It’s July 24, 2021, the fourth round of the NHL draft and the Montreal Canadiens select Varennes native William Trudeau, a defenseman for the Charlottetown Islanders in the QMJHL.
The emotion is at its peak. William and his family are overjoyed!
It’s a dream come true. The one that many young people hope for: to be drafted into the NHL. And for the team of your childhood. He shares this joy with his family, who has supported him since the very beginning. Here is the story of William Trudeau through the eyes of his mother, Danielle and his two sisters.
Hockey from mother to son
Hockey has always been a part of Danielle’s life. In fact, like most Quebec families, Saturday nights were spent watching the Canadiens on Soirée du Hockey She remembers the last two Stanley Cups that she watched with her sister and her favorite players: Chris Chelios and Mats Naslund. Then, life made her slowly detach herself from the national sport of Quebec with university courses and the arrival of her family.
EShe gave birth to three beautiful children: Émilie, William and Julianne.
Putting on the skates
Unlike many, the Trudeau family is not particularly interested in getting their boy into hockey. It will be skating for all the children in the family. William’s first years at the arena will be in the CanSkate program. Always concerned about respecting and not rushing their children, they waited until the request to play hockey came from William. What had to happen, happened. William wanted to follow in his friends’ footsteps and hockey made its way back into Danielle’s life.
An involved hockey mom for William Trudeau
A devoted woman, Danielle is deeply involved as a volunteer in her son’s hockey teams and associations. She even held the positions of team manager and treasurer of the Varennes Minor Hockey Association. Hockey became more important. It’s from this moment on that hockey becomes a family affair. Indeed, everyone enjoys following William’s games as much for the games on the ice as for the friendships that are created off the ice. As we know, hockey is not only played on the ice.
A tightly knit family
Sandwiched between his sisters, William Trudeau can always count on them to be his optimistic post-game analysts. Émilie, the eldest of the family, and Julianne, the youngest, have always made their brother’s hockey a priority. Despite the misunderstanding of their friends, they often turn down invitations so as not to miss a game. If it’s not in the grandstands, it’s in the living room with their family that they watch their favorite defenseman’s games.
We love hockey, but it sure helps that will plays.
Émilie and Julianne
A close-knit brotherhood, his sisters call him to order when he only retains his bad moves after a hockey game. Proud of all the efforts their brother puts into his development, they support him at all times and are frankly impressed by his abilities. You can feel the great admiration they have for him.
Hockey for passion, not pressure
Was it a dream for the Trudeau family to see the Canadiens draft William?
Danielle didn’t expect it at first. She didn’t want her son to experience all the pressure of this quite intense market. But then her opinion changed because she wants to trust life and especially her son.
For Marc and me, it has always been important to focus on the passion of playing and not the pressure to perform. We have always supported William in his goals. We are confident that he’ll be able to deal with the situation. He’s playing hockey for the right reasons.
Indeed, the hockey player’s parents have always made sure that he aimed for every goal out of passion for the sport above all else. Their secret: celebrate every little victory and don’t aim for perfection all the time! In fact, Danielle shared with us the moment her son announced that he was on the QMJHL draft list in rounds 9 to 14.
We were excited as if he had already been drafted and were positive all the time. We didn’t think:Ah…He’s not in the 1st, 2nd or 3rd round. We were happy with everything!
At the beginning of his career, he was not part of the elite and the summer was for rest, baseball and soccer. Despite the disappointments and difficulties, William Trudeau always knew how to get up and work on improving himself. He is known for his versatility, his reliability and his constant progress.
The most beautiful hockey moment
You would think that the NHL draft or Rookie of the year his 2020 Fan Choice Award Rookie of the Year would come to mind, but no! For his mother, the Midget Espoir year is the most significant year. Whether it was the wins, the team spirit of the parents, the coaches and William’s play. According to her, it was an incredible year that led them to the Dodge Cup victory. Although he repeated the feat the following year with the St-Hyacinthe Gaulois, it’s the Midget Espoir year that is the most memorable for her.
William Trudeau : An inspiring journey
Throughout William Trudeau’s hockey years, the family has experienced its share of emotions. What Danielle remembers about her son’s journey.
We just have to keep encouraging our kids, no matter what sport they play. You have to keep going with them without making them miserable. William’s story shows that anything is possible.
