Unconventional

It would be an understatement to say Noah Collette has taken an unconventional path in the game. A journey that instantly caused his skeptics and critics to question his intentions, will to compete and his passion for the game. 

Collette is as well travelled a player as you could get, but he chose that path, he trusted it when many others perhaps unjustly wrote him off. 

Collette’s unorthodox route in the game is fantastic reminder for players, scouts and executives in the game never to judge a player’s path over performance. 

For many it’s hard to fathom that Collette chose to play high school two seasons ago. When junior aged players especially of that talent and skill set that Collette possesses people automatically write the player off. 

“Where is he playing”? 

“Clearly, he doesn’t want it anymore.”

“He’s all but done in hockey.”

Those phrases get uttered a lot around hockey circles when some players don’t take the perceived  “acceptable” path in the game. 

The perceived notion around the game is that unconventional paths usually indicate “issues” with the player, ironically some hockey people can’t see the forest for the trees when it comes to that. 

Collette surprised or perhaps shocked some naysayers when he made the jump to the Maritime Hockey League a season ago with the West Kent Steamers. 

His seamless transition into the Jr A ranks after playing high school shouldn’t have caught people off guard based on his overall skill and mind set when it comes to playing the game he loves. 

Many people ask why, so and so would ever make the decision to play where they do instead of just letting things play out. 

Everyone questions it because they are searching for answers, while the player steps in not missing a beat and becomes an instant contributor. The search for answers plagues the mind of the critics and onlookers, but for the player, criticism and doubt “fuels the fire.” 

Noah Collette did something last week that people knew he was more than capable of, but instead of perhaps admiring the journey, people are still questioning how could it be possible to do what he has done and gone where he has been and still  crack a QMJHL roster.

Collette isn’t an unconventional player, he took an unconventional path to reach and accomplish a dream, that needs to be celebrated, admired, not questioned. 

Noah Collette may have arrived later then some expected, but the journey to get there is as special and noteworthy as anyone’s. 

The QMJHL is never short on storylines, Noah Collette’s is perhaps a front runner for story of the year. 

Now the real work begins, but there’s no question Collette has learned more than most on his unconventional path to the QMJHL and the  Shawinigan Cataractes.