Jodoin turns into bargain for Wildcats
Eighth-round pick a candidate for QMJHL's top rookie

April 6, 2009

Simon Jodoin has delivered more than the Moncton Wildcats ever could've imagined Simon Jodoin of the Moncton Wildcats has been one of the biggest surprises in the QMJHL this season.
In fact, Wildcats head coach Danny Flynn calls him the biggest surprise in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League this season. "You have to consider that he was an eighth-round pick and we drafted him as a forward,'' said Flynn. "For him to come into the league, make the switch to defence and have such a tremendous season that he's identified as a candidate for Rookie of the Year is a remarkable story.''
Jodoin was Moncton's top rookie scorer with 33 points, including 10 goals, in 62 games. He is a remarkable story on a remarkable club that showed a 45-point improvement from last season to finish second overall in the league at 44-23-1-0.
Jodoin, a native of Otterburn Park, Que., was an eighth-round pick in the 2007 QMJHL draft. He made the switch from forward to defence while playing Quebec midget AAA last season.
"He left early in training camp last season to maintain his U.S. college hockey eligibility,'' said Flynn. "He's a 90-plus student.
"When I went to watch him in the Quebec midget AAA playoffs after our season ended, he was playing defence and I knew right then that he could play for our team. If I had seen him play earlier last season, I would've tried to get him to join our team at Christmas. He would've helped our team last season.'' Moncton has two defencemen -- Jodoin and Brandon Gormley -- who were among the six nominees for QMJHL Rookie of the Year this season. David Savard was a finalist for the league's Best Defensive Defenceman and Mark Barberio is a National Hockey League draft pick of the Tampa Bay Lightning.
They are the top four blueliners for the Wildcats, who set a QMJHL record this season with a 2.16 team goal-against average. They're scheduled to have the same top four group on the blueline next season. "I like it better on defence,'' said Jodoin. "I think I'm a better defenceman than I am a forward. I think it suits my style of play better being a defenceman. One of my strengths is my vision of the play and I get to use that more as a defenceman.
"I can use my vision for breakouts from my own zone and they use me on the power play. I'm a defenceman that likes to jump into the attack when I have the chance.''
Jodoin, 18, was asked if he's surprised by the way he's stepped in as a top four defenceman on the top defensive club in the league this season.
"My objective at the beginning of the season was to be a regular top six defenceman in the lineup,'' he said. "I didn't set personal goals in terms of stats, but I'm happy with 33 points.
"I don't just look at points. If I have two points in a game, but I'm also on the ice for two goals against that's not good. I'm concentrating on my defensive play.''
Moncton didn't have Jodoin pencilled in as a top four defenceman in training camp. "He's a good skater,'' said Flynn. "He's got very good hockey sense, very good skill level and he competes real hard. He's not overly big at six foot and 175 pounds, but he's going to fill out as he gains strength. I thought he could play in our top five or six defencemen this season."
Jodoin's chances of being selected in the 2009 National Hockey League draft?
"I get a lot of NHL scouts asking me about him and one team in particular,'' said Flynn. "I tell NHL teams that if he was from Sweden he would be in the third round. With the way the game is going and the premium on skilled puck-moving defencemen, he deserves to be drafted and a smart team will take him.''