February 7th, 2012 - When Youssef Kabbaj joined the Cataractes of Shawinigan in the beginning of season, his main objective was to help his teammates to win the President cup as well as the Memorial cup. A few months later, many things have changed in the career of the defenseman of 20 years old.

First of all, unless a miracle falls from the sky, Kabbaj will not drink the champagne from the silver bowl in next May. In this sense, he should not be capable of raising the prestigious Memorial cup either. He will rather have to help his new teammates of the Gatineau Olympiques cause some surprises during the next spring tournament. «It’s certain that at the beginning, I was disappointed not to be able to participate in this beautiful event, he admitted during a private interview. It’s not every day that we get the chance to go to Memorial cup tournament. On the other hand, I consider myself very fortunate to find myself in Gatineau with a head coach as qualified as Benoit Groulx as well as fans as fascinated by their team ".

At 20 years old, the defenseman of 6 ' 2 and 192 pounds is in his last miles in the Q. By evolving for Shawinigan, he had the opportunity to finish his junior career on a positive note. However, by agreeing to join the Olympiques, he will not have the chance to win the two cups. «I would have liked to have the opportunity to take part in this prestigious tournament for the Memorial cup, he repeated. It’s definitive. However, I don’t mind more that it is necessary with that. They are things outside my control. As long as I can play hockey, I am happy ".

Kabbaj takes the rap

Even if he didn’t do bad in the Mauricie he inevitably finished by taking the rap. Question to maximize their chance to break everything during the next playoff rounds, the Cataractes acquired the defenseman Jonathan Narbonne, Morgan Ellis and Brandon Gormley during the holiday period. Inevitably, he had no longer his place with the protégés of Éric Veilleux. Martin Mondou, general manager - preferred to add him on the waivers list" When the Cataractes acquired Brandon Gormley, I knew that it was the end of my association with them, he asserted. By subjecting me to the waivers, they offered me the possibility of playing somewhere else in the league and I am very happy that the Olympiques appealed to my services".

Youssef Kabbaj played 31 games in Shawinigan. He obtained 16 points, 4 goals and 12 assists. The one who was lucky to evolve with his best friend, Maximilien LeSieur, only keeps good memories of his stay with the future hosts of the Memorial cup tournament. «I loved my stay in Shawinigan, he was anxious to specify. I met very good hockey players there and I made some very good friends there. I’m very grateful to the organization of Cataractes, because it’s them who allowed me to return in the QMJHL. I will never forget that ".

The left-handed defenseman native of Westmount, in the suburb of Montreal, was selected in the third round by the Saguenéens of Chicoutimi during the draft of the Midget players, in 2008. After a unfruitful stay in the capital of the blueberry as well as in Val-d'Or - Between 2008-2009 and 2009-2010-, the number 2 decided to take a little detachment and join the Cornwall Colts Junior A, team evolving in the central hockey League of Canada. «It is certain that my debuts in the Q did not take place as expected, he granted. Personally, I do not believe that they gave me a real chance to prove myself in the QMJHL. On the other hand, with a retrospective, I have to admit that I could have done certain things differently. As for the mental aspect of hockey, I have to admit that these experiences made me grow. There is some positive and negative in everything ".

«I liked my experience in Cornwall, he added. We had an excellent team consisted of excellent coaches. I decided to report to the Colts to prove that I could still play hockey of high-level, and it worked. It was ultra-beneficial for me and for my career".

The Olympiques knock on the door

When he was released by the Cataractes, Youssef Kabbaj well intended to return defend the colors of the Colts. After all, he had liked the experience, him who was with them since the beginning of the season 2010-2011. However, seeing that they had a place for a  " 20 years old " to fill, following the departure of Christian Ouellet, the head coach and general manager of the Olympiques, Benoit Groulx, decided to claim him. " I was very happy to join Gatineau, he repeated again. I had heard only good things about the organization and the fans. At the moment, I’m enormously pleased".

Even if his role wasn’t to help his teammates win the two championships, the young man with the Moroccan origins admits that the challenge which appeared at him was also exciting. «As a 20-year-old player, I find that it’s a duty to look after the younger players, he noticed. In my debuts in the league, I remember how hard it could have been without the help of the veterans. I would have had a lot of difficulty adapting myself to the lifestyle of the junior hockey. That is why I find that it is important to pass on all my experience to the rookies of the team ".

Even if the protégés of Benoit Groulx do not risk accumulating the victories in a bundle by the end of the season, the future looks promising in Gatineau. With a multitude of good players under their hands, Benoit Groulx and his hockey men risk to manage a competitive team within the next two years. «The Olympiques will have a lot of success during the next few years, he enthusiastically concluded. There is a great deal of good players who progress well every day within this team ".

Simon Bédard, Gatineau Olympiques