An Interview with Charles-Alexis Legault

You will never be able to guess who his favorite player was growing up.

Back once again with an interview, this time with recently signed defenseman, Charles-Alexis Legault. “C” will stand for Charles and “N” will stand for me. Note: this was recorded on the Wednesday after the Tampa Bay game.

N: “So you just played in your first preseason game, can you describe that feeling?”

C: “I felt good. I felt like as the game went on I got to the pace a bit more and felt more comfortable. It was great just being able to play with bigger guys, faster guys, and see how guys think. It was a good experience, I loved it.”

N: “When you are faced with a 1 on 1 with a forward, what’s your mindset going into that?”

C: “I mean, first of all, not let him get past me, that’s the basic. Obviously, I’m a bigger guy and I feel like I can use my physicality to my advantage so the goal is to separate the player from the puck. So if I’m able to use my body to do that, that’s perfect. If I can just take the puck away without doing that, that’s perfect as well.”

N: “What area of your game would you say you worked on the hardest this summer?”

C: “There are so many areas I try to work on, like just being able to be detailed with my stick, being able to gap up with my feet, just little stuff. Obviously, if I want to be physical and I don’t want to get injured so just being able to put that muscle [on] and being able to separate guys from the puck so that is something I worked on.”

N: “What would you say you learned the most while playing for Quinnipiac?”

C: “They have a great coaching staff there, the culture is great. You come in as a freshman and there are guys that have been there for 5 years and they show you the ropes. I came in and the opportunity was for me to have a defensive role so Coach [Joe] Dumais was able to work with me on my stick, my gaps, and just being able to understand the system and where I fit.”

N: “Who was your favorite NHL player growing up?”

C: “Ryan Suter. I just liked the way he played. Obviously when he was a captain of the Olympics and everything so just watching him when he was in Minnesota as well. Just a hard worker.”

A group of players including Noel Gunler, Felix Unger Sorum, Aleksi Heimosalmi, and 1 or 2 others were giggling. Legault reiterated with “Ryan Suter, come on.”

N: “What is your favorite activity to do during off days?”

C: “I love working out so any kind of movement. Like Pickleball or tennis or anything like that. I’m a big road biker so I like to go on bike rides.”

N: “Now pickleball, I’ve heard stories about Bradly [Nadeau], Felix [Unger Sorum], and Jackson [Blake], how would you put yourself up in that group of guys [skill wise]?”

C: “I’d say I’m the one that competes the hardest and works the hardest but I’m probably 4th in wins between the 4 of us.”

N: “What is your favorite musical artist/genre?”

C: “Oh. I mean, I love Celine Dion. I love French music and I’m proud to be a Frenchman so any type of French music.”

Once again, that group of prospects went back to giggling.

N: “What is a personal hot take that you have?” (In reality, not my best question)

C: “French is the best language out there.”

N: “Long road trip, what is your go-to gas station order?”

C: “Probably beef jerky, I’m not really a sweets guy. Beef jerky and water.”