Ex-Tiger Quenneville happy with his first season as a pro

By Ryan McCracken on May 24, 2019.

NEWS FILE PHOTO
David Quenneville celebrates after scoring a goal during Game 2 of the Eastern Conference quarter-final against the Brandon Wheat Kings on Sunday, March 25, 2018 at the Canalta Centre. The former Tiger played this season in the ECHL and hopes to move up the ladder to the AHL next season, or perhaps even to the NHL.

rmccracken@medicinehatnews.com
@MHNMcCracken

David Quenneville knows the road to professional hockey is a ladder — and with his first professional season in the books, the former Medicine Hat Tigers defenceman is eying the next rung.

Quenneville closed out his rookie season as a member of the ECHL’s Worcester Railers with five goals and 16 assists in 55 games, now the 21-year-old Edmonton product is focused on strength and conditioning with the hope of earning a permanent spot with the AHL’s Bridgeport Sound Tigers or NHL’s New York Islanders in the fall. 

“I think the emphasis is just continuing to work on my conditioning and skating, just transitioning my body to become a better player at the pro level,” said Quenneville, who signed an entry-level contract with the Islanders last year. “These guys are getting better and stronger and faster every single year, it seems like, so the onus is on me to continue to develop.”

While transitioning from major junior to the professional level comes with its share of daunting challenges, Quenneville says the biggest obstacle he faced as a rookie with the Railers was a slew of unpredictable injuries. From a broken wrist, to a concussion and bronchitis, Quenneville faced no shortage of adversity. 

“The tough part for me during the season was just staying healthy,” he said. “I had a couple untimely, awkward injuries and it really took the wind out of my sails and I think one of the things I learned was to try to stay healthy at all times. If you miss games, maybe a guy gets a step on you and you might lose a spot in the rotation. I think that was the biggest thing I took away from the season.”

While the 5-foot-8, 185-pound blueliner may be small by professional hockey standards, Quenneville says he’s been says he’s been able to hold his own in the ECHL. But as a smaller player, Quenneville added he will need to integrate a new level of speed into his game in order to continue climbing the ladder. 

“I’m a strong enough kid at my stature where I can not be pushed around, but I think as a smaller player I’ve got to be able to outskate guys,” he said. “I think that’s one thing I really noticed, and maybe I lacked this year, but it’s nothing some power skating can’t fix really.”

Quenneville — who set the Tigers franchise record for points by a defenceman with 214 in his 251-game tenure with Medicine Hat — added he sorely misses the Gas City. From the limelight of sharing the team’s scoring lead with captain Mark Rassell in his final season, to the close-knit group of friends he played alongside and the diehard fan base that supported him, Quenneville says Medicine Hat will always have a place in his heart.

“Big time,” he said. “In Med Hat I was the guy 24/7. You’re with your buddies every day. I think the weird adjustment for a pro and for me is that some of my best friends have kids on the (Railers), and I was almost babysitting some of the young guys in Medicine Hat.” 

After closing out his rookie season, Quenneville made the trip to Binghamton to spend a few weeks with his brother John, who competes with the AHL’s Devils and spent 19 games with their big-league affiliate in New Jersey this season. John even scored his lone goal of the year on David’s 21st birthday against their hometown Edmonton Oilers. 

The pair, along with their eldest brother Peter, grew up competing against one other in minor hockey then in the Western Hockey League between David’s Tigers and John and Peter’s Brandon Wheat Kings — though John and David spent the majority of their recent time together sharing in another pastime. 

“We’ve been playing a lot of golf,” he said. “Just being able to hang out with my brother consistently every day again has been great.”

Quenneville will return to the ice next month for New York Islanders development camp, and with it another shot to impress the big-league brass. 

“It’ll be great to see the guys I obviously haven’t seen in a little while,” he said. “I know I can compete with the best of them and I’m just going to have to leave it all out there.”