It’s not hard for Zachary L’Heureux to diagnose where his style of hockey comes from.
L’Heureux, one of two young forwards the Colorado Avalanche acquired in a trade involving Jack Drury in June, didn’t just decide he was going to play a certain way at some point during his career. It’s part of who he is.
“It’s my whole life. I’ve been toeing the line since I was 5, 6 years old,” L’Heureux said. “Whether it was in hockey or in the playground at school, I think it’s just kind of in my personality. I think it’s in my family a little bit. If you look at my grandfathers, my father, cousins — it’s kind of just our mindset.
“We’ll play family volleyball in the summer and it’s like the most competitive thing ever. Everybody wants to win. I think that’s just kind of how we are. At the end of the day, it’s what’s giving me my most success. It’s been my No. 1 tool of what’s been able to bring me to the next level.”
L’Heureux does not shy away from it. He’s a rat. He’ll call himself one before an interviewer even broaches the subject.
It’s part of why he’s in Denver, trying to become a full-time NHL player at 23 years old after a couple of chances with the Nashville Predators, who drafted him in the first round of the 2021 NHL Draft.
Colorado president/general manager Joe Sakic didn’t talk around it, either, when the club acquired L’Heureux. When Sakic said L’Heureux could add something the Avs might have been missing, that’s what he’s talking about. It wasn’t just because he can help replace guys like Drury, Valeri Nichushkin and Joel Kiviranta on the penalty kill.
“I think I’ve had a lot of success playing that kind of rat style, in-your-face hockey while still bringing a lot of offense,” L’Heureux said. “From the moment I spoke with Joe, everybody was like, ‘We really wanted to go get you. You were a guy that we had on our radar that we were missing last year in the playoffs and in previous seasons.’
“I think that’s kind of an eye-opener to what I can bring to a team and how valuable I actually can be. I don’t take that lightly. I take that with a lot of pride. Hopefully I can come in here and just keep doing my job, like I’ve done in the past and whatever they kind of need me to do, I can do.”
The Avs have had a clear identity under Jared Bednar as coach and with Sakic at the top of the front-office food chain. They play fast. They score a lot of goals. They use their speed to hound opponents when they don’t have the puck, then they try to keep it until it’s in the opposing net.
L’Heureux had enough speed and skill to be a first-round pick. The offense has translated at every level leading up to the NHL. He believes it is going to happen here, too.
But there is always the other stuff, as well. L’Heureux can impact games with his physical play, with his tenacity and by aggravating the opponent. He was a Montreal Canadiens fan growing up, so Brendan Gallagher was his favorite skilled pest, but he liked Brad Marchand, Matthew Tkachuk and Brady Tkachuk as well.
NHL teams want the prototypical “love him on your team, hate him on another” player. The Florida Panthers have collected them like Pokémon.
“I watched how (Gallagher) was always around the net, hard-nosed, and just guys like that who brought a lot of energy,” L’Heureux said. “One shift can turn a game around. When the team’s not having their best night, they can go out there and get a big hit, a big block, get in someone’s face, stir things up, and you can kind of bring everybody back into it. And I think that’s just an asset that not everybody can kind of do or knows how to do, and it’s something that I think I can bring.”
That’s the positive side of this type of player. L’Heureux is also quite familiar with the other side.
He has been suspended 12 times in his career. Nine of them came while he was playing junior hockey — the worst was 10 games for an altercation with a fan, but there’s an assortment of stick penalties and unsportsmanlike conduct suspensions as well.
Mattias Janmark #13 of the Edmonton Oilers defends against Zachary L’Heureux #68 of the Nashville Predators during the first period at Rogers Place on November 14, 2024 in Edmonton, Canada. (Photo by Codie McLachlan/Getty Images)
L’Heureux has been suspended once by the NHL — three games for slew-footing Minnesota’s Jared Spurgeon on Dec. 31, 2024.
“It’s something that obviously you want to manage. I’ve tiptoed over that line quite a few times,” L’Heureux said. “I feel like since turning pro, I’ve obviously had a few hiccups, but I’ve been a lot better at it and being able to control my emotions and pick and choose my moments. I think it’s just something that’s been a part of me my whole life, and it’s not something that’s going to change.
“I’ve worked with sports psychologists. I’ve talked with coaches, management, especially in junior. I think maturity was a big thing. When you’re in junior, it’s kind of different. You think you’re above the law a little bit. I was always told that if I didn’t get it under wraps, I’d never have a career. I knew that once I made it pro, it was something that I really had to nip in the bud. … I still cross the line from time to time, and I think it’s just really picking and choosing when to do it, when you’re not going to hurt your team.”
Bednar has put L’Heureux with Parker Kelly and Logan O’Connor during training camp. It’s an intentional thing — those two are “identity players” for Colorado.
They play with the intensity, tenacity and aggression that Bednar wants in his depth players. L’Heureux said he’s just trying to “follow in their footsteps” and feed off the energy they bring.
To be clear, the Avs want most of the extra stuff L’Heureux adds. Just not all of it.
“It’s just picking spots,” Kelly said. “It’s not going to do us any good if he’s in the box and he knows that. As a fourth-line guy, the rule of thumb is you don’t want to take bad penalties. He’s been through it before. He knows what he needs to do, and we’re going to be there to say, ‘Hey, we’re going. Follow our lead,’ and he’ll fit right in. Or it’s, ‘Hey, calm down. We’re good here. Let’s keep winning our matchup.’ You can’t win your matchups from the box.
“I’m really looking forward to seeing him play. I think he could be a great fit for us. I’ve loved him throughout camp, and just got to keep getting him up at speed and help him feel comfortable. And the rest is just hockey.”
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