The veteran is beaming as he is about to take his team back to his hometown
Inside Parc de la Famille, in the heart of Sainte-Marie-de-Beauce, there are still traces of Thomas Chabot’s childhood.
It’s not obvious at first glance. When the municipality decided to invest some money to modernize the installations a few years ago, the space where the outdoor skating rink used to be disappeared. Modern equipment was installed to allow other sports to be played.
You only have to take a closer look at the park pavilion to find traces of the frenzied games that were played there, somewhere between 2010 and 2015. On the white door, there are dozens of black marks, representing all the times that Chabot and his many friends missed the net…
The park is literally located about twenty steps from the house where Chabot’s parents, François and Claude, still live.
These memories are likely to come flooding back to the veteran Senators defenceman in the coming days when the team stops in the Quebec City area to continue its training camp.
When he talks about his childhood, Chabot never fails to remind us that he comes from a place that is nothing out of the ordinary. “Sainte-Marie is really tiny,” he says.
Yet the young man who grew up with only one thing on his mind was just fine with that.
“I think the hockey nets were out all the time,” Claude told us during a summer visit.
During the coldest months of winter, when it was time to shovel the rink before playing a game, it wasn’t too hard to find volunteers.
Thomas could always count on his older brother, Félix-Antoine. Then there were the two Perreault brothers, who lived next door. The Drouins lived right across the street. The Laflammes, who lived a little further away, were always up for a game.
A little further up the street was Alex Breton, his childhood best friend, who also made his mark in the Ottawa-Gatineau region. Some people may recall that Breton played for the Olympiques in the QMJHL for four seasons. He even captained the team. A little later, he suited up with the Belleville Senators in the AHL for a couple of games. These days, he plays in Germany.
“In total, there must have been about fifteen hockey players in our extended group,” Chabot estimates.
While the intensity was always there, the group never took itself too seriously.
“When I was little, I used to tell my grandparents that I was going to play in the NHL. I said that like any other little kid,” says Chabot. “But I played hockey because I loved it and because it was always super fun.”
The book that caused a suspension
François Chabot spent his career in education. It was essential to him that his sons succeed… in school!
François, a mild mannered man, even went so far as to suspend his talented younger son to remind him of his priorities.
“There was a book at school that I never wanted to read. My father insisted that I read it. We argued about it,” says Chabot. “In the end, I failed my exam, of course, because I didn’t read the book. He decided to make me miss a hockey game. I had to drive with him all the way to Lac-Etchemin to watch my team play in the Bantam AA league. I sat in the stands with my father while my team played.”
Thomas Chabot played for fun, so he was slow to leave Sainte-Marie to join the most competitive hockey teams in his region. He took part in the prestigious Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament twice in the “CC” class with the Beauce-Nord Rapides.
Fifteen years later, some memories remain vivid. Others, less so. He remembers a loss in the semifinals against a French team from Rouen. He remembers a big game at the Colisée Pepsi when the stands were packed. “There were a lot of people! We played the game right after the Little Nordiques… Or the Little Remparts. I don’t remember very well. It doesn’t matter.”
Chabot remembers most of all a goal allowed at the wrong time by his goalie in a 3-2 loss. Unfortunately, we can’t repeat the word Chabot used to describe that goal in this article.
“We still tease our goalie about it today. He was one of my best friends back then, and he’s still one of my best friends today. When we have a drink together, we like to remind him about that goal…”
“My friends from Sainte-Marie are guys I’ve played hockey with my whole life. When we spend evenings together, those stories always come up and it’s a lot of fun.”
Chabot doesn’t get to play sports with his old buddies very often anymore. He speaks with a touch of nostalgia about a municipal softball tournament he participated in a few years ago with the gang. He describes himself as a ‘solid shortstop.’ “We’re a strong team, honestly. The infield doesn’t let much get past them.”
He could talk about the Senators’ defensive core, the giant strides made over the past year, and the arrival of Jordan Spence, and he wouldn’t be any more enthusiastic.
Thirty-minute drive
Thomas Chabot enjoys spending time on the diamond with his friends today because it brings back fond childhood memories.
“When I was young, in the spring, I would put my hockey bag away in the basement,” he says.
If he missed hockey, during the offseason he had to get out his inline skates. In the Chabot household, spending the entire year on the ice rink was out of the question. Despite his immense potential, Thomas had to spend the best months of the year doing something else. So he spent his childhood playing soccer. Or baseball.
“Seriously, I think I played baseball until I was 16 or 17. When I signed with an agent, my outlook changed. It was my agent who made me realize that I should probably focus on hockey at that point.”
That is when Chabot first felt the urge to leave home.
Leaving Sainte-Marie-de-Beauce, it takes about 30 minutes to reach Quebec City. Despite the geographical proximity, it feels like a different world.
Just before making his debut in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL), Chabot became a regular at Laval University’s sports complex. Every summer, the PEPS (Pavillon de l’Éducation physique et des sports) becomes a refuge for all the top-level hockey players in the Old Capital.
At first, he didn’t have a driver’s license. François Chabot spent part of his summer vacation driving his son around.
During his first visits to PEPS as a teenager, he experienced a bit of a shock.
“Having the chance to join the Quebec City group to train with David Savard, Alexandre Picard, Antoine Vermette, Patrice Bergeron, David Desharnais… It was my first opportunity to see how NHL players worked. I saw how they filled their days. I think that’s what I appreciated the most,” says Chabot.
“Spending time with them was cool. Feeling accepted into the group when I was 15, 16, or 17… It was really cool.”
“At 17 or 18, I knew I was going to be drafted into the National League, but my summer training program still opened my eyes. Of course, with Patrice Bergeron, we were reaching extreme levels, but watching him, I quickly realized that I was further away from the NHL than I thought.”
Today, the group has changed significantly. At 28, the young Senators veteran is often the one leading summer ice training sessions. On Monday evenings, he indulges his competitive spirit by participating in CILS Summer League games. The so-called friendly league brings together all professional players from the greater Quebec City area.
It’s not uncommon to see dozens of spectators inside the PEPS stands watching the high-level action. In fact, a few years ago, Anaheim Ducks prospect Tristan Luneau lost a few teeth there. This summer, an experienced NHL player injured his ankle. “It’s pretty intense,” warns Chabot.
According to statistics available online, Chabot didn’t do too badly. He racked up no less than 18 points in five games during the 2025 season.
“It’s still weird to think about. I’m only 28. I’m not that old. I want to give the group the same feeling I had when I was young. I want the young guys coming in to feel welcome. I want them to feel like they’re part of the group,” says Chabot.
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