Ask Drummondville (QMJHL) center Sean Couturier about playing against older, tougher competition, or about being chosen second overall in the 2008 QMJHL Draft, or the thought of scoring on Martin Brodeur (who his aunt knew well) and he'll use one word to describe those experiences: "special."
But Couturier, the potential first overall selection in next year's NHL draft, is pretty special himself.
Couturier's off-the-charts season in the Q, tying the league lead in regular season scoring with 96 points, was actually more than special. It was amazing. What might be even more impressive was the way his two-way skills separated him from the pack -- Couturier also led the league with a mind-blowing plus-62. It's his well-rounded game, not to mention his size (6-foot-4 and 193 pounds), that makes Couturier so elite.
"Sean's a smooth-skating, rangy centerman. He's got all the credentials," says E.J. McGuire, the NHL's Director of Central Scouting. "If he was a righty, he'd draw Mario Lemieux comparisons." That's some seriously high praise, but Couturier draws his own comparison: he believes he's a mix of both Jordan and Eric Staal: "Eric has good hands and vision and Jordan is a great two-way player who plays such good defense at his own end."
Couturier proved he could play in any situation by notching 10 power play goals and lighting the lamp three times while shorthanded. The only knock on the 17-year-old is his lack of explosion on skates, but this summer he's in a power-skating program with Julie Robitaille (who has coached pros including forwards Steve Bernier and Patrice Bergeron), hard at work to improve that very weakness as well as develop his core and leg strength.
While that's admirable, his lower-body strength certainly looked pretty good on this amazing wrap-around goal from his knees this year.
Hockey isn't just Couturier's passion; it's in his DNA. Couturier's father Sylvain was chosen in the 4th round of the 1986 draft by the Los Angeles Kings and played 33 NHL games over three seasons. While the elder Couturier took his family with him on a career path that included stops in Phoenix, Milwaukee and Germany, Sean was immersing himself in hockey.
"He always came to games and focused on the ice," Sylvain, now general manager of the Q's Acadie-Bathurst Titan, recalls. "During Christmas in Milwaukee, when he was three, he didn't leave the ice for four hours. We knew right away he was something special." One year later, Couturier began playing organized hockey.
The elder Couturier didn't pressure his son to choose hockey as a profession. "The only thing I told Sean was, 'If that's what you want to do, do what you have to do to give your best shot to make it and take your training seriously,' "says Sylvain. That's exactly what Sean has taken to heart. He has worked just as hard on his defense as he has on playmaking. "He's not just an offensive minded player. Talking to the guys in the league, what everybody likes about him is that he's conscious of his defensive game as well. He's playing well in all three zones well and taking it seriously," says Sylvain.
What may be more impressive is the fact that because of his December 1992 birthday, Couturier has always been the youngest player in every league, from his days in bantam to midget hockey. That's why an extra year in the Q against veteran competition will help him solidify into an even better NHL prospect.
"You improve when you play with older, bigger guys," says Drummondville captain Marc-Olivier Vachon, who believes Couturier has gotten calmer and more confident after his first year with the Voltigeurs. "It's good for him. He'll be ready to step up when he gets drafted."
Couturier was forced to grow up even before his two seasons with Drummondville. He enrolled at Athol Murray College of Notre Dame, well known for its acclaimed hockey program -- alumni include Rod Brind'Amour, Vincent Lecavalier, Brad Richards and the 13th overall selection in this year's NHL draft, Brandon Gormley. It was Couturier's first extended time away from home, which led to plenty of teary phone calls.
"It was tough for everybody. Notre Dame is 45 minutes from the closest town, so you go there and focus on what you have to do," Sylvain points out. Sean knew it was a necessary step to get him to the next level. "It was hard at the start, to be honest. It was one step in the process I had to get through and it made me a better person," he says. Couturier put his struggles aside and flourished at Notre Dame, totaling 56 points in 40 games.
Despite preparing for his entrance into the NHL ever since he first laced up skates back in Milwaukee, Couturier is trying hard not to think about the moment his name gets called next summer. "I think about it, but I haven't put any pressure on myself. Once the season gets started and the draft gets closer, I'll get nervous, but I've got to live with that and play my game." Regardless of the team that chooses him, and Couturier has no preference, at least it's known that he'll likely remember the moment as being special.
Charles Curtis is an editor for ESPN The Magazine and a frequent contributor to ESPN Insider; you can find his full online archives here.