Le mononk est bien fier

Il vient tout juste de compléter sa troisième saison comme défenseur des BlackBears de l'université du Maine. Repêché au 61e rang par les Blackhawks de Chicago en 2006, le fils de ma soeur Louise et de mon chum Jean faisait l'objet d'un article que je m'empresse de vous refiler. Désolé, vous faudra le lire en anglais, le fier mononk n'étant pas traducteur. Allez ! Allez ! Sortez-moi votre anglais du dimanche ! Ça va comme suit :

Danis-Pepin, future star

As UMaine hockey's youngest player, Simon shines

by Kevin Ryan

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Being 6' 7" has always made it hard for Simon Danis-Pepin to blend in. Combine that with his larger-than-life personality and the University of Maine third-year defenseman will stand out in any situation.

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The biggest place he has stood out this year has been on the ice. Still the youngest player on the men's ice hockey team at 19, Danis-Pepin has already set career highs in goals and points this season, while tying his career high for assists. Each year UMaine has seen drastic improvements for the Vaudreuil-Dorion, Quebec native. As the youngest player in the league his first-year, he skated in 23 games without scoring a goal. Last year, Danis-Pepin made strides as he played in all 40 games, scoring two goals and adding four assists.

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"I just feel a lot more confident out there. Every year I've just felt more comfortable playing my style of game," Danis-Pepin said.

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While his game on the ice has been exceptional, he's also emerged as a leader in the locker room. There are many among Black Bear Nation that feel he could become the program's youngest captain next season.

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"Peps [Danis-Pepin] is the glue that molds this team together," said sophomore forward David de Kastrozza. "He'd give the shirt of his back to you any day,"

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As if being a leader and premiere player on the Black Bears isn't enough, Danis-Pepin also finds the time to be an excellent student. An advertising major and business minor, Danis-Pepin achieved a 3.33 GPA for 2007. Earlier this semester, he was honored as a UMaine Scholar-Athlete for maintaining a 3.0 or better grade point average for the 2007 year.

"School has always been really important to me. Hockey is my passion, but I do need to get away from it once in a while, and that's where school comes in and lets me get away for some time," Danis-Pepin said.

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While he brings intensity and passion to hockey and school, Danis-Pepin is known by his teammates as one of the more outgoing characters on the squad. Danis-Pepin drives a 1997 Honda Minivan, which resembles something a soccer mom would drive as opposed to a hockey player. He listens to his iPod in his van, which features artists ranging from Lil' Wayne to Britney Spears. Some people might get embarrassed about driving an old minivan through campus, but not Danis-Pepin.
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Wheeling around campus on a sunny day listening to some sick jams is just something I really enjoy doing," Danis-Pepin said.

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His upbeat style provides a big boost for the morale of a struggling squad that is currently in ninth place in Hockey East.

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"Every day in the locker room, whether we win or lose, he's the first to prance around in his shades singing the song he just heard on the radio," de Kastrozza said. Danis-Pepin hopes this optimism can help propel him to the next level of hockey. Danis-Pepin is the highest drafted member of the Black Bears, as he was selected 61st overall by the Chicago Blackhawks in the 2006 NHL Draft. The last two summers he has traveled to Chicago to participate in their developmental camp, where he skated with the likes of current NHL young stars Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews. Danis-Pepin hopes that this experience and his time at UMaine can help him accomplish his dream of playing in the NHL.

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"That's definitely the ultimate goal and playing at Maine is a huge part of it," Danis-Pepin said. "I'm just going to keep working on all the small things and take advantage of everything Maine has to offer for my development."

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Wherever Danis-Pepin ends up, you can be sure he'll be singing his favorite jams, brightening up his teammates and making a difference on the ice.