Nicolas Pigeon gravitated to hockey when he was younger. Growing up in Canada, it made sense.
“Oh for sure. I started playing when I was a kid,” Pigeon said. “We had outdoor rinks everywhere, but in the summer, I would play some soccer.”
Pigeon’s passion for the game, and his consistent development in the game led to an opportunity at the college level. Pigeon is now in his second season at UW-Stout, where he is looking to build of last year’s success.
Pigeon led the team in assists as a freshman, tallying 21, and also scored eight goals, earning All-WIAC recognition. Eight times last season he recorded a multi-point game.
This season, with Stout off to a 3-0 start, Pigeon has already come through with three goals and three assists.
“I feel like I’m playing pretty good. And the team is looking good. It’s good to be back for another season,” Pigeon said.
Stout is looking to improve on its 13-14-2 record from a year ago and Pigeon is ready to do whatever he can to help make it happen.
He put in a lot of work this offseason to get himself ready.
“I tried to focus on getting a little bigger, a little stronger,” Pigeon said. “Coming in from juniors last year, this league is tough, so I focused on the physical aspect. I gained a few pounds and definitely feel better this year.”
He feels good about the way Stout has started as a team as well.
“We’re looking good ad moving in the right direction,” Pigeon said. “We have some good wins and want to prove ourselves against the best this year. We have good players on this team and I think the future is bright.”
A native of Quebec, Pigeon always had a goal of playing college hockey. And Stout appealed to him because so many of the players on the team were from Canada.
“There were some guys from juniors I played with here and a lot of Canadians on the team. That was something that interested me about coming to Stout,” Pigeon said.
With a strong passion for hockey, Pigeon said what he loves most about the sport is the escape the sport provides and the bond he has forged with teammates.
“It takes your mind off other things. Life is on pause and you can have fun for a few hours being with the boys,” Pigeon said. “I know a lot of of guys on the team are going through the same things as me, being away from home, and I’m grateful for the friendships I have on the team.”
Pigeon said that while he’s enjoyed the early season success, he’s looking forward to making the most of the rest of the season.
“I want to keep having fun. Last year hockey wasn’t as fun at times as it should have been, so I’m focused on having fun. I am going to work hard, too, but I don’t want to forget that hockey is just a game. It’s something that should bring you joy and make you happy.”
