Maveric Lamoureux was about to go to sleep in his Tucson apartment when he got the call. It was the call every hockey player is hoping for when they get drafted or signed by an NHL team. It’s something every player has worked for their whole life, including Lamoureux—the chance to be on an NHL roster and potentially play your first NHL game.
Each player that makes it to the NHL has a unique and interesting story on how they managed to play in the best hockey league in the world. That is no different with Lamoureux who despite being drafted in the first round has gone through his share of challenges.
Early Adversity
The first notable thing about Lamoureux is how tall he is. Standing at 6-foot-7, the native of Laval, QC is exactly what NHL teams love. Bulky and tall. With that frame, there was no chance that he wasn’t going to get looked at by NHL scouts.
Playing with the Drummondville Voltigeurs of the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL), Lamoureux scored seven points in 24 games in his first year in juniors. It would be a sample of what he would produce in the following season which ended up being his first full season with the Voltigeurs. He produced 24 points in 54 games, which is impressive for a defenseman. It attracted the eyes of the Arizona Coyotes who had three first-round draft picks in the upcoming 2022 Draft.
After selecting Logan Cooley third overall and Conor Geekie 11th overall, the Coyotes were up again with the 29th overall pick after swapping first-round picks with the Edmonton Oilers. They took Lamoureux with that pick, which many regarded as a high reach. However, after grabbing two highly offensive centers with their two prior picks, it wasn’t seen as a problem.
Before the beginning of the 2022-23 season, it was revealed Lamoureux had suffered a torn labrum and needed to have surgery to repair it and also take out pieces of bone. For the defenseman, it was a long process to get back to 100% but he was able to come back and put up 19 points in 35 games. In the playoffs, he had six points in nine games.
The 2023-24 season was a big one for Lamoureux as he returned for his fourth season with the Voltigeurs and put up an outstanding 33 points in 39 games. He was also chosen to represent Team Canada in the World Juniors where he averaged around 24 minutes a night. For reference, Utah’s number one defenseman Mikhail Sergachev is averaging 26 minutes. He also led the team in plus/minus and was named one of Canada’s top players with three points in five games.
Related: Utah’s Maveric Lamoureux to Be AHL Tucson’s X-Factor in 2024-25
However, at what seemed to be the pinnacle of Lamoureux’s career so far came yet another setback. After a battle with mononucleosis, he suffered another injury, this time to his other shoulder. Surgery was once again required and the defenseman found himself sidelined once again, watching his final season in the QMJHL play out from the stands.
Lamoureux’s injuries have been a huge test and challenge for him. It’s now finally behind him as he hasn’t suffered an injury since.
“You never want as a player to be injured and be out for so long,” Lamoureux said. “So definitely finally being healthy now, finally playing my first pro season is definitely good for me. It feels nice.”
Pro Beginnings
Lamoureux’s path to recovery fell in his favor. After spending all summer in Salt Lake City training in gyms and recovering, the Canadian defenseman played in Utah’s first rookie tournament. He even wore the captain’s “C” throughout the tournament.
Lamoureux was a big part of Utah’s preseason camp as he stuck around for a prolonged time. It was a huge learning moment for the former Voltigeur, being surrounded by the best of the best. It taught him how he always has to play his best, no matter the score in order to stay and succeed in the NHL.
“Every player there (in Utah) just focuses on every detail,” Lamoureux said. “There’s nothing left out. They do everything night in and out. So, that’s what I’m bringing here (in Tucson). Playing pro, you can’t have a lazy night. You can’t say I’ll just take it easy today. You gotta go out every day and do your best.”
“Playing pro, you can't have a lazy night. You can’t say I'll just take it easy today. You gotta go out every day and do your best.”
— Chase Beardsley (@ChaseBeardsley_) October 24, 2024
Maveric Lamoureux on what he learned from his preseason stint with Utah.#UtahHC #LetsGoTucson pic.twitter.com/loZ6aDQJsi
Ultimately, Lamoureux was sent to Utah’s American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate: the Tucson Roadrunners. It was the right choice. Many of Utah’s players have flourished after gaining experience in the AHL including Dylan Guenther, Josh Doan, Michael Kesselring, and Matias Maccelli.
Lamoureux’s AHL beginnings were nothing short of spectacular. He scored his first-ever pro goal in the Roadrunners’ third game of the season, which was also their home opener. It was one that he’ll remember even with a potential first goal in the NHL on the horizon.
“That was nice,” Lamoureux said with a big smile on his face. “Scoring at home with all the fans is always better. It wasn’t like a little tip shot or something. Scoring a nice goal like that felt good.”
In four games with the Roadrunners so far, Lamoureux has three points including scoring his second goal in the AHL the game right after his first. Although being named the second star in both games against the Texas Stars, Lamoureux calls the transition from the QMJHL to the AHL a big one and one he’ll continue to try to adapt to throughout the season.
“It’s definitely a huge change,” Lamoureux said. “You have to step up. The guys are so much bigger, so much faster, and they play so much together too. There’s a lot more structure here than in the Q. It’s definitely a lot to adapt to.”
What’s Ahead for Lamoureux?
The future is bright for Lamoureux, and the start of a potential career in the NHL might be closer than anyone thought. After their first couple of games, Utah has run into the injury bug, losing Sean Durzi and John Marino for the foreseeable future. With his impressive start to the season with the Roadrunners, Lamoureux received the call that he will be on Utah’s roster for Thursday’s game against the Colorado Avalanche. After hopping on an early plane from Tucson to Salt Lake City, he was talking to Utah media, all with that giant smile on his face that he’s had since his early days in the QMJHL.
Although it hasn’t been revealed if Lamoureux will be part of the lineup on Thursday, he is excited just to be in the NHL. It means a lot to him and it’s worth getting more of that same experience he got in the preseason.
“Everyone wants to be here so the fact that I am here already means a lot,” Lamoureux told reporters on Wednesday. “Am I gonna play or not? I don’t know. I really hope I do. But if I don’t, just gaining that experience is amazing for me.”
Head coach André Tourigny didn’t reveal if Lamoureux will be in the lineup either. However, if he does play, Tourigny wants him to enjoy the day that he’s been working towards for so long. It’s an experience that he will never get to live again.
“We will determine first of all if he is playing tomorrow or not,” Tourigny said. “And then if he’s playing, we want him to enjoy the day. There’s one chance to play your first game in the NHL. That will never happen again. We will see what the decision will be.”
Lamoureux has impressed everyone that has been able to play with him or coach him. If it isn’t his infectious personality off-ice, it’s his incredible on-ice mentality of always trying to be the best player he can be. Roadrunners head coach Steve Potvin is no stranger to high draft picks that have been sent his way by the Coyotes and now Utah. He sees greatness in Lamoureux and knows he has an NHL future ahead of him.
“He’s got a real elite mindset,” Potvin said. “He’s got an elite skill set and can play the game really well. His mindset is what really I think triggers us to think he’s a player that you can see in the near future in the NHL. He’s got some real potential.”
“He's got an elite skill set and can play the game really well.”
— Chase Beardsley (@ChaseBeardsley_) October 24, 2024
Tucson Roadrunners head coach Steve Potvin on coaching Maveric Lamoureux.#UtahHC #LetsGoTucson pic.twitter.com/img6GiRzKJ
Throughout his hockey career, Lamoureux has been through the ups and downs and has battled back from serious adversity. While his stint with Utah might conclude with a flight back down to Tucson, he’ll find his way back to the NHL while growing with the Roadrunners thanks to the lessons he’s learning from Utah. No matter the challenge, he’s a player who has always given it his all and will always give it his all. The same mentality that the best in the NHL have.
