Nothing beats scoring a goal or finishing a big hit down the Crossbar end, in Perth! – by Benjamin Breault
I’m thrilled to share the next instalment in the Meet Perth Thunder series — featuring none other than our award-winning coach, someone we’re incredibly proud to call part of the Perth Thunder family, Ben Breault!
From Sabres to Thunder
The most memorable moment of my hockey career would have to be the day I was drafted into the NHL in 2006 by the Buffalo Sabres. Here’s the story:
The draft was held in Vancouver, and back then, the NHL squeezed the entire event into one single day. (Unfortunately, today’s version is decentralised — players now get drafted while sitting on their couch at home!)
I had been projected to go somewhere in the first four, maybe five rounds… but that did not happen. Instead, I was selected in the very last round — fourth last pick of the entire draft.
It was a long day.
Like… nine hours of waiting in a suit long.
When my name was finally called, it felt like I could breathe for the first time all day. Hearing my name felt like exhaling after years of holding my breath. All I could think about were the endless hours of practice and the countless sacrifices my parents made to support me.
It was emotional, exciting, and incredibly grounding.
After shaking hands with what felt like every single staff member and coach in the organisation, plus doing the photoshoot and autograph routine, it was close to 10 pm.
I met up with a teammate who, unfortunately, hadn’t been drafted. We were both underage and only a few blocks apart in Vancouver’s CBD, so we decided to try our luck sneaking into a bar for a couple of celebratory drinks.
That’s when the night took a turn — the good kind.
As we were walking down the street, I noticed this massive vehicle parked ahead of us. Inside, a guy was standing up through the sunroof yelling, “I want girls!! I want all the girls!!”
I looked at my buddy and said,
“Oh, nice, it’s a Hummer limousine.”
Then:
“Oh. My. God. It’s Alex Ovechkin!”
Alex Ovechkin (“Ovi” or “The Great Eight” (after his jersey number, 8)) is one of the greatest ice hockey players in history — a Russian-born left winger best known for his incredible goal-scoring ability, leadership, and charisma. He was captain of the Washington Capitals (NHL) when they won the Stanley Cup in 2018.
Ovi spotted my Buffalo Sabres draft hat, shouted congratulations, gave me a huge hug, and invited both of us into the limo like we were old friends.
We climbed in, still in disbelief. He wrapped those giant arms of his around us and said, in his thick Russian accent:
“I don’t know you. You know me. But tonight — I take you out like best friends. You will always remember.”
The rest of the night?
Let’s just say… it’s a blur.
And yes — he was right. I’ll never forget it!
An Early Start
I started skating at the age of two and playing hockey at the age of three. My dad told me that it didn’t take me very long before I was skating laps around all the older kids.
He had a second job working as a Zamboni driver on the military base in Baden-Baden, Germany, where I lived for about five years as a kid. I was fortunate enough to be able to hop on the ice for several hours every day.
Some of my early memories of starting out in ice hockey revolve around the good ol’ Canadian weekend routine, where we would get up early Saturday and/or Sunday to play a game at 6am while the parents are sitting there, watching, and freezing!
Passions Off the Ice
I love travelling. Understanding different cultures, languages, their history, and their architecture.
Professionally, I’ve been a finance broker for only two years now, and I really enjoy assisting/guiding clients in achieving their financial goals.
Supportive Parents
I have always been extremely fortunate to have the full support of my parents throughout my career. My mother doesn’t miss a whole lot of games that I play in the AIHL.
Stickhandling Through the Years
I have quite a few journey highlights, as I have been playing hockey for a very long time!
When I was pee-wee (12-13 years old), I had the chance to participate in the Quebec International Pee-Wee Tournament twice. This is by far the biggest youth hockey tournament in the world. In my second year, I had the chance to represent the Montreal Canadiens for that tournament, which was an amazing experience!
At 14 years old, I moved to Saskatchewan (Western Canada) to play hockey for a season
From 16 to 20 years old, I played in the QMJHL. So many great stories during those five years. And in my last season, with the Quebec Remparts, I was coached by one of the greatest goaltenders of all time, Patrick Roy. I was so nervous and intimidated to meet him for the first time!!
The QMJHL is one of the three major junior hockey leagues in Canada that make up the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) — the main development system for players aged roughly 16–20 who aim to reach the NHL.
The three leagues are:
- OHL – Ontario Hockey League
- WHL – Western Hockey League
- QMJHL – Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (in French: Ligue de hockey junior majeur du Québec).
As a professional hockey player, before coming to Perth in 2016, I had the opportunity to play in several different European countries, notably Belarus, Poland and France.
Of all my achievements, the highlights would be being appointed Head Coach of Perth Thunder in 2020 and winning two “Coach of the Year” awards in my first three years.
Facing Challenges
Well, as a player-coach, there are a lot of challenges! I’m lucky to be well surrounded and have the respect of all the players, as that is what fuels my desire to keep going with them every year.
Behind the Bench
As the coach, I spend numerous hours watching AIHL.TV, constantly analysing teams and changing our team’s systems.
For me, nothing beats scoring a goal or finishing a big hit down the Crossbar end in Perth!
I enjoy being able to share my knowledge of and passion for the game with a group of dedicated, hardworking players.
Luckily, I am not someone who stresses much during a game, even if there is quite a lot that I have to think about as a player and as a coach.
I’m so dialled-in! I have to be!!
I do only sometimes get confused when the refs call more than one penalty or if the penalties are off-sync, and I have to think about my line changes as I am playing!
Sometimes, I jump on the ice for my PK shift but realise I forgot to inform the bench who is next to go. When that happens, I literally have to skate at some stage during my shift and quickly yell the names of the next players!
A PK shift is the time a player spends on the ice specifically for penalty killing.
After three years of doing this gig with pretty much the same guys, they know to always be looking at me!
Fun Facts
When it comes to quirky rituals, there’s nothing much here from me. I do have a few rituals, though. Thankfully, a lot of them have stopped since not playing professionally. But the one I still do to this day is always put my left-hand side items before my right (ie: Left skate before right skate, left elbow pad before right)
It’s always a treat to get a chant going from the Crossbar. I know my father-in-law, Bill and fellow fan Chris Baines have had a few funny ones going over the years (not all can be shared here!)
Life Off the Ice
I’ve been a finance broker with Dream Freedom Financial for the past 18 months and have already had the pleasure of assisting a few Thunder volunteers with their financial goals — whether that’s purchasing a home, refinancing, or securing a personal or vehicle loan.
Word of mouth is one of the most powerful ways for me to grow my young business, so please don’t hesitate to let your friends or family know about me. I’ll gladly look after you with a referral! 😊
You can contact me via phone at 0416055292 or via email at bbreault@dreamfreedomfinancial.com.au
Give me a follow on Facebook
Or visit my webpage at: Dream Freedom Financial
Looking to the Future!
I’m just grateful I can still be competitive at my age! I have adjusted my role as a player over the last few years and put myself in more defensive-minded roles.
We’ve been in the Finals Weekend every year I have been here, but we have always fallen short. The goal is always the same, which is to bring Perth their first cup!
Perth fans are unbelievable!
We are so lucky to have such a passionate following. Most, if not all, our home games have been sold out in the last couple of years, and we always have a massive group who flies all the way over to Melbourne for the Finals Weekend.
What we all need to do more is spread the word around to family and friends about this sport, this organisation.
Our team is very close to reaching its maturity; open spots are very hard to come by in Perth. Prospective players just have to keep working hard, and if they are given a chance to come train with us, make the most out of it and keep a positive attitude!
I’m just very grateful that my hockey career has helped me travel as much as I have and make a few great friendships over the years.
Looking forward to sharing another season with everyone!
What an awesome journey! We truly appreciate you taking the time to share some of your incredible story with us, Ben.
Would you like to share your story, thoughts or feelings? DM me on Facebook or send me an email at: theavdhoogt@gmail.com.
Thank you for banging the glass with me! I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did.
Pirouettes and Body Checks 
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