Could Justin Poirier Get Drafted by His Brother’s Calgary Flames?

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When asked how he imagines it will feel if his name is called during the 2024 NHL draft, Justin Poirier breaks into a big smile.

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He imagines “a great moment.”

While Poirier isn’t picky, the 17-year-old gunslinger acknowledges that one specific storyline would be extra special.

“Of course, if I get the chance, I would love to play in Calgary with my brother Jeremie,” he said. “We train together, we play a few three-on-three tournaments together in the summer and we always have a lot of fun.

“So if I get the chance to play with him in Calgary, it will be a double dream for me.”

If you see the Poiriers on the Las Vegas Strip, you might think you’re seeing double. It’s certainly not a stretch to tell that Jeremy — who turned 22 earlier this month and is a candidate to be the Flames’ future power-play quarterback — and Justin are related.

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“In my day-to-day life, Jeremy is more than a brother to me,” Justin beamed. “He’s my best friend.”

And this weekend one of his biggest fans.

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“I think it’s going to be super fun,” Jeremie told Postmedia before leaving for the NHL draft in Sin City. “Our whole family and a lot of friends, both my friends and his friends, will be there. I think it will be great to all be there together to celebrate his draft.

“Unfortunately, my draft was online, so it’s going to be awesome to be there in person for the first time. I’ve never seen an NHL draft in person. Especially now in Vegas, in the Sphere, it’s going to be super fun to see it happen live instead of on a computer or TV. So I’m excited, but it’s going to be a fun week for him.

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Jeremy was selected by the Flames in the 2020 third round, when prospect selection took place virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The rising defenseman just completed his second season with the AHL’s Wranglers, though he missed much of his second season due to a terrifying injury: a skate tear on his right wrist that resulted in months of hand therapy.

Justin, meanwhile, is one of the most intriguing offensive threats in this latest draft class. The dynamic right winger has scored 51 goals for the Baie-Comeau Drakkar, the most snipes by a 17-year-old in the QMJHL since a kid named Sidney Crosby in 2004-05.

He continued to show his lethal shot in the playoffs, with 18 shelling and 27 points in 17 games in the spring, the league’s best showing.

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Most guys with those kinds of stats would be billed as reliable first-rounders. In Justin’s case, there are concerns about his size — he’s listed at 6-foot-1 and 185 pounds — and questions about his edge work and defensive detail.

He expects he will likely be picked sometime Saturday, saying, “I like to project myself between the third round and the fifth round.”

“It was music to my ears when people said my name would be next to Sidney Crosby,” Justin said, reflecting on a standout season that saw him engraved on the Mario Lemieux Trophy as the QMJHL’s premier lamp-lighter. “I think I work hard and I’m a pretty good offensive forward. I’m a scorer. I like to use my shot to score some goals. And I also have a pretty good hockey IQ and I like to use my IQ to create some plays for my linemates or partners.

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“But I can play 60 meters. I know that now with my team in Baie-Comeau I am an attacking forward. But as all the coaches told me and my brother told me, in the pros it is a different mentality.

“Maybe I’ll be a third-line player, a more physical player. I’m ready to do everything I can to be a pro one day.”

That preparation has already started.

Spending the summer at home in Valleyfield, Que., Jeremy and Justin regularly hit the ice together, and the competitive juices flowed on the golf course or while shooting hoops in the driveway.

“Usually, being an older brother, already drafted and two years into his career, it’s always, ‘What can you bring to him?’ and ‘What can you teach him?’” said Jeremie, who was named to the AHL’s all-rookie team in 2022-23 and has scored 54 points in 92 minor league appearances so far. “But the rate at which he’s scoring, I’m learning a lot from that, too.

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“It’s fun for me to get on the ice with him twice a week in our hometown and just do summer skating together. As much as I can teach him some tricks and things that I’m better at, scoring goals is something he’s much better at than me. I love watching him shoot the puck, how he makes every shot, all that stuff.”

Sometime Saturday, an NHL team will take a shot at this work-in-progress winger.

Next to him, a rookie defender – and proud brother – will be among the first to offer congratulations.

“I always try to tell him and remind him not to put too much pressure on himself,” Jeremy said. “He has little control over the draft other than just sitting there and waiting. The work is already done. The season is over, the playoffs are over, so there’s not much he can change now.

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“So I always try to remind him not to put too much pressure on himself or have too high or too low expectations. Just go and live in the moment. Be there, be happy and just wait for your name to be called. Either way, it will be a beautiful day.”

It is certain.

But it would be extra special if the Flames eventually got Justin’s name.

Craig Conroy, Tod Button and co. arrived in Las Vegas with seven picks on the second day, including two in the second, third and fourth rounds, so they could certainly take a chance on a small forward with a ton of offensive ability.

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“Just playing professionally will be a dream come true for me,” Justin said. “If I get the chance to play against Jeremy, that will be a dream too. Maybe we’ll fight each other, like we do here at home.

“Not everybody has the opportunity to get drafted to the NHL, and me and my brother have the opportunity to both get drafted, so it’s definitely going to be a great moment and good memories,” he continued. “Jeremie told me, ‘Just enjoy the moment, don’t worry. One team is going to pick you up and believe in you, so just prove that you can play pro one day and good things are going to happen.’”

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