By Kevin Gould, Cornwall Standard-Freeholder

The Ottawa Junior Senators took a chance on Adrien Bisson, and it’s paid off.

The Sens selected the Cornwall defenceman in the CCHL draft three years ago (the 2014 draft, first pick of the second round, 13th overall), and Bisson has become a big part of a strong Ottawa blueline.

 “He was high on our list. We knew it was a bit of a gamble, taking a kid who lives a bit of a distance from Ottawa,” said Ottawa coach Martin Dagenais. “But we really liked him and it just went from there.”

The selection caught Bisson by surprise too.

“It was not expected at all,” said Bisson, 18. “I thought I’d be drafted by Cornwall.”

Like players he grew up playing with  - such as Konnor MacCormick and Noah Konink.

Instead, he became a Junior Sen.

“I didn’t know much about Ottawa at first, but it’s worked out pretty well,” said Bisson, who has found a spot on the Junior Sens’ blueline this season, and looked good doing it.

“He has been a real pleasant surprise,” said Dagenais of Bisson. “We have a lot of young guys on our blueline and he’s one of them. They’re young, but they play like veterans.”

Bisson played with the Ottawa U-18 team last season, before making the jump to the big club this year. Throughout, he’s lived in Cornwall, travelling back and forth to Ottawa for practices.

“I wanted to finish my high school in Cornwall,” said Bisson, who is in his Grade 12 year at L’Heritage.

It’s meant a lot of time in the car, travelling to Ottawa almost daily for practices or games.

“I don’t mind it at all,” said Bisson of the daily trek to the nation’s capital. “I played for the (Eastern Ontario AAA) Wild, so I was kind of used to it.”

Next year, there won’t be as much travel, as Bisson plans to live in Ottawa and study part-time at the University of Ottawa (criminology) while playing for the Junior Sens.

Like most in the CCHL, Bisson hopes to earn an NCAA scholarship.

 “I’ve had conversations already from D-I schools, about him, and I can definitely see him playing Division I,” said Dagenais.

“I haven’t really talked to anyone. I’m still young in this league,” said Bisson. “Next year will be a big one for me.”

This one’s not over though, and that’s where Bisson’s thoughts currently reside – with the CCHL final that begins on Saturday, against the three-time defending champion Carleton Place Canadians.

After dusting off the Cornwall Colts in four games, the Sens earned a bit of a rest.

“It’s nice, get a bit of a break, get some time off,” said Bisson, who was somewhat startled at his team’s sweep of the Colts.

“Honestly, I was kind of surprised at how the series went,” he said. “Before the series, I think everyone thought it would be a long one. They (Cornwall) finished ahead of us, and we’re two very similar teams, pretty even.

“We were expecting to win, because we’re a pretty confident team, but we didn’t think we’d win it in four games.

“After Game 1 (a 5-1 Ottawa win), we just knew that if we played our game, we would do well. We just gained a lot of confidence.”

That’s exactly what Bisson has done the past two years – gained confidence, and plenty of it.

“I was always the guy who wasn’t really a top defenceman on my team,” said Bisson. “That kind of changed last year, playing U-18 with Ottawa. I got to play as a one or two defenceman for the first time.”

He’s made the most of the opportunity.

“I really gained confidence last year, and came into this year believing that I could play here,” said Bisson, who missed about a month of the season with a concussion, returning to the lineup just two games before the playoffs started.

“It was tough, sitting and watching guys play, because I felt good,” said Bisson. “But, you have to wait, to make sure.”

He’s been a big part of the Ottawa playoff drive, after getting a taste of it last year. Bisson was with the Junior Sens for all 12 of their postseason games last season, but played in just two.

“I got to experience it a bit, but I didn’t play much. This year, I’m really looking forward to trying to win it all.”

The Sens lost in the CCHL final last year, losing Game 7 to Carleton Place, 3-2.

So far this postseason, they’ve been dominant, winning the first-round series against Brockville in five games, before sweeping the Colts, outscoring them 15-6 in the process.

The best the team has played this season?

“Absolutely I think it is,” said Bisson. “I still think there’s room for improvement, but when everyone is doing their job the way we are now, we’re a very good team.”