Photo courtesy Quinnipiac Athletics
By Dylan Fearon and James Anderson
Former Quinnipiac men’s hockey forward Jeremy Langlois signed a one-year entry-level contract with the San Jose Sharks of the National Hockey League Saturday.
“It was definitely really exciting,” Langlois told Q30 Sports’ Dylan Fearon. “One of those things where your agent calls you and you’re not really expecting it to happen, but when you do finally hear it, it’s something you always dream about being able to get.”
Langlois graduated following the 2012-2013 season and was key in helping the Bobcats reach their first National Championship game. Langlois had 56 goals and 44 assists during his career with the Bobcats. He was the 19 player in program history to reach the 100-point mark.
During his first professional season, Langlois signed with the Springfield Falcons of the American Hockey League, but shared time between the Falcons and the Evansville Iceman of the East Coast Hockey League. Later that season, he was traded to the Bridgeport Sound Tigers.
Following the trade, he was shuffled between Bridgeport and the Stockton Thunder, affiliates of the New York Islanders. He had a combined 64 points in 68 games between the four teams.
Entering the 2014-2015 season, Langlois signed a one-year deal with the Worcester Sharks, San Jose’s AHL affiliate. Langlois had 26 points in 42 games. The improved and consistent point scoring impressed San Jose scouts to sign the former Bobcat to an entry-level deal.
“[In] college, the coaching staff and everyone does a great job getting you prepared and then you get into the pros and it’s kind of one of those things where you start at the bottom and then you work your way up,” Langlois said. “It’s a different game from college, but I think I was able to transition pretty well and do well just based on things I was able to learn along the way.”
Langlois, a Tempe native, is only the third player born in Arizona to sign an NHL contract. The two other NHL players born in Arizona were Jim Brown, who played for the Los Angeles Kings in 1983 and Sean Couturier who currently plays for the Philadelphia Flyers.
“All little kids dream of getting to the highest level,” Langlois said. “Coming from an area where not many players make it out of there, you’re lucky enough to get that opportunity, it’s pretty special.”
Once Langlois steps on the ice, he will become the third former Bobcat to dress in an NHL game and only the second to ever play. Former goaltender Eric Hartzell dressed for the Pittsburgh Penguins on April 22, 2013 and forward Bryce van Brabant played six games at the end of the 2013-2014 season with the Calgary Flames.
“It’s pretty special,” Langlois said. “It’s one of those things where the school has grown so much in the athletic program. It wouldn’t surprise me if you’re going to see more players make [the NHL] in the future just the way the program is going and the way that Rand (Pecknold) and (Bill) Riga and (Reid) Cashman have just been able to attract and get players.”
