“My career stagnated when I injured my knee and tore my ACL”

Ramzi Abid had a truly fascinating junior career. The Montreal-native forward made a name for himself in the QMJHL, excelling at both putting the puck in the back of the net and dropping the gloves. At just 17 years old, he racked up 135 points in 68 games, including 50 goals, while also spending 266 minutes in the penalty box. Unfortunately for him, knee injuries hindered his time in the NHL.

Abid was not on the radar of NHL scouts at the beginning of his draft year. Selected in the 5th round by the Chicoutimi Saguenéens a year earlier, the 6’2″ forward blossomed at 17, finishing atop the QMJHL scoring leaderboard and winning the Michel-Brière Trophy for the league’s best player in the regular season. Since the start of the 21st century, only two 17-year-olds have surpassed the 110-point mark in the QMJHL: Sidney Crosby (2005) and Pierre-Marc Bouchard (2002). In this regard, Abid scored 135 points in 1998, 20 more than Vincent Lecavalier, the NHL’s first overall pick in that same year.

Beyond his offensive prowess, the young forward was fearless, willing to fight with anyone who dared to challenge him. His 825 penalty minutes in 250 junior games attest to this. « I was often criticized for my skating, which was my weakness. I was ranked 8th in the final list before the draft, but I ultimately slipped to 28, » says the 44-year-old, once seen as one of the best Quebec-native prospects in the world.

Knee injuries

Unfortunately for him, the knee injuries he sustained early in his NHL career did nothing to improve his mobility. In less than twelve months, he underwent two surgeries to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) —an injury that is currently affecting young David Reinbacher, and similar to the one that forced Kirby Dach to miss the vast majority of last season.

« My career stagnated at 22 when I suffered my knee injury. I had a strong start to my professional career. After my surgery, just a few games into my return, I sustained the same injury again, in the same knee. It really hurt my development, especially at a point in my career when I wanted to establish myself in the big league. »

Knee injuries have also slowed David Reinbacher’s progression in recent years. Missing out on an additional season will be anything but beneficial for the young defenseman, but according to Abid, the keyword will be perseverance: « When I suffered my second injury, the doctors were not very optimistic about my return to action and the future of my career. I showed perseverance to come back, » emphasizes the former player.

Abid continued to play professionally for over a decade, primarily in Europe, following his two knee surgeries. However, he unfortunately never managed to secure a regular spot in the NHL, despite appearing to be on track to achieve that before health issues sidelined him.

Arber Xhekaj and the Tkachuk family

It is rare to find players in today’s game who stand out as much for their offensive contributions as for their willingness to drop the gloves regularly. The Tkachuk brothers currently defy this trend, much to the delight of Ramzi Abid. In his youth, Abid idolized Keith Tkachuk, the father of those who now instill fear around the league.

Abid had the opportunity to befriend his idol upon joining the Phoenix Coyotes as a rookie. He recalls the young Matthew and Brady Tkachuk running around the team’s locker room after games and practices: « I had no idea they would become as good, if not better than their father. »

Brady Tkachuk made headlines on Tuesday by dropping the gloves with Arber Xhekaj after a controversial hit on Tim Stützle. Xhekaj had done the same in the previous game, charging at Cédric Paré following his check on Patrik Laine. Fortunately, it’s now known that Laine miraculously avoided a torn ligament in his knee, unlike Reinbacher, Dach, and Abid.

Abid believes that Arber Xhekaj and Brady Tkachuk did what was necessary to defend their star teammate. Given his track record, it’s reasonable to imagine that Ramzi Abid would have also defended his teammate in a similar situation.

« It’s important for a guy like Arber Xhekaj to protect his teammates and respond to those plays. He did what was necessary. At the professional level, that’s still part of the game. You can see that the Canadiens team sticks together and that they are united. »

A junior career like no other

You may have been surprised upon reading his statistics earlier. His junior career was anything but ordinary. Abid was involved in two major trades during his time in the QMJHL, including a deal between the Saguenéens and the Titan that involved twelve (!!!) players and draft picks. This decision inadvertently marked the beginning of a long rebuild for Chicoutimi, where relocation threats emerged in the following years.

For Abid, the adaptation period with his new team, the Titan, was brief, as his two linemates from the Saguenéens followed him to New Brunswick, where they all continued to play on the same line. Ramzi Abid also had the chance to participate in the Memorial Cup tournament three times in four years with three different teams, though he never captured the ultimate prize on the Canadian stage. Today, the former Coyotes, Penguins, Thrashers, and Predators forward shares his passion with young players at the Joël Bouchard Academy in Blainville: « When I played, I had a very aggressive and physical style. I wanted to fight and make a name for myself. I learned that to score, you have to go to the net. I teach that to the younger players today. »