Delisle joins elite draft group with Cape Breton

A little more than a year ago, Kingston Delisle wasn’t sure he wanted to keep playing hockey after a difficult year on and off the ice at Bishop Kearney High School in Rochester, New York.

“I was wanting to not play hockey anymore, because I was completely just out of the sport, I just didn’t want to play,” said Delisle.

With the help of his parents, the coaching staff of his AAA Chateauguay Grenadiers team, and his agent and mentor - former Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) player Luca Ciampini - just to name a few, Delisle said he has been able to change his mindset, and learn to be passionate about hockey again.

Now, Delisle is not just back to playing hockey; he’s advancing his career towards the ultimate goal of playing professionally, after having been drafted by the QMJHL’s Cape Breton Eagles in the sixth round, 92nd overall.

“It feels wonderful. It was a big opportunity for me to get drafted,” said Delisle.

“Fourteen months later, getting drafted for the Cape Breton Eagles in the sixth round is unbelievable for what he’s done,” said Ciampini, who has been working with Delisle for the last five years.

“We’re talking about not even being in contention for a draft pick to a sixth-round pick. My question is, what are the next 12 months going to look like? What are the next three months going to look like?”

Ciampini said that Delisle’s rapid improvement on the ice has been a result of the work he has put in. He said that all the coaches and support staff gave Delisle the tools to execute, and he did.

Kingston’s father, Iohahí:io Delisle, said that seeing the hard work done by both his son and the team around him has been very rewarding following his return from the United States.

“His game intelligence has gone to that next level with the direction of his mentors - Luca and the people that have been around him,” said Iohahí:io.

“It’s been validated now by Cape Breton. For them to come in and just put a stamping brand on my son, it validates him, it validates all the structure around him, it’s such a great honour.”

In preparation for the draft, it’s safe to say that Kingston has not been living the life of a normal 16-year-old.

He’s learning to live away from his family by living with French professional hockey forward Corentin Cruchandeau (Coco); he’s getting homeschooled and tutored; he adheres to a strict regimen of training and fitness with a support staff around him; not to mention all the work he does on the ice with Ciampini and his Midget AAA team in Chateauguay.

“It was a big change when I first started last summer, and I had to get used to it,” said Kingston.

“Having Coco there was a big help and a big boost for my mindset of the game, and how much work I have to actually put in to live this kind of lifestyle and be part of a pro team or the QMJHL. It has really helped me a lot.”

Having the drive necessary to stick to that kind of schedule, as well as striving to get better and having a passion for hockey, is exactly what the Eagles were looking for, according to their head scout, Olivier Belanger.

“We are looking to get to work with kids that want to improve and are great people off the ice. For me, it’s a no-brainer,” said Belanger.

“With every prospect that is on our list, we have to feel that the player is passionate about hockey, he has to know where he is going in life.”

Belanger said Cape Breton had Kingston on their draft board, and when they had the opportunity to pick him in the sixth round, they were happy to do so.

When they met him as part of the pre-draft interviews, Cape Breton saw that he was passionate and wanted to be the best player he could.

“Obviously, we like the goalie, but meeting with him was very good,” said Belanger, who is looking forward to seeing Kingston at development camp in August.

Family ties to the Q

Whenever Kingston makes his QMJHL debut, he’ll reach the same milestone two of his family members have reached in the past: Kingston’s cousin Hunter Lahache and his great uncle Floyd Lahache. 

Other players from Kahnawake to have played in the QMJHL include Bobby Simpson, Travis Stacey, Trevor Stacey, Mike Stacey, Louis Alfred, Nicholas Albany, Travis Zachary, Carl Zacharie, Kenny Kane, and Mike Stalk.

Hunter played four seasons in the QMJHL from 1998 to 2002 with three teams, including Cape Breton, where he amassed the most penalty minutes in league history -1,380.

“It’s a very proud feeling, seeing my young cousin that I watched grow up and work so hard to get to this point of his life,” said Hunter.

Hunter said that the Eagles were a top-notch organization, and he was happy to see Kingston be selected by them.

“They are a very respectful organization with the best fans in the league,” he said.

Hunter said his time in the QMJHL was rewarding, but he also had to learn a lot quickly.

“Being a young boy coming out of a Midget AAA and entering an age bracket of 16–20-year-olds, you had to grow up fast on and off the ice,” said Hunter.

Floyd played from 1973 to 1977 with the Sherbrooke Castors, winning two QMJHL league championships and taking part in two Memorial Cup tournaments.

“It’s nice to see him get drafted. He put a lot of work in; his father also put a lot of work in with him,” said Floyd.

“He’s dedicated, and he wants it. I hope he makes it - we need somebody from Kahnawake to make the NHL now.”

Five decades after his time in Major Junior, Floyd said he still keeps in touch with some of the players from his time in Sherbrooke. They have had in-person reunions, and Facebook has made it easier to keep in touch, he said.

Winning two QMJHL championships strengthened their ties together, he said.

“If you win a championship, there’s a special bond we had,” said Floyd.

“If I had to go back in life, I would go back to those years. Those are the best years of my life.”

It’s much too early to say what Kingston’s time in the QMJHL may look like. But, no matter what, he’ll have the support of his family - and his community.

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