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Photo Credit: Halifax Mooseheads
A young man by the name of Elliot “The Destroyer” Desnoyers hails from St-Hyacinthe, QC, CAN, which is located outside of Montreal. Flyers’ General Manager Chuck Fletcher traded picks 202 and 209 to the Nashville Predators to move up to select a sharpshooter in Desnoyers with the 135th pick of the 2020 NHL Draft. Desnoyers is a versatile player as he is mainly used as a Center with the Halifax Mooseheads, but he can play left wing, as well. He suited up for his first pre-season game with the Flyers, and he did not look out of place. He looked like a veteran:
“It was awesome. I’m still on the way back to how I’ve been playing. I’ve been working with an injury all summer. I feel like I was doing really good and I’ve felt more and more confident as things were going.” – Elliot Desnoyers
Yesterday, Desnoyers was named Captain of the Mooseheads, ahead of their game against the Shawinigan Cataractes:
Desnoyers must have been motivated from this honor, as he netted one goal and registered four assists for a five point night. He really skated well, and fed his buddy Zachary L’Heureux for his first goal of the season. Desnoyers had eyes in the back of his head as he made crisp tape to tape passes, and pounced on a loose puck for a goal, as well. It really shows his on-ice awareness that caught the eyes of the Flyers top brass in Chuck Fletcher and Alain Vigneault.
Once seen as a project pick for the Flyers after being traded from the Moncton Wildcats. Desnoyers brings a combination of high-end skating and hockey sense that makes him a dangerous player without the puck. He plays a good two-way game, and is rarely out of position. Desnoyers blocks shots, gets into the passing lanes, provides high energy, and simply plays the game the right way.
“It was a part of my game that I wanted to show. Not to show that I’m a fighter because it was my first fight. It was to show that I’m ready to do anything to get my team the W. I just felt it was a good time because we were losing by one.” – Elliott Desnoyers said after his first fight during a Flyers game in the pre-season
Desnoyers provides a leadership role with a Mooseheads team that looks to do some damage in the QMJHL this season. Both L’Heureux and Desnoyers were utilized in every situation to include the top Power Play Unit, last season and they continue to do the same this season.
“Elliot Desnoyers had a productive year in Halifax and played a strong, two-way game with lots of passion. As he matures physically and gets stronger, his game should continue to grow.”– Brent Flahr said earlier in the year
The sky is the limit for this young Captain, and hopefully he provides the Flyers organization with much needed leadership in the future.
