It’s a decision he doesn’t regret and an opportunity he’s making the most of.
For Sault Ste. Marie’s Jason Fortier, working in the United States isn’t new, but working at the top level of American college hockey is. For the 48-year-old Sault product, an opportunity to join the coaching staff at the University of Maine was one he couldn’t pass up.
“It’s been really rewarding,” Fortier said of his time at Maine. “Stepping into Maine last year, we as a staff got the job late. We essentially inherited a team, maybe added one or two pieces. It was a tough year last year. We finished last. You’re trying to rebuild. Everyone talks about the four-year plan in college. It takes about four years to turn your program around. You’re trying to turn it around and what’s the expectation? Is it championship? Is it competitive?”
“For us, we’re talking about winning championships,” Fortier added. “Last year was tough, but we had a lot of growth in our program and I really believe the head coach, Ben Barr, really did a great job of really trying to make people feel like they’re a part of something and it’s not us versus them.”
Fortier added that this season has gone better than planned.
“All the pundits, the geniuses that they are, picked us to finish eleventh and we finished in sixth,” Fortier said. “Next year we have another incoming class that’s going to be pretty good. I really have high hopes for this program making changes in a short period of time and becoming a tough team to play against.”
This is year two of what was initially planned as a three-year commitment for Fortier at the school.
Fortier joined the Maine coaching staff after spending a season with the North American Hockey League’s Odessa Jackalopes and said the process to work at Maine was similar to what he went through to join Odessa prior to the 2020-21 season.
“Just the Visa component of it, I had to do it in Odessa, it’s the exact same Visa I did for Odessa, it’s pretty serious,” Fortier said.
“It’s not easy, it takes a lot of paperwork, but I’m fortunate that they’re willing to do it,” Fortier added. “It’s definitely been something that is a little nervewracking at times.”
There hasn’t been a lot of downtime for Fortier since he moved east to join the Hockey East school.
“College is very intense when it comes to work,” Fortier said. “There’s not a lot of relaxation. When you’re recruiting, you’re doing a lot of stuff. Everyone’s trying to figure out who all the players are so when you get home at night, you’re watching video.”
“Part of being a good coach is being able to recruit,” Fortier added.
When the opportunity arose to join the Maine staff, Fortier said “it was a pretty easy decision.”
“Anytime you get to work with people, Ben’s had success at college and he’s a winner,” Fortier also said. “I want to be around those people.”
“He’s a very driven and focused individual,” Fortier added. “He’s got a really keen eye when it comes to what he likes and what he doesn’t like. He’s approachable and the players like him, but he’s also firm enough that the players respect him.”
Over the years, Fortier said he’s learned a lot along the way from the coaches he’s played for as well as coached with.
“I had my dad (Jerry), that was a hockey guy, he coached, but it was moreso being around him all the time, going to watch games, listening to him trying to build what that identity of what a hockey player is for me,” Fortier said.
“John Fuselli was a coach of mine in midget who was really tough on you at practice, but really funny and a human,” Fortier added. “Say you weren’t at your best at practice, you could still talk to him after.”
Prior to joining Barr’s staff, Fortier had some previous dealings with Barr. The two crossed paths while Fortier was coaching in junior.
“We were hockey guys and he respected me,” Fortier said. “He’s always told me he’s respected what I’ve done. He’s watched me on the bench and he tells some funny stories about interactions with players that I’ve coaches. I think he respects the fact that I was probably one of the more straight shooters. It worked out because it helped me get this job.”
Fortier said many of his coaches and people he’s worked with over the years have left a mark on him.
“There’s something in every coach that I’ve worked with that I’ve stolen or that I’ve liked,” Fortier said. “A lot of the coaches I had when I played, I was probably not the greatest player and the greatest attitude. I probably wasn’t looking for all of the endearing qualities. I was probably looking for what annoyed me so I could find an excuse to complain. I don’t think I had the greatest mindset when I was 18 through 24. I’m mature enough to look in the mirror and see my own flaws and things I did wrong. Those helped me coaching as well so I don’t really recruit too many guys like myself.”