SHAWINIGNAN , Quebec – Everything happened so quickly and for Alexandre Fortin this past summer and fall.
One day he was getting bypassed in the NHL draft and another he was getting praised by Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville in the preseason. Of course, a lot of things happened in between. He was invited to the Blackhawks prospect camp as a free agent. He excelled there, earned more invitations and was offered an entry-level contract. He then got a look in four Blackhawks preseason games before he was assigned to the QMJHL.
The rush of everything stayed with Fortin at first as he returned to his QMJHL team, the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies.