Rourke Chartier's bet on himself is now paying off – The Athletic
As an assistant coach for the AHL’s San Jose Barracuda, Ryan Mougenel always knew Rourke Chartier had good vision.
“One of the smartest players we had in San Jose,” said Mougenel of Chartier, who spent three seasons with the Barracuda in the San Jose Sharks system.
“He sees plays ahead of what they are.”
But unlike other players, Chartier, now a 24-year-old centre with the Toronto Marlies, was forced to rely on some foresight to protect his health.
When Chartier suited up for the Marlies in their season opener on Feb. 15, he wasn’t just returning after an extended break due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He was playing his first game in nearly two calendar years following a series of devastating concussions that had forced him to make one of the most difficult, but rewarding decisions of his career. Chartier bet that he could return to pro hockey. Now, with the Marlies, his bet is paying off. And with only seven forwards currently signed for the Leafs for next season, Chartier’s defensively sound game could make him a low-risk, depth option for the club moving forward.
“I want to prove I can play again,” said Chartier. “I don’t think I’ve been healthy since my first year of pro.”
Throughout his childhood, Chartier was inspired by the work ethic of his parents, teachers who worked summers to make ends meet for their five children.
“Anything I did, they expected the maximum effort,” he said.
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He was not surprised when the Sharks failed to extend him a qualifying offer in the summer of 2019.
He received multiple offers from other clubs, including one from the Maple Leafs, but he decided to decline them all and walk away from hockey for as long as it would take in order to feel right.
“I’d gotten sick of playing like that,” said Chartier. “I wouldn’t have been in the right headspace to recover from this.”
Absent a contract, he believed he would finally feel free of pressure. He returned home to Saskatoon so he could rest and could put all of his focus on ridding himself of the anxiety that was plaguing him and returning to full health.
Early in 2020, the rest started paying off. Chartier could go days without headaches and began skating with the WHL’s Saskatoon Blades to get back into game shape.
In February, he contemplated a return to professional hockey. But in March, the AHL and NHL stopped playing due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Chartier believes the cancelled seasons might have been “the best thing for me.” It gave his recovery even more time.
“I knew it had to be done right,” he said.
In October he signed a one-year AHL contract with the Marlies.
“They’re willing to be decently patient with me,” he said. “They’re big on development, and that’s a big reason why I chose to come here. They just get the most out of players.”
Chartier’s hope is to utilize Marlies’ development staff to become an even more reliable, two-way player who can hopefully tap into the offensive skills he displayed during his junior career.
So far this season, he’s put up four assists in 10 games while playing top-six minutes. The Marlies see a player not taking anything for granted.
“He really, really cares about his craft, his nutrition, his workouts, his details on the ice,” said Marlies head coach Greg Moore. “The whole group have discussed just how much they value having him on this team.”
Now fully healthy, Chartier’s goal remains to become a full-time NHL player. But he’s learned not to rush things.
“At the end of the day, I’d like to get back to the NHL,” he said. “But it’s one day at a time.”