goals. But I don't come into camp thinking I'm going to start in the American League. I'm going 100% to make the cut, even though that's not necessarily the short-term plan for me. I'm going to come to camp and give it everything I've got. If I keep working the way I am, things will be fine. I'm crunched, I'm looking forward to proving what I can do. But if I go back to Laval, it's not the end of the world, I can keep developing." - RHP
Yes, the depth is "deep" with the Montreal Canadiens for the upcoming season, but knowing the "bug" that is Rafael Harvey-Pinard, don't be surprised if he puts on a show!
