Whatever Happened to...? A Laker Alumni Update

Whatever happened to Jocelyn Dubord?

The first question most people would ask at this point in time is who is Jocelyn Dubord?  Well, Dubord was a forward who played for the SUNY Oswego Lakers from 2002 until 2006, when he graduated.  He was born in LaChenaie, Province of Quebec on January 12, 1981.  He stood an impressive 6'1" and weighed 200 pounds and shot left-handed.

Dubord was one of the last of a dying breed for the Lakers:  He never played in juniors.  After a couple of years of playing on the semi-pro circuit in Quebec Dubord got tired of pointless bus rides and high expenditures and gave up his dream of playing professional hockey in favor of an education.

And it was his education that brought him to Oswego, New York.  When touring the campus a tour guide told him about the Division II/III hockey team present on the campus and told him - probably dishonestly - that he would have the opportunity to try out for the team.  Dubord took the bait and opted to attend Oswego on the basis for the potential to continue playing hockey while getting an education.  Like most other walk-on tryouts he was only given a token chance to play by head coach Ed Gosek, but Dubord caught Gosek's eye and in a surprising move was kept on the team.  And for good reason:  He had 37 points in his freshman year with the team.  Not bad for a kid who couldn't get a spot on the juniors circuit in Canada.  He had another 29 points his sophomore year, 38 points his junior year, and a career-high 43 points his senior year.

Dubord went undrafted out of college and attended several tryout camps but was not offered a professional contract.  He returned to Quebec and took a job teaching in a junior high school and resumed playing in the semi-pro circuit.  And it was there, ironically in the same semi-pro league that he had begun his adult career in, that he was finally noticed by a scout and was offered a tryout in front of several independent minor league teams.  He signed a contract with the independent Odessa Jackalopes of the CHL and tallied 13 points in 37 games with the club.

He tired of the long bus rides and low pay near the end of the season and retired from professional hockey.  He lives in Quebec and teaches junior high school English classes and still plays in a semi-pro league.