Pageau, Gauthier and Dufour Form French Connection at Islanders Training Camp

As Jean-Gabriel Pageau enters his 13th NHL season and fifth as an Islander, he is embracing being an outlet for the younger and newer French speakers in the organization.

“The first thing I realized when I joined this team was that it’s one big family,” Pageau said. “Everyone is part of it. That’s how we’re trying to make everyone feel right now.”

The Islanders locker room certainly doesn’t lack veteran leadership, but sharing the same language and French-Canadian culture can foster a special bond. That’s the case for Pageau, Julien Gauthier and William Dufour, who are all native French Canadians and happen to be skating together in the Blue Group in Training Camp this year.

“With me and Pager and now [Gauthier] in the organization too… it’s nice for us French guys,” Dufour said. “It’s nice to have them both here.”

Dufour, a native of Quebec City, QC, is coming off a strong first season in Bridgeport, putting up 21 goals and 48 points through 69 games played. Through working alongside him in Training Camp, Pageau noticed that the 21-year-old winger took his game to the next level through hard work.

“You can see he’s a pro,” Pageau said. “He’s one of the first ones in the gym, coming in and stretching and making sure he’s prepared. That’s something that you can’t teach and he’s doing that well. He’s put in the work on the ice. His quickness and his shot has always been something special, but I feel he took that next step and I’m happy to see it. I’m glad that he put in the effort, and you see how much it means to him.”

Pageau was one of the first players Dufour mentioned when asked about his standout mentors in the organization. Their connection goes back to when Dufour was drafted 152nd overall in the fifth round of the 2020 NHL Draft, as Pageau has been in his corner ever since. 

“Pager is one of my mentors and I follow him for sure,” Dufour said. “He’s been there since day one, he texted me right after the draft. It’s just nice to have him here and he’s a funny guy too.”  

The Islanders have another French speaker in the locker room in Gauthier, who inked a two-year contract with the team on Jul. 5. The Pointe-aux-Trembles, QC native arrived on Long Island a month ahead of schedule to acclimate to his new organization and bond with his teammates. 

“I’ve hung out with [Pageau] quite a bit since I got here,” Gauthier said. “He’s an awesome dude and guys love him in the locker room. He’s also a great competitor and respected on the ice. He’s the guy you want to have on your team.” 

“The whole group is amazing,” he added. “They were able to make it easy for me to adjust here.”

Gauthier, who scored the game-winner in Wednesday’s preseason win over Philadelphia, played parts of four seasons with the New York Rangers and one with the Ottawa Senators prior to his arrival on Long Island, registering 32 points (14G, 18A) through 153 career NHL games. Pageau remembers facing the 25-year-old winger as an opponent, but his off-ice characteristics stand out more.

“I know him from playing against him, how fast he was on the ice, but better than that he’s a great person,” Pageau said of Gauthier. “He wants to be part of it, and you just see on the ice, it speaks to another level. The way he communicates, he wants to learn and wants to be good. He wants to do the best job he can, and he’s been doing a great job so far.”

The group of French-Canadiens speak English around their teammates but embrace their native language with each other when they can.

“We speak in French if it’s only us,” Pageau said. “We went through similar paths in junior hockey and went through the same hard games to get here. It’s great to be at that same level now and it’s good to have that chatter together.”

Pageau, Gauthier and Dufour all came up through the QMJHL through various teams. Despite never crossing paths before their Islander days, the three can connect over their shared experiences.

“Even though we've all played on different teams, we've all played in the same places,” Pageau said. “So, we get to chat a bit against some of the cities we've played in and where we’ve made some great memories.”

As Training Camp moves along quickly with preseason play in full swing, players of all ages and backgrounds have had the opportunity to bond more and more every day. But it seems as though the French guys in the Islanders locker room have a special camaraderie,

“It’s fun to hang around them and play with them more,” Gauthier said of Pageau and Dufour. “The Swedes hang out with Swedes et cetera… so it’s great to have guys from where you’re from. They’re really good guys and they’re great on the ice too.”