Gulls Grads: Max Comtois

Aug 6, 2021

The constant adage in the American Hockey League is the development of young players and providing a foundation for playing professional hockey at the highest level possible. That level being the National Hockey League (NHL) which is the dream of every man playing the sport growing up. The American Hockey League (AHL) aims to provide the learning tools and experience to keep them there.

There is never any simple road to this dream, and it can certainly be windy at times. A prime example is Ducks forward Max Comtois. He first entered professional hockey during the 2018-19 season and the road that lied ahead consisted of many miles in a short timeframe. The forward cracked the Ducks roster directly out of camp with an opportunity to absorb the game at the NHL level. Having come straight from junior hockey out of the Quebec Major Junior League (QMJHL), this was no simple transition. 

Comtois posted strong offensive numbers with 2-5=7 points in 10 games. However, he needed more education of the pro level and was reassigned to the Gulls. In four games, the forward tallied one goal and was deemed necessary to continue for another season in the QMJHL. After the Ducks returned their prospect to the Drummondville Voltigeurs, he was able to produce in all facets of the game and remain a highly effective and maturing individual. In addition, Comtois was named captain to Team Canada’s World Junior Championship team that lost in the quarterfinals to the eventual Gold Medal winning Team Finland. The insurmountable pressure of playing the tournament in Canada, the winning expectations and cyber-bullying following the team’s loss were difficult situations to face for anyone, but they only strengthened the young man. All this occurred in one season, and it wasn’t even past the first week of January. Despite how upsetting and emotional it was, the resilient Comtois moved forward. 

Comtois competed in just 25 games with Drummondville but he tallied an eye-popping 31-17=48 points and a plus-31 rating. This helped the team claim first in the Central Division and move into the postseason with a great deal of momentum. The Voltigeurs plowed through the first two rounds, but were halted in the semi-finals by the Halifax Mooseheads and his junior season concluded in a heartbeat. Comtois finished with 11-4=15 points in 16 playoff games but it was evident he was ready to advance, and right away.

The former 50th overall pick in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft rejoined the Gulls for an AHL postseason run that was already in progress. After defeating the San Jose Barracuda, the Gulls met the Bakersfield Condors for the Pacific Division Finals in a best-of-seven series. Comtois’ reemergence occurred at the beginning of the series, and Game 1 was a night he, nor any Gulls fan, will ever forget. In that very game, the contest extended into four overtimes and a hero was needed. 124 minutes and 20 seconds into the game, Comtois was the man who delivered by tallying the game winning goal. This continued the playoff run for the Gulls who eventually defeated the Condors. The team’s championship hopes were put to a stop in the Western Conference Finals by the Chicago Wolves which officially ended a turbulent season for Comtois. 

That was only season one and the longest story telling sequence in his young professional career. As he moved on to his second season, it was a simple divide in Southern California between Anaheim and San Diego. The Longueuil, Quebec native spent a majority of the 2018 calendar year with the Ducks scoring 5-6=11 points in 29 games. His reassignment to the Gulls in mid-January proved to be a healthy concept as he would excel in the AHL until the COVID-19 pandemic ended the season. That season, Comtois skated in 31 AHL games collecting 9-15=24 points with San Diego, including five game winning goals. The month of February brought hardware to Comtois’ bookcase where he was awarded the CCM/AHL Player of the Week and the CCM/AHL Rookie of the Month. Just 11 days after that stellar month, the Gulls played their final game of the shortened season, but it seemed evident that Comtois’ domination of the AHL proved him worthy of another chance at the NHL level. 

After a long wait because of the delayed start to the 2020-21 season, Comtois was given that chance and didn’t look back. His offensive abilities shined with the Ducks, immediately scoring three goals in the first two games. In his second full season of pro hockey, he led the Ducks with 16 goals and 16-17=33 points. His accolades on the season did not stop there as Comtois represented Team Canada once again, but for the IIHF Men’s World Championship tournament. The forward finished with 4-2=6 points in 10 games en route to a Gold Medal to close out his most successful individual season to date.

Comtois has yet to reach the pinnacle of his potential as the maturation process is ongoing. However, the steps taken over the past three seasons have been in great stride. It is clear that for this Gulls Grad, a time spent in the AHL was highly beneficial and paved the way for last season’s success. And he’s just getting started.