Coralville, Iowa- On the morning of July 17, the Iowa Heartlanders made one of their highest-profile rookie signings in team history by bringing in William Rousseau, a 21-year-old left-handed goaltender from Trois-Rivieres, Quebec.
Grandson of Calder Trophy winner and four-time Stanley Cup Champion Bobby Rousseau, William is already a very accomplished goaltender in junior hockey and will look to continue his success in the Heartland. Bobby spent 15 years in the NHL playing with the New York Rangers, Minnesota North Stars, and Montreal Canadiens. He would put up 245 goals and 458 assists for 703 points in 942 games.
In 2022-23, William won the CHL Memorial Cup with the Quebec Ramparts, winning the most outstanding goaltender of the tournament, while also boasting 35 wins in the regular season and just 2.22 goals against.
In 2023-24, now with the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies, Rousseau led the league with 34 wins and a .924 save percentage, including eight shutouts.
Rousseau spent four seasons in the QMJHL, going 95-26-3 with a 2.35 GAA, .910SV%, and three shutouts in 137 games with the Quebec Remparts and Rouyn-Noranda Huskies.
Here are just a few highlights to get Heartlander fans excited:
Heartlanders fans have the chance to see a player of great potential step on the Xtream Arena ice wearing the Buck and Rose.
William Rousseau is now the eighth player under contract for the upcoming season. With qualifying offers expiring on July 21, we may see more players join the ranks quickly. Here is what Derek Damon’s squad looks like so far:
Goaltenders (1): William Rousseau
Defensemen (1): Jules Boscq
Forwards (6): Nico Blachman, Will Calverley, Adam Goodsir, Yuki Miura, Jonny Sorenson
