MONTREAL - Following his second year of pro hockey with the Laval Rocket and Canadiens, forward Jake Evans signed a two-year contract extension that takes him through the end of the 2021-22 season. On Wednesday, Evans met with reporters via Zoom to discuss the deal and his career so far.
Read on for highlights of what he had to say.
After joining the Canadiens from Laval in early February, Evans got 13 games of NHL experience before suiting up for six postseason contests for Montreal. The Toronto native on what he took out of that playoff experience:
"I thought it was great. I think, for me personally, I learned how you just can't be making mistakes at that high of a level; everyone will capitalize. You learn the intensity and you learn what it takes to win. I thought our team did great. I thought we showed a lot, but we also saw what it takes to win. You can see it now, watching the playoffs and what these guys are doing and what they're sacrificing to win a championship. There was a lot of positive steps this year for me personally and for the team. I think it was a great experience."
Head coach Claude Julien employed Evans mostly at center during his short first stint in the NHL, and the rookie affirms it's a role he relishes:
"Playing center comes with a little bit more responsibility, especially with those faceoffs and defensive coverage. It's just a little more responsibility and I really enjoy those moments. I take pride in winning those big draws and making those strong defensive plays, so whenever I get the chance to do that, it's a great opportunity for me."
Evans won 51.8% of his draws in the regular season, and 44.4% of them in the playoffs - impressive numbers for a 24-year-old with no prior NHL experience. The center laid out what he plans on doing to get better and praised some current and former teammates for helping him succeed in the dot:
"I think a lot of faceoffs is just strength. Every year, I've been trying to get stronger and stronger so I'll be doing that again this [offseason]. And just getting practice, getting to go against guys like Nate Thompson before he was traded and some of the guys now, like Phil Danault - who's amazing at draws - is really good practice. I think really helped me out as those games went on."
Video: Jake Evans on signing a two-year contract extension
Evans was a late-round pick, getting plucked in the seventh round (207th overall) by Montreal in 2014, but the 6-foot-1, 181-pounder took it as an opportunity to develop at his own schedule and silence the naysayers:
"For me, I think getting drafted in the seventh round was almost a blessing. It took a lot of pressure off me and helped me go at my own pace. And then going to school, I just focused on getting better every year. Once I signed my first contract, I just kept that mentality where I wanted to improve every year and keep going. Being that seventh-round draft pick, no one's really expecting much out of you, but it's a nice surprise if I do well. That's kind of been my mentality: just keep working hard, keep getting better every year. It's also nice to think you can prove people wrong and have a good NHL career."
Before turning pro, Evans played for the University of Notre Dame's Fighting Irish where he produced at nearly a point-per-game clip. He credited his time at the collegiate level for helping him become the player he is today:
"I think they were huge for my development. When I went in there, I was only focused on scoring. I was a pretty tiny kid and I wasn't really mature at all. As the years went on there, I was pushed into some circumstances or scenarios where I wouldn't think I'd be in. I started taking those faceoffs, I started penalty killing a lot more. And then off the ice, being in the gym and just maturing off the ice with schooling and living on your own was great for me and great for my development. I think they had a huge part in it."
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