Jérémie Payant commits to RPI
The '02 forward will bring elite speed to RPI's forward group next year
https://twitter.com/JeremiePayant/status/1624474669926744064?s=20 (Thank you Elon for not letting these embed any more).
A few months ago, RPI picked up a commitment from ‘02 forward Jérémie Payant. Payant is a center listed at 5’10” and 170 LBs whose season with the Nanaimo Clippers in the BCHL recently wrapped up. He had 23 goals, 20 assists, and 43 points in 52 games. While he is considered an overager due to his birth year, he is not a true overager since he has a late birth day.
Payant is going to be noticed right away on the ice due to his elite speed. He can absolutely fly on the ice, similar to rising senior Jack Brackett. That’s not all though as he has great hands and skill to go with it.
Look at how he uses his speed here to transport the puck in transition, and then, once he has the defender turned, he dangles to get to inside ice and score. https://twitter.com/danmarshall77/status/1515575942541824001?s=20.
Here, he uses his quick hands to easily get past a defender who stepped up on him, and then dangles the goalie and goes top shelf with his backhand. https://twitter.com/ClippersHockey/status/1601464541380227072?s=20.
This time, he dangles two defensemen and scores with a third defenseman draped on him. https://twitter.com/sezenack/status/1640076968682029057?s=20.
His shot is nothing to sneeze at either. Just look at the first goal in this video (the second goal is another good example of his quick hands). https://twitter.com/danmarshall77/status/1510492474090745858?s=20.
Ok that’s it for highlights, I promise!
Along with his obvious offensive skills, Payant has really improved his game defensively. Neutral Zone described him as “relentless on the forecheck”, and he isn’t afraid to get physical despite his size. He can kill penalties well and is trusted by his coaches in his own end now.
From that article: GM and Head Coach Colin Birkas commented, "Jay is one of the fastest players in BCHL and has really rounded out his game to be impactful in all zones. He has game-breaking talent that plays the game the right way. Since coming to us Jay has been loyal to the program and has been rightly rewarded for his on and off-ice contributions to the Nanaimo clippers. I am very happy for Jérémie and the Payant family."
RPI has been interested in Payant for awhile now. He apparently first visited the school 3 years ago and kept in touch throughout that time, which shows both how important relationships are in the recruiting process and how RPI’s coaching staff excels in that. This has no doubt played a role in the major success the program has seen on the recruiting trail in the past few months.
With his birthdate, Payant will be coming to RPI this fall. I think he will move to the wing due to RPI’s excellent center depth. They have Lee, Muzzatti, Beaton and Ciccarello all returning at the postion, and they are adding both Tinling and McNeil in the recruiting class. I expect that Payant will make an immediate impact in the bottom 6 due to his speed, skill, and grit. However, he has the ceiling to be a top 6 player down the road as he continues to develop. I can’t wait to see him flying all over the ice in the fall! Congratulations to Jérémie and his family!