Exit Interviews 2024-25: #22 Garrett Pilon

With the 2025 Calder Cup Playoffs well underway and the Belleville Senators wading into the offseason, David Foot sat down with the players to reflect on a year filled with challenges, growth, and standout moments. In this exclusive series of year-in-review interviews, players open up about their personal journeys, team milestones, and what it meant to represent Belleville and the Bay of Quinte this season. From locker room highlights to on-ice battles, these conversations offer a behind-the-scenes look at the season that was — and a glimpse at what’s ahead.

Our final year in review is with forward Garrett Pilon. The veteran discusses his second season with the Senators (his first as Belleville’s captain) and chats about building more momentum into 2025-26 with a strong offseason.

DF: The theme this year seems to be disappointment in making the playoffs, but a lot of pride in what this group was able to accomplish and the work that was put in since October. Is that how you feel?

GP: Yeah, it’s obviously disappointing that our season is over, but looking at the past four weeks here and the stretch of games we had to go through to stay competitive and push for the playoffs, I think we did a great job. I’m definitely proud of the group for where we got to and the obstacles we had to overcome through the season. Super proud that we even got this close.

DF: It was your first full season as captain, and we’ve talked about it a bit through the year, but how did you find that role?

GP: It was definitely a learning experience. I’ve been in a scenario where I’ve been a leader on a team, but not necessarily the focal point wearing the letter and have that on my chest every night. I definitely wore it with pride and learned a lot. Going into next year, I think I’m a lot more poised for the season.

DF: On the ice, you had a career year with 48 points, one more than you had in your first season here last year. Were you happy with your on-ice play?

GP: I think there was a lot of off-ice stuff that was different, so I was proud of myself that I was able to put up points and let a lot of those other responsibilities not overwhelm me. But at the same time, I think I was given lots of opportunities to succeed, and that was kind of expected.

DF: This is a young team, too. How did you feel the rookies, or guys playing in their first full seasons, fared?

GP: I think there was a lot of growth. You look at guys like Jorian Donovan, Oskar Pettersson, or Stephen Halliday, who had a great season, and the growth they’ve had is huge. And the fact that they’ll have that as a starting point for next season, it will only go up for them.

DF: There’s a lot of attention right now on the parent club in Ottawa. Does the success up there change the vibe at all here in Belleville? Or do you just kind of watch that from a distance and hope to potentially be a part of it?

GP: It’s great for them to be back in the playoffs; they’ve been working all year to reach that goal, and they achieved it. I’m sure they’re poised to go on a long run. And for us, it’s exciting to be involved in that, even if we’re not there every day. There’s an opportunity for guys to potentially go up, and it’s a huge thing when your parent club is doing well. Having them do well and having us be so close to getting in is a good thing for the whole organization.

DF: You’re back next year, already signed for two years last summer, how does that impact your summer to know that you’re set up and know you’ll be back with the Senators?

GP: I obviously don’t have to stress about free agency, because that can always be a nightmare for some guys. Between May and June is a stressful time of year; you don’t know where you’re going to end up. For me, to have that comfort and know I’m going to be back here is huge. At the same time, it is a contract year, and those are big. So, I want to have a big summer here and push for an NHL roster spot, and I think I’m capable of doing that.

DF: Will you be spending the summer here or heading out west?

GP: I’ll be heading back to Calgary. My wife and I have a place out there.

DF: What else is on the docket for the summer?

GP: Plenty of weddings, I think we have three of those already this summer. Then, we’ll go to the lake, hang out with friends and family, work out, skate, the usual stuff.

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