Bonjour Pageau!

There was a sense of relief as Jean-Gabriel Pageau boarded his one-way flight to New York on Monday afternoon. The chaotic morning began in Columbus, where the news was delivered that the 27-year-old center had been traded from the Ottawa Senators to the New York Islanders.

Without being able to officially say au revior to his hometown just yet, Pageau went ahead and moved forward with his new team and signed a six-year contract extension. In the afternoon as he boarded his flight, he exhaled knowing there was a familiar face in Derick Brassard waiting to welcome him on Long Island as he embarked upon the new chapter of his career as an Islander.
"For the first hour it was just a lot of thinking," Pageau said of the flight. "For the second hour I think I fell asleep. It was just so much. It was just so much emotion. The way that the Islanders welcomed me and treated me, my family already and my wife. I think everyone is just so excited now."
No one may have been more excited than Brassard, as the fellow French-speaker spent two seasons playing with Pageau for the Ottawa Senators from 2016-18, including a playoff run to Game Seven of the Eastern Conference Finals. Even prior to their stint with the Sens, the duo have an interlaced history dating back to their childhoods.
"It's just weird how it goes," Brassard said with a grin. "I played with him for a little bit in Ottawa. Now, a couple of years after we're here in Long Island playing for the Islanders."

Both Brassard and Pageau are natives of Hull, Quebec, the neighboring town just outside of Ottawa. They both played Triple A - during different years - for the same club of Gatineau L'Intrepide. While five years separate them in age, their families have bonded over their parallel upbringings and rise to the NHL. With the Isles Dads and Mentors Trip beginning on Wednesday, monsieur Brassard and monsieur Pageau are making their way to Long Island together.
"We grew up in the same hometown," Brassard explained. "Our families kind of grew up with each other. He's really well-liked by everybody. We played in a golf tournament together over the summer. I'm a little bit older than him. When he was 10, I was probably 16 years old]. We go from way back. It's the same thing for our Dad's and for our families. His dad is coming with my dad today."
For Pageau, the decision to sign with the Isles after being dealt by Ottawa was instantaneous. As he approached his potential unrestricted free agency, he took stock of the Isles detailed structures, hard-nosed ambition and upward trajectory.
**JG PAGEAU JOINS ISLES**
**WRITTEN COVERAGE**
[Islanders Acquire Pageau
Pageau Signs Six-Year Extension
7 Facts: JG Pageau
Pageau, Islanders Excited About Fit
Pageau Makes Impact in Isles Debut
Isles Trade Deadline Takeaways
ISLES TV
NYI Postgame: JG Pageau
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Morning Skate: JG Pageau
Morning Skate: Derick Brassard
JG Pageau Conference Call
"I knew a couple of guys already on the team," Pageau said. "I really like their mentality. The way they're approaching the game, the way they want to win. I see how tight their group is in the room. I can really see that it's a big one family. I really [wanted] to join that family and be part of it. That's something I wanted to do long term."
As for the transition, it'll certainly help the process knowing that he has a trusted confidant in Brassard to share insight.
"We've had some good times together in the past," a clean-shaven Pageau said. "Obviously, just the chance to come here and play with him again and do it again. He's an awesome player, but an even better person. Just the chance to play with him again will be fun."
"It was just a no brainer for him to be here for six years," Brassard added. "In junior, he played in his hometown and then he got traded to a different team. So, it's almost like a little deja vu for him. He's going through that right now. I talked to him a little bit yesterday. He had a little bit of emotions, obviously with the trade. He really liked it there. Now, I think he's really going to like it. I told him he's going to like it here with the new rink, with the direction of this team, the group of guys that we have in here."
Since his arrival, Pageau has reunited with Brassard, but also his former Team Canada teammates from the 2018 World Championships: Beauvillier, Josh Bailey (who he roomed with), Mathew Barzal, Jordan Eberle and Ryan Pulock. It's no surprise that during their 10 games together in the tournament, Beauvillier and Pageau clicked and have stayed friendly ever since.
"I got to know him there," Beauvillier said. "He's pretty fun to be around. He's one of the best. He's obviously French so I was hanging out with him a little bit more...[Since then] It's the usual; we follow each other, message each other after games or things, we follow each other's stories. Last year when we went to Ottawa, we went to dinner together. I'm so happy he's here."

Of course, with three French Canadians in a span of four stalls - Michael Dal Colle's locker separates Brassard and Pageau - the back corner of the Isles locker room might need to be renamed the French Quarter. Safe to say, there was more French than usual floating around the Isles room on Tuesday.
"It's English only," Brassard said of the locker room etiquette. "We heard that probably like 15 times already this morning."
The excitement radiating from Pageau was palpable and contagious and for the rest of the Isles as they face their cross-town rivals the New York Rangers at home tonight. For Brassard, he's thrilled for his path to come full-circle with Pageau.
"The guys were really excited this morning," Brassard noted. "I don't know if you guys could tell. I don't know if you could tell from the stands, but there was a little buzz around on the ice today. Now, we just have to go out there and play as a team."