SUMMERSIDE, P.E.I. — The opportunity to return to the Tampa Bay Lightning was too good of a fit for Grant Sonier to pass up.
The 55-year-old Summerside native recently joined the 2020 Stanley Cup champions as an amateur scout after working the last two seasons as a pro scout with the Carolina Hurricanes.
“My connection with Tampa is their assistant GM and director of amateur scouting is Al Murray, and we worked together in Los Angeles (with the Kings),” said Sonier, who scouted for the Lightning from 1999 to 2002. “We had some really good drafts together. It just happened that there was an opening and my contract with Carolina had run out.”
In his new role, Sonier will focus on the six Maritime teams in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). He scouted his first two games in Halifax last weekend and is starting to get a book on the players.
Sonier will also have much less travel this year, which he welcomes. There are not many pro teams close to Summerside while all the teams in the QMJHL's Maritimes Division, except for the Cape Breton Eagles, are within a three-to-four-hour drive.
“It will be more nights at home, which is perfect for me,” said Sonier. “I have a nine-year-old daughter (Ellie) and a wife (Emily McKeown) I enjoy being around, so it will work out better from a family aspect for me as well. It’s perfect timing.”
NHL Resumé
Grant Sonier’s National Hockey League resumé:
Assistant General Manager
2002-03 – Florida Panthers.
2003-04 – Florida Panthers.
Scouting
Tampa Bay Lightning
1999-00 – Tampa Bay Lightning.
2000-01 – Tampa Bay Lightning.
2001-02 – Tampa Bay Lightning.
2004-05 – Los Angeles Kings.
2005-06 – Los Angeles Kings.
2006-07 – Los Angeles Kings.
2006-07 – Boston Bruins.
2007-08 – Boston Bruins.
2008-09 – Boston Bruins.
2009-10 – Atlanta Thrashers.
2010-11 – Atlanta Thrashers.
2018-19 – Carolina Hurricanes.
2019-20 – Carolina Hurricanes.
Sonier is no stranger to the QMJHL, having served as Charlottetown Islanders' general manager from 2013 to 2016. He is confident that, along with his scouting experience, will result in a smooth transition from pro to amateur.
“On the pro side, you are involved in trades, free agency and trade periods,” explained Sonier. “As an amateur scout, we are watching amateur (games) and will put our list together to get ready for the draft.”
Sonier said the fact he knows all the general managers and coaches of the Maritime-based QMJHL teams is an asset. He’s now looking forward to getting to know the players.
Asked if there’s anything, in particular, he’s looking for when scouting players, Sonier said, with a laugh, “Just the good ones.”
He did elaborate and talked about some of the factors that may come into play.
“Depending on the make-up of a team, sometimes young draft-eligible players are taking a back seat if the team has an older, mature group in front of them,” said Sonier. “Sometimes, when kids are on a rebuilding team, they are playing a lot more.
“You factor all those things in and are just looking for hockey sense, character and skill like every other scout in the world is looking for. Hopefully, we get a good look at these players and one thing about working with Al Murray again, he does not leave any stone unturned.
“They are very detailed oriented. We will know everything there is to know about these kids.”
The Lightning has done well scouting in the league in recent years. Some of the players currently in their organization include: Yanni Gourde, Ondrej Palat, Cedric Paquette, Mathieu Joseph (former Islanders' captain Pierre-Olivier Joseph's brother), Gabriel Fortier, Alex Barre-Boulet and Maxim Cajkovic.
