Mr. Eric Lecombte, the HCC Midget AA Head Coach, is a highly respected and very popular member of the HCC staff. In the two years Mr. Lecompte has been coaching at the college, everyone has learned to know him as an enthusiastic, well-prepared professional coach. Many also know him from his active career, which started as Chicago Black Hawks’ first-round draft choice and led to 14 successful years as a pro.

For Eve (12) and Nathan (3), however, those achievements do not count for much. For them, Mr. Lecompte is only one thing, their Dad. In fact, little Nathan does not even know that his dad used to play hockey, so when the Lecomptes go for a fun day at the rink, Nathan doesn’t want to play. He goes behind the bench and coaches, just like dad does with the big boys.

Mr. Lecompte and his wife, Nadia, love traveling, meeting new people, and learning about different cultures. One of their fondest memories, is a three-week tour of Europe, seeing all those fun, famous, and fascinating places, such as Paris, Barcelona, Rome, Venice, Athens, Vienna, and many others.

Special places in their hearts are Bern, Switzerland, and Indianapolis, IN. Not only because of the happy hockey years they’ve spent there, but more so because Nathan and Eve were born there, and there’s were the rewarding experience of being parents and the enjoyment of being a family began. Being a father has also proven to be an important learning experience. So, if any HCC midget player wonders, where Mr. Lecompte developed his tough-love approach, you now know that he’s been refining it over the last 12 years, and there is plenty on stock, if anyone would like to challenge the 6’4’’ 240 lbs head coach.

Through his family, Mr. Lecompte has also developed a more artistic side, as Eve’s athleticism has turned him into a fan of gymnastics. Watching Eve on the balance beam, can be more nerve-racking than any hockey game. Another artistic stream in the family is Nadia’s and his passion for music, everything from A to Z (ABBA to ZZ Top) with a huge portion of classic music and la musique québécoise in-between.

This passion recently made him decide to take up guitar playing and he is now eagerly attending guitar classes every week. According to his neighbours, he doesn’t sound like Eddie Van Halen quite yet, but on the other hand, they haven’t put up their house for sale either, not yet… Well, the good news on the local real estate market are that, during the winter, Mr. Lecompte will not have too much time to spend on preparing himself for a second career as a heavy-metal rock-star and, in the summers, he prefers to refine his skills in his newly found passion, golf. “If I could turn back the clock”, he says, “I would have tried a career in golf instead of hockey”. On a second thought, though, he admits that hockey’s been really good for him.

As a true team player he just loves to hang out with family and friends, and that’s really what hockey is all about. Surround yourself with good people! Live your life as a good teammate on a good team! Because, as Mr. Lecompte puts it, “life is made to be enjoyed!”