Heart Over Height: Anthony Beauregard’s Dominance
Stingers Hockey Forward is Playing to Prove His Doubters Wrong
A smile and a thumbs up.
That’s how Anthony Beauregard responded to the Brock University Badgers’s player yelling at him and waving his stick from the other side of the penalty box.
Red in the face and standing at least half a foot taller than Beauregard, Brock’s forward had just earned a roughing penalty along with the Stingers forward for some shoving and rough play after a whistle.
Beauregard didn’t look intimidated for a second, he just kept on smiling and focused on the game. To be fair, he had reason to smile—he finished the game with a hat trick and the game winning goal.
Performances like that haven’t been rare for Beauregard this season as the second year Stingers forward currently sits atop the Ontario University Athletics with 30 points and 11 goals in just 14 games, averaging a point in each of his first 10.
Beauregard’s dominant play has been a major factor in his team’s early success as their record stands at 10-2-2.
“He puts our program on the map,” said Stingers head coach Marc-André Element. “It’s always good to have athletes that have success.”
Beauregard stated that Element was a factor in his decision to come to Concordia. Under the coach’s mentorship, Beauregard’s developed into a true versatile player. This includes work in a new area for Beauregard: the penalty kill.
“I never played on the penalty kill in the past,” said Beauregard, who is taking pride in his strong two-way game. “But when I came here, Marc told me he wanted to prove to all the scouts that I’m capable of playing on the [penalty kill].”
“I’m a little guy but I can fight with the bigger [players].” — Anthony Beauregard
Beauregard rewarded his coach’s defensive trust with a strong defensive play, shorthanded goals, and an all around explosive start to the season. While the defensive role might be new to Beauregard, the level of production isn’t. Ever since his years in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, the Stingers’ leading goal scorer has been an offensive powerhouse.
No matter how much skill he showed, the same questions about Beauregard’s abilities have plagued him for years.
“Every time I came onto a team, they questioned my size [and] my weight,” said the Saint-Damase native. “But I like how I play. I’m a little guy but I can fight with the bigger [players].”
The way Beauregard handles himself on the ice, you wouldn’t know he stands at just 5’7. He’s never afraid to battle for pucks in the corner or get in an opposing players face, even if they do happen to be 6’4. That attitude and play style originates from words that Beauregard lives his hockey life by.
“My father told me, since I was young, ‘You’re a small guy, you’re 5’7. But in your heart, you’re 6’3,’” he said. With these words in mind, he said he keeps the size comments out of his head, determined to stay focused on his game.
But critics aren’t completely out of mind for Beauregard. The Stingers forward uses those comments to better himself as a player every season.
“It’s a big reason why I play hockey every year. I just want to show all those people that don’t believe in me that I can play in the big leagues.” said Beauregard, who spent time with the ECHL’s Indy Fuel before joining the Stingers.
Just about everywhere he’s played, the Stingers forward has certainly showed that his size won’t stop him from producing. If you ask anyone he’s played with, they’ll tell you the same thing.
“It’s not an issue for him. He knows he’s small and he uses that to his advantage sometimes,” said teammate Alexis Pepin. “He’s not intimidated by other guys. He keeps playing his game.”
If there’s anyone on the team who knows Beauregard, it would be Pepin. The two were teammates with the Val d’Or Forreurs in the QMJHL. One of the first people Pepin spoke to after committing to Concordia was his former teammate.
Along with Pepin, Beauregard has certainly endeared himself to the rest of his teammates. In less than a full season at Concordia, he’s already donned an ‘A’ as one of the team’s alternate captains and cemented his place as a leader on the team.
“He’s a very good leader when it comes to showing the guys how to play and how to keep going and keep battling and wanting to score,” said team captain Philippe Hudon.
Beauregard displays his intensity on the ice, but off the ice he is a much more of a laid back person, according to Hudon. The Stingers forward added that Beauregard is a player who helps keep a very upbeat atmosphere in the locker room.
“He’s a jokester, everybody likes him,” said Hudon “We all joke with him. Whether it’s the younger kids or even the older ones.”
Beauregard himself doesn’t disagree with the assessment but also knows when to put a lid on things. “I’m a guy who brings a lot of energy, he said. “Everybody knows my character.”
“I want to win every game […] I know when it’s time to have fun but I also know when it’s time to play hard,” he continued.
That desire to win is infectious according to his teammates. Beauregard is the kind of player that always wants the puck on his stick, he’s always looking for a way to score.
This is what sticks out when Beauregard hits the ice, not his size. What’s noticed while he’s playing is not that he weighs 165 lbs, but that he’s in control of the puck most of the time he’s on the ice. What stands out is how unpredictable he is with the puck for opponents. Or as Pepin puts it, “He’d be a pain in the ass to play against.”
According to his coach, Beauregard’s skills and performance boil down to a simple fact. “He wants to be the best. In practice or games, he always wants to be the best and that’s why he’s finding success,” notes Element.
Element believes without a doubt that Beauregard will carve himself out a professional hockey career, be it in North America or Europe. For now he’s focused on this season and is unwilling to simply accept the impressive level he’s reached.
“I just want to be better every game[…] I want to be ready for the playoffs. I try to play every game like it’s a playoff game.”
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