Ottawa Senators prospect Lucas Beckman says his top attribute as a goaltender is his mental strength.
A defining moment at the peewee (under-13) level was instrumental in making the space between his ears a big asset for the Chicoutimi Sagueneens’ star netminder.
“I have a little story, actually,” Beckman, 18, said over the phone this week when asked about the mental side of his game.
“I had just won a tournament and I came home and I wasn’t super happy with my finals performance. We had won but I came out crying even though I got MVP of the tournament and we won.
“… My parents (Lorne and Naomi), they are also athletes (having played international-level ultimate frisbee). They know the power of mental strength. They saw (his reaction) and they got me immediately working with a mental (skills coach) at that young age so I was able to develop a lot of skills and habits. … When you’re younger, it’s easier to learn. Ever since then, I still work with them.”
The Sagueneens, who acquired Beckman in a December trade with the non-contending Baie-Comeau Drakkar, are reaping the benefits of the Montreal native’s hard work on and off the ice.
Playing behind the best defensive team in the QMJHL, the six-foot-two Beckman has allowed just six goals in eight games as the Sagueneens swept the Halifax Mooseheads and Quebec Remparts to open the playoffs. The fourth-round Senators pick from last year posted shutouts in the last two games against Quebec — needing to make just 12 and 20 saves, respectively — to set up a semifinal series against the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies starting Friday in Saguenay, Que.
Beckman was rewarded for his strong play earlier this week when the Senators signed him to a three-year, entry-level deal.
Because Chicoutimi hasn’t lost a game in the first two rounds, with Beckman posting a league-leading 0.75 goals-against average and .962 save percentage, the team has had plenty of off-days.
You can be sure Beckman has spent some of that time working on visualization — using a process he has developed with several different mental coaches, including Vincent Huard-Pelletier of the Sagueneens,
“Not only visualizing the good stuff, the big saves, the confident moments but also the moments where you let in a goal from the red line. Or you make a mistake, how do you react? What do you do? What’s your routine after? Are you going to let it affect you?” Beckman said.
“By visualizing stuff like that, when it happens in a real game, I’m ready and I’m not shocked. It can happen and I know how I’m going to react because in my brain I’ve gone through the situation before.
“It can be the same thing for a big save. You don’t want a big save to kind of make you too confident, and suddenly you’re super excited and happy and you let in a weak one right after.”
Another important topic in recent months has been staying focused in a game if the workload is light. In 15 regular-season games with Chicoutimi, Beckman faced an average of 25.5 shots, more than nine fewer than he did in 23 games with Baie-Comeau (34.8). The average is down to 19.9 in the playoffs, though it’s sure to increase against better opponents.
“We knew he was one of the best goalies in the league for sure, we knew that for a while,” Chicoutimi general manager/coach Yanick Jean said. “Even with Baie-Comeau in the past (on stronger teams), he was able to keep his focus when he had 20- or 25-shot games. We knew we needed somebody who was able to focus even though he didn’t get a lot of shots.
“… He does everything well. He’s got good hockey sense, a good sense of anticipation. He always seems well positioned. For me he’s not like one style or the other.”
Beckman is grateful for his first half of the season with a weaker team. He feels the combination of playing in almost contrasting situations has been beneficial.
“It’s always nice to get shots, to get rubber and it helped me develop the first half of the season, helped me develop a lot of mental skills,” he said. ” I had to focus a lot on what was in my control and learn to deal with that and still give a chance for my team to win every night even though some nights were harder than others.
“But of course I’m a competitor and I want to win and I want to have an opportunity to win a championship. That’s what I’ve gotten here in Chicoutimi. We play a mature and responsible game and I’ve been thriving in that so far.”
Beckman figures to stay in the junior ranks next season and should be very much in consideration for the Canadian junior squad with the University of Michigan’s Jack Ivankovic the only returning goalie eligible for next year’s team.
“No doubt in my mind,” Jean said when asked if Beckman deserves a world junior look.
“I obviously would love to represent Canada and it would be an amazing honour,” Beckman said. “But I’m trying to stay in the present (and focus) on this championship and these playoffs.”
The Sagueneens have the pieces to challenge for their first QMJHL title since 1994. League MVP Maxim Masse and Emile Guite (both Anaheim Ducks picks) lead the offence, while the team has three NHL Draft picks on defence — Tomas Lavoie (Utah Mammoth), Alexis Bernier (Seattle Kraken) and Alex Huang (Nashville Predators).
“We want to win the league but also we want those two rings,” Beckman said, referring to a run at the Memorial Cup. “We’re going to work as hard as we can to get there and control what we can control.”
Twelve teams are fighting for three berths in the Memorial Cup after the host Kelowna Rockets were eliminated in the second round of the WHL playoffs last week.
Here is one fun individual matchup from semifinal series in the OHL, QMJHL and WHL.
Moncton Wildcats D Tommy Bleyl vs. Blainville-Boisbriand Armada D Xavier Villeneuve
The six-foot Bleyl and five-foot-11 Villeneuve are two of the smaller defencemen jockeying for position in this year’s NHL Draft. The American-born Bleyl has been the surprise of the QMJHL season, setting records for most points (81) and assists (68) by a rookie defenceman.
Rouyn-Noranda Huskies C Thomas Verdon vs. Chicoutimi Sagueneens RW Maxim Masse
Verdon, an overager, was third in regular-season scoring and leads the way in the playoffs with 17 points in 11 games. Masse won league MVP after topping the regular-season scoring chart with 51 goals and 51 assists in 63 games.
Barrie Colts C Cole Beaudoin vs. Brantford Bulldogs C Jett Luchanko
Two members of the past two Canadian world junior teams square off. Luchanko was picked 13th overall by the Philadelphia Flyers in 2024, while Beaudoin went 11 picks later to the Utah Mammoth.
Windsor Spitfires LW Liam Greentree vs. Kitchener Rangers C Sam O’Reilly
Another battle of Canadian junior teammates. O’Reilly (Tampa Bay Lightning) has been stellar since going to Kitchener in a trade-deadline deal with the London Knights. Greentree, meanwhile, had his NHL rights traded to the New York Rangers from the Los Angeles Kings this year.
Prince Albert Raiders D Daxon Rudolph vs. Medicine Hat Tigers D Bryce Pickford
A top prospect for this year’s NHL Draft (Rudolph) goes up against a fellow blue-liner who scored 45 goals this season after being taken in his second year of eligibility by the Montreal Canadiens.
Penticton Vees RW Jacob Kvasnicka vs. Everett Silvertips LW Matias Vanhanen
Kvasnicka, a New York Islanders seventh-round pick, scored the overtime winner in Game 6 against Prince George to send the expansion Vees to the third round. He’s fifth in WHL playoff scoring The undrafted Vanhanen, who is sure to be picked this year, is third in playoff scoring after playing for Finland at the world juniors.