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Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Reid on the Rocket: Big third period helps Rocket beat Wildcats

The P.E.I. Rocket scored four goals in the third period and Wes Herrett had the game winning goal in a 4-1 win over the Moncton Wildcats Tuesday night at the Moncton Coliseum.

The Rocket improve to 15-31-2-2 on the season, and won their fifth game against the Wildcats this season. P.E.I. currently leads the season series between the two clubs 5-1-0.

Jessyko Bernard had a goal and an assist as Josh Currie and rookie Antoine Venne had a pair of assists each for the Rocket.

After a scoreless first period, the Wildcats took a 1-0 lead with 54 seconds to go in the second period with Marek Hrivik's 21st goal of the season.

Alex Noel tied the game with his sixth of the season 2:23 into the third period.

Herrett gave P.E.I. a 2-1 lead at 9:08 before Tomas Pavelka added a powerplay goal at 14:49.

Rocket's Bernard sealed the deal with an empty-net powerplay goal at 18:32 to give the Rocket a 4-1 lead.

Antoine Bibeau made 20 saves in goal for the Rocket to pick up the win. Roman Will made 24 saves in the loss for Moncton.

The Rocket return home Thursday and Friday night for back-to-back games against the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles. Both games a 7 p.m.

Monday, January 30, 2012

Will, Micallef & Brunelle named 3 stars of the week

Roman Will, Alex Micallef and Jonathan Brunelle have been named the Telus Three Stars of the Week of January 23-29, the league announced today.



Will, the starting goaltender for the Moncton Wildcats, went 1-1 this weekend.

In the first of his two games, he made 45 saves in a 1-0 loss to defending Memorial Cup champion Saint John Sea Dogs. On Saturday, Will made 37 saves in a 2-1 win against Baie-Comeau.

Will was named the first star of both games and had a combined save percentage of .976.

Micallef, a stud defensemen with the Blanville-Boisbriand Armada is the second-star of the week.

Micallef had a goal and two assists in a 6-5 win against the Acadie-Bathurst Titan on Wednesday. Friday, he had another goal, this time against the Wildcats. On Saturday against P.E.I. he scored a goal, his third consecutive game doing so. He capped off the week Sunday against Saint John, adding an assist.

Micallef was a plus-4 in those four games.

Brunelle, of the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles was named third-star of the week.

Brunelle started off the week Tuesday against Baie-Comeau, scoring a goal and adding two assists. He followed up that nice effort with an even more impressive goal and three assists Friday against Acadie-Bathurst.

Saturday, January 28, 2012

Reid on the Rocket: Rocket comeback but lose 4-2 to Armada

Olivier Picard capitalized on an odd-man rush for the Blainville-Bosbriand Armada with 4:13 left in the third period and it proved to be the game-winner as the Armada dropped the P.E.I. Rocket 4-2 on Saturday night at the Charlottetown Civic Centre.

The Rocket erased a 2-0 second-period deficit to tie the game with two powerplay goals in the third period, but couldn't get the job done. With the loss, the Rocket drop to 14-31-2-2 on the season.

Rocket defenceman Jimmy Oligny said the Rocket played hard but turnovers cost them the game.

"Overall, I think we played well."

After a scoreless first period, the Armada jumped out to a 2-0 lead with goals from Samuel Hodhod and Alex Micallef, powerplay, at 1:16 and 8:26 respectively.

It was Armada's goaltender, Storm Phaneuf, that let the Armada take the lead, said Oligny.

"The puck just wouldn't go in. The goaltender on the other side was making great saves."

Oligny scored his second goal in two games to bring the Rocket within a goal at 5:53. The 18-year-old Rocket alternate captain has three goals so far this season.

It's very unusual, Oligny joked.

"I guess I just shoot the puck more and try and keep that going."

Tomas Pavelka scored his fifth of the season at 11:09 to tie the game.

Picard scored his second of the season to put the Armada back infront at 15:47 before Cedric Paquette scored on the empty net with 15.4 seconds left to seal the deal.

Maxime Lagace made 21 saves in the loss for the Rocket. Phaneuf made 31 saves for second-star honours for the win.

The Rocket travel to Moncton to take on the Wildcats on Tuesday Jan. 31. Gametime 7 p.m.

The Rocket return home Thursday Feb. 2 when they host the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles at 7 p.m.

Video Highlights


Photo by Darrell Kennedy.

nolan@theqspot.ca

Keeping an eye on the Q's Europeans

Each season a new group of European stars bring their skills to North America via the CHL Import Draft.

These players usually go on to play significant roles for their Canadian clubs. This season is no different with six European skaters in the top 30 in QMJHL scoring.

Three of these six skaters are QMJHL rookies, taken in the 2011 import draft.

Mikhail Grigorenko leads the charge of European’s this season. Grigorenko, the QMJHL’s top prospect for the 2012 NHL Entry Draft, leads all rookies with 61 points in 39 games this season.

He was ranked second amongst all North American skaters by the most recent NHL Central Scouting Service (CSS) report and has a four point lead over Halifax’s Nathan MacKinnon in the rookie scoring race. CSS ranks players based on the geography of their current league, not birthplace.

Grigorenko stands a very good chance at becoming the first QMJHL player to make the transition to the NHL as an 18-year-old since Rimouski’s Sidney Crosby made the jump in 2005. This is a very exclusive club, including Crosby, only four 18-year-olds have made the jump from the QMJHL in the past 15 years. These players are: VincentLecavalier, Pierre Marc Bouchard, and Patrice Bergeron.

Anton Zlobin has a lot of ground to make up if he’s going to catch Grigorenko for the European scoring crown. Zlobin is currently second in European scoring with 56 points in 48 games this season. Those five points may not seem like much, but Zlobin has played nine more games this season than Grigorenko.

Undrafted at the 2011 NHL draft and not dominating the way most would expect a 19-year-old European skater too, has dropped his draft stock in 2012. Still, Zlobin’s 31 goals lead all European skaters in the QMJHL this season and thus CSS has him projected as the 128th skater amongst players in North American leagues.
Despite missing time due to injury and the World Junior Championships, Saint John’s Tomas Jurco sits third in team scoring and third among Europeans this season with 51 points.

Having played only 35 games, Jurco comes in with the least amount of games among Europeans in the top five. Averaging well over a point per game and having the luxury of playing for a powerhouse Saint John squad, expect Jurco to take over second spot among the top five by season's end. If anyone has the ability to challenge Grigorenko for the European scoring lead this season it will be Jurco. A late birthday delayed Jurco’s draft eligibility until 2011 where he was taken 35th overall in the second-round by the Detroit Red Wings.

A three way tie rounds out the top 30 in QMJHL scoring as well as the top five amongst Euro’s.

Sven Andrighetto, Marek Hrivik and Matej Beran each have 50 points on the season.

Andrighetto leads the three with 23 goals on the season, yet of the three, he’s the lowest ranked by CSS at 186th.

Hrivik and Beran are tied with 19goals each and are likely to be drafted this summer. Beran is ranked 59thamong North American skaters and Hrivik 65th.

Despite various rankings, all six are playing crucial roles for their respective teams this season. Grigorenko and Zlobin are the leading scorers for two Presidents Cup contenders in Quebec and Shawinigan.

Andrighetto leads his club, the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies, as well. On P.E.I., Beran follows only star Ben Duffy in scoring and Jurco and Hrivik sit third on their respective teams in scoring.

Friday, January 27, 2012

Reid on the Rocket: Rocket pick up 14th win with 3-2 win over Drakkar

Ben Duffy's third period powerplay goal became the eventual game-winning goal as the P.E.I. Rocket edged the Baie-Comeau Drakkar 3-2 Friday night at the Charlottetown Civic Centre.

The win for the Rocket improves their season record to 14-30-2-2, but remain last overall in the league.

Rocket goaltender Maxime Lagace, who made 23 saves for third-star honours, said the team played great.

"We had a couple of penalties but our penalty kill played well. I think I did what I had to do and players did great so I'm pretty happy with the game."

Jimmy Oligny's second goal of the season opened the scoring at 15:29 of the first period and gave the Rocket the 1-0 lead. Matej Beran and Duffy drew the assists.

On the powerplay, Drakkar's Jonathan Lessard tied the game at one, two minutes later.

In the second period, Victor Provencher gave the Rocket a 2-1 lead with his 16th of the season at 2:43. Duffy and Jessyko Bernard drew the assists.

Duffy's 28th goal of the year gave the Rocket a 3-1 lead at 1:26 on the powerplay. Beran and Oligny drew the assists.

Drakkar's Samuel Carrier went five-hole on Lagace to cut the Rocket lead to one at 16:54.

Lagace said he wasn't too nervous during the last few minutes of the game with his team holding a one-goal lead.

"It was my bad, it was not the best goal. It was just the same job I had all game; just stop the puck. Sure, when there's six guys around you, you don't know where they're going to go but it's still fun."

Drakkar goaltender Philippe Cadorette, who was recently named CHL Vaughn Goaltender of the Week, made 22 saves in the loss.

The Rocket host the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada Saturday night at 7 p.m. The Rocket need to play the same way, said Lagace.

"Not take as many penalties…and I think we should win the game tomorrow night."

The P.E.I. Rocket will be honouring several Holland College teams tomorrow night during The Holland College Hurricanes Night of Champions. Holland College students can purchase a ticket for $5 by presenting their college ID.

nolan@theqspot.ca

Grigorenko, Frk named Top Prospect Game alternate captains

Remparts rookie Mikhail Grigorenko

Quebec Remparts super-rookie Mikhail Grigorenko and Halifax Mooseheads player Martin Frk have been named alternate captains for the 2012 Home Hardware NHL Top Prospects game.

Grigorenko, ranked second in the most recent Central Scouting Service rankings, has 60 points in 28 games this season.

Frk was ranked 25th overall in the same rankings and has 11 points in 15 contests, after missing the first half of the season with a head injury.

The top two draft eligible players from the QMJHL will be on opposite sides. Grigorenko will skate with Team Orr, while Frk will be coached by Don Cherry.

Other players from the QMJHL include Victoriaville goaltender Brandon Whitney, Chicoutimi's Charles Hudon and Halifax's Andrew Ryan.

The game takes place Feb. 1 at Prospera Place in Kelowna, B.C., home of the WHL's Kelowna Rockets.


jonathan@theqspot.ca

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Future Watch with Jonathan Dunphy


Jonathan Dunphy will be taking a look at the future of the QMJHL, including NHL Draft Prospects coming out of the Q and prospects for the upcoming QMJHL Draft.

Look for these posts every two weeks!

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Cadorette of the Drakkar named Vaughn CHL goaltender of the week


Toronto, Ont. - Baie-Comeau Drakkar rookie goaltender Philippe Cadorette has been named the Vaughn CHL Goaltender of the Week for the week ending Jan. 22, the Canadian Hockey League announced today.

The 16-year-old posted a 2-0-0 record including a shutout victory with a goals-against-average of 0.50 and a saver percentage of 0.975.

The St-Hyacinthe, Que., native made 11 saves on Friday night in a 6-1 win over the P.E.I. Rocket. Then, on Sunday, Cadorette recorded his first career QMJHL shutout in just his fourth career start, making 28 saves in a 2-0 win over the Rimouski Oceanic.

Cadorette was a second-round pick by the Drakkar in 2011 QMJHL Entry Draft. So far this season he carries a 3-1-0 record with a 1.89 goals-against-average and a save percentage of .913.

2011-2012 Vaughn CHL Goaltenders of the Week:
Jan. 16 - Jan. 22: Philippe Cadorette, Baie-Comeau Drakkar
Jan. 9 - Jan. 15: Mac Carruth, Portland Winterhawks
Jan. 2 - Jan. 8: Ty Rimmer, Tri-City Americans
Dec. 26 - Jan. 1: Jacob Gervais-Chouinard, Rimouski Oceanic
Dec. 12 - Dec. 18: Christopher Festarini, Niagara IceDogs
Dec. 5 - Dec. 11: Etienne Marcoux, Blainville-Boisbriand Armada
Nov. 28 - Dec. 4: Joel Vienneau, Sudbury Wolves
Nov. 21 - Nov. 27: Malcom Subban, Belleville Bulls
Nov. 14 - Nov. 20: Calvin Pickard, Seattle Thunderbirds
Nov. 7 - Nov. 13: Roman Will, Moncton Wildcats
Oct. 31 - Nov. 6: Malcolm Subban, Belleville Bulls
Oct. 24 - Oct. 30: Tyler Bunz, Medicine Hat Tigers
Oct. 17 - Oct. 23: Eric Comrie, Tri-City Americans
Oct. 10 - Oct. 16: Patrik Bartosak, Red Deer Rebels
Oct. 3 - Oct. 9: Francois Tremblay, Val-d'Or Foreurs
Sept. 26 - Oct. 2: Jimmy Appleby, Baie-Comeau Drakkar
Sept. 21 - Sept. 25: Michael Houser, London Knights

nolan@theqspot.ca

Monday, January 23, 2012

O'Brien, Cadorette and Gourde named Telus three stars of the week

Zach O'Brien, Philippe Cadorette and Yanni Gourde were named the Telus three stars of the week from Jan. 16 to Jan. 22, the league announced earlier today.

This week's first-star is Acadie-Bathurst Titan right-winger Zach O'Brien. The 19-year-old St. John's, N.L., native finished the week with five goals and seven points in two games.

On Friday, O'Brien had four goals and added an assist in a 7-4 win over the Moncton Wildcats. In that game he scored his 40th goal of the season and became the first player this season to hit the 40-goal-mark plateau.

On Sunday, he had a goal and an assist against the Saint John Sea Dogs in a 5-2 loss.

O'Brien has 42 goals and 84 points this season through 47 games and currently sits second-overall in league scoring.

This week's second-star is Baie-Comeau Drakkar rookie netminder, Philippe Cadorette. The 16-year-old started in two games over the weekend posting a 2-0 record and also posted his first career shutout.

He got the start Friday night against the P.E.I. Rocket where he made 11 saves.

On Sunday against the Rimouski Oceanic, Cadorette started in his fourth QMJHL game and made 28 saves for the shutout in a 2-0 win.

This week's third-star of the week is Victoriaville Tigres forward Yanni Gourde. The 20-year-old currently leads the league in scoring with 27 goals and 86 points in 48 points. Gourde finished the week with two goals and five points in two games.

Gourde had a goal and three assists in Friday's 5-4 win over the Drummondville Voltigeurs. Gourde scored the game-winning goal.

On Sunday, Gourde scored the game-winning goal in a 2-1 win over the P.E.I. Rocket.

QMJHL action continues Tuesday night with three games on the schedule.

nolan@theqspot.ca

Whos Hot - Whos Not: January 16th -22nd


This week in the Q turned out to be another bad one for goaltenders with a number of high scoring games.

The hot man this week was Zach O'Brien of the Acadie-Bathurst Titan. In two games, the offensive forward chipped in five goals and added two assists for seven points and is closing the gap between him and the leading scorer, Yanni Gourde of the Victoriaville Tigres.

The twin combination from the Maritime division have been putting up some nice numbers as of late. Allain Saulnier had a huge week putting up two goals and two assists against Cape-Breton and chipped in an assist against Halifax. His twin-brother Alex has put together a pretty nice streak of 11 games with a point. He had two goals and an assist against the Screaming Eagles and had an assist in a loss to Bathurst.

It seemed like last weeks cold man was out for redemption this week as he showed his play makers touch. Jonathan Huberdeau had three assists against Halifax and another two against Bathurst for five points in two games.

Huberdeau's Sea Dogs were on fire this past week in regaining first overall in the league, picking up two wins in two games and outscoring their opponents 12-5.
Drummondville, who is 14th place, was one of the only teams to play three games and in doing so picked up five points with wins over Victoriaville and fifth place Quebec and a tough shootout loss to the Aramada and moved themselves four points out of 13th.

Last week's cold team just can't seem to get the trained turned around. The Rempart couldn't pick up a point in two games and dropped from fourth to fifth and will once again drop in the BMO CHL standings. It is time for Roy and Quebec to turn this bus around.

Another team that struggled this week on a three game road trip were the P.E.I. Rocket. The Rocket have struggle for most of the season but saw themselves only two points out of that final playoff spot going into the road trip. The team only managed to score three goals on the road trip being out scored 17-3 and dropping to five points out of that final spot.

On the topic of Patrick Roy's Quebec Rempart, the head coach has to be scratching his head towards the play of his goaltender. Louis Domingue gets the nod for coldest player of the week. One of the last cuts from this year's world juniors couldn't find his game this week, allowing four goals on 20 shots against Drummondville and four goals on 18 shots against Shawinigan, posting a GAA of 4.57 and a save percentage of .789.

Another netminder who couldn't find his stride last week was Halifax's 16-year-old standout Zachary Fucale. Fucale has had control of the reins since starter Anthony Terenzio went down with a concussion early in the season. As of late, Fucale has struggled and much of the finger pointing has to be at fatigue with 36 games played as a 16-year-old as well playing for team Quebec at the under-17's. He went 0-2 this week allowing 11 goals with a 5.56 GAA and .825 save percentage.

A slumping star who needed to step up this past week just couldn't get it done and is the last cold player of the week, although he scored two of his teams three goals Ben Duffy only had two points in three key games for the Rocket.

This week's rookie of the week goes to Baie-Comeau goalie Philippe Cadorette. He allowed one goal in two games and posted his first career shut-out while going 2-0 and boosting his record to 3-1, sporting a .50 GAA for the week and a .975 save percentage.

“A medal’s a medal” says Gormley



Brandon Gormley didn’t play for gold at this year’s World Junior Hockey Championship.

But the P.E.I. resident said winning a bronze medal as part of Team Canada is a memory he will treasure.
“It’s a dream come true. I grew up watching the tournament, so to actually be a part of it was amazing,” said Gormley.
Despite playing in the bronze medal game, spirits remained high in the Canadian locker room, he said.
“Obviously it’s not the game you want to be playing in, but when we look back, we are very proud of what we achieved as a team. A medal’s a medal.”
Shawinigan Cataractes captain Michaël Bournival enjoyed the world juniors too.
“It was a good experience. Just to play for the team I was proud of, but to win a bronze medal made it better. Everyone should be proud of us.”
There was a lot to play for in this year’s world championship.
Canada was looking for redemption after two consecutive silver medal finishes, Sweden was looking to end its 31-year gold medal drought. And Russia was playing for the memory of the players killed in the Yaroslavl Lokomotiv plane crash.
This year Sweden played Russia in the finals.
Despite Sweden’s dominance, the game went to overtime in a scoreless game.
Midway through overtime Swedish forward striped Russia’s Nikita Kucherov of the puck and backhanded the puck past Andrey Makarov immediately emptying the Swedish bench.
The Swedes were ecstatic and more than happy to wait for their gold medals, and much to the delight of the Sweden supporting Canadian fans, the Russians were too angry and bitter to even wear their silver medals. One Russian player didn’t want to take a medal.
For Swedish fans, this was a huge win.
“It’s great. It was like a Stanley Cup victory for us in Stockholm,” said Magnus Olsson, a Swedish fan from Grycksbo, Sweden in an online interview.
Contrary to the popular belief that Sweden and Finland have a rivalry similar to Canada and the United States, Sweden’s biggest rival is Russia.
“We don’t hate Finland. We always want to beat them, but we would rather lose to Finland instead of Russia,” said Olsson.

Gormley trade helps solidify Shawinigan’s Memorial Cup chances




Brandon Gormley expected a trade, so when it happened it wasn’t a surprise.
The only surprise was that Gormley was traded with only 15 minutes left of the trade period.
The Shawinigan Cataractes solidified their chances at a franchise first Memorial Cup win by adding two of the biggest names in the trade period.
They added Island-born defensemen Morgan Ellis from the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles and Gormley from the Moncton Wildcats. Ellis and Gormley were the captains of their former teams.
The Wildcats and Screaming Eagles have struggled this season, so the trades were expected.
Gormley is happy to have a chance at a Memorial Cup win.
“I’m thrilled to have one last shot at the Memorial Cup. We have a great team here.”
His trade is something that will help his career, he said.
“It was a group decision. It’s what happens when you build for a championship. You have to trade to rebuild.”
Cataractes captain Michaël Bournival is very happy with the addition of Gormley and Ellis.
“They are both great defensemen. They were both captains of their teams, so they bring a lot of leadership to the team.”
Ellis and Gormley got off to a fast start with Shawinigan. They had a total of four goals and seven assists in a combined nine games.
“It helps that we played together before. We are familiar with how we play,” said Ellis.
Shawinigan was the only contending team to make big trades.
“We realize that we will probably be last place for the next two years, but if we win the Memorial Cup, it’s worth it,” said Bournival.

Sunday, January 22, 2012

Saulnier extends his streak to 11

Eleven.

That’s how many games Alex Saulnier pushed his point streak to Sunday afternoon in Cape Breton.

Saulniers’ Moncton Wildcats defeated the Wildcats 4-1 in a Sunday matinee.

Saulnier has 10 goals and 11 assists for 21 points in those 11 games, vaulting into top 5 in QMJHL scoring with 64 points in 41 games.

Philippe Trudeau made 31 saves for the win. Roman Will absorbed the loss, stopping 29 shots.

Other scores from around the league:

Saint John 5, Acadie-Bathurst 2

Victoriaville 2, P.E.I. 1.

Baie-Comeau 2, Rimouski 0

Blainville-Boisbriand 4, Drummondville 3 (SO)

Rouyn-Noranda 9, Val-d'Or 3

Frk finding success in 2012 despite Moosehead struggles



The Halifax Mooseheads struggles in 2012 continued this weekend with losses to both Cape Breton and Saint John.

Friday night at the Metro Center, Cape Breton capitalized on their chances to beat the Mooseheads 4-3 in a game where Halifax outshot their opponents 42-27.

Then Saturday, in Saint John, the Mooseheads were able to keep up with the Sea Dogs until a three goal onslaught in just over three and a half minutes in the third period, ended any ideas of a Halifax victory. However, not all is dark in Moose Country. Despite a slow start, Martin Frk has taken his game to a new level to start 2012.

Frk’s struggles this season have been well documented. He began the pre-season on fire, with six points in three games, until a concussion put him out of action until mid-December. Then a technicality kept him out of action again until after the World Junior Championships. His initial return was lackluster with only one goal in seven games. It was clear he wasn’t in game shape, and it showed. He was slow, and didn’t look nearly as dangerous as he had last season when, as a 16-year-old rookie, he was second on the Mooseheads in scoring with 22 goals and 50 points. His draft ranking plummeted. Some were projecting Frk a top 5 pick in the NHL draft entering his rookie QMJHL campaign to where he sits currently; 25th North American Skater by CSS, 32ndoverall by ISS, and 36th overall on Craig Button’s Craig’s List on TSN.ca.

But while the Mooseheads are having a slow start to 2012, Martin Frk is breaking out. Frk has been held off the scoresheet only once in seven games to start the New Year. In that span he’s had three multi-point games. Frk now has 10 points on the season, five goals and five assists. Nine of those points have come in 2012. If Frk can maintain this torrid pace, he’ll finish the season with 38 points and 19 goals in only 36 games played.

Mikhail Grigorenko, the QMJHL’s top prospect, is first on the ISS rankings and second among North American skaters on the CSS rankings has 26 goals and 59 points in 37 games for the Quebec Remparts this season. Frk’s 2012 pace would put him at 24 goals and 48 points over that same timeline. Not much of difference for someone who’s currently expected to be drafted at least a full round lower this June at the NHL Entry Draft. It was Nathan MacKinnon who was supposed to be the star of Rogers Sportsnet Friday Night Hockey showdown against Chicoutimi, but it was Frk’s highlight-reel goal and NHL ready shot that dominated discussion. Frk is starting to turn some heads again and if he continues his strong play don’t be surprised to hear his name called much earlier than currently expected on draft day this summer.

Game Previews: January 22nd

SAINT JOHN AT BATHURST: Saint John comes into the game having won two straight and six of their last 10. They should not take Bathurst lightly, especially with the league’s leading scorer, Zach O’Brien on the team. Oh, and Bathurst has a streak of their own: four straight wins.

Players to Watch

Saint John: Charlie Coyle- Since joining the Sea Dogs, Coyle has four goals in three games-an impressive start for any rookie.

Bathurst: Zach O’Brien- Coming off an impressive four-goal performance against Moncton, should be interesting to see what he can accomplish against their other New Brunsiwick counterpart.

MONCTON AT CAPE BRETON: Moncton will be looking to get back on track against Cape Breton. Both teams have only four regulation wins in their last 10 games.

Interesting Fact

Both teams traded their team Captains to the Memorial Cup host Shawinigan Cataractes. Even more interesting is that both players (Ellis & Gormley) hail from P.E.I.

RIMOUSKI AT BAIE-COMEAU: Rimouski has won four straight games, and seven out of their last 10, the second best streak in the league. It’s safe to say that David Rose and the Drakkar will have their hands full in this one.

Players to Watch

Rimouski-Jerome Gauthier-Leduc- The Oceanic’s stud defensemen has had another solid year. Once thought to be surely dealt, stayed in Rimouski, and their fans have been beyond happy.

Baie-Comeau- Jonathan Lessard- To say that Lessard is a pure goal scorer is an understatement. Lessard is second in team goal scoring, but only tenth in overall points.


DRUMMONDVILLE AT BLAINVILLE-BOISBRIAND: The Surprising Armada are tops in their division, 10 points ahead of Drummondville. While it’s unlikely the Voltigeurs catch up to the Armada, you can bet this will be a chippy affair.

Players to Watch

Drummondville-Alexandre Veronneau- There was a lot of questions when Veronneau was acquired, and the questions continue. He has a Goals Against Average greater than six with the Volts. Should be interesting to see how many he lets in tonight.

Blainville-Boisbriand-Etienne Marcoux- The 18-year-old goalie has been one of the best this season, unlike Veronneau. Marcoux is top 10 in every major category for goaltenders this season.


VAL-D’OR AT ROUYN-NORANDA: Val-d’Or have won three straight, while their opponent has lost fourstraight. With Val-d’Or battling for first in the West, you can bet they’ll be hungry.

Stat of the Game

Foreurs’ player Mathieu Guertin is second in the league in minor penalties taken, with 38.

P.E.I AT VICTORIAVILLE: PEI wraps up its latest swing through Quebec hoping for a win. It has been an incredibly rough trip for the Rocket, who have been outscored 15-2 so far. A win may be too much to ask of the Rocket, as Victoriaville is on a four-game winning streak.

Players to Watch

P.E.I. - Ben Duffy- Earlier this season Duffy broke the franchise’s all-time points record. Duffy has been one of the lone bright spots for P.E.I. this year

Victoriaville- Matthew Hobbs- Hobbs, traded from PEI to Victoriaville last month, has been one of the Tigres' best defensemen.

Saturday, January 21, 2012

Sea Dogs get first sell out of season; down Halifax 7-3

By Blair R. Cameron

The Saint John Sea Dogs were looking to continue there winning ways versus the Halifax Mooseheads at Harbour Station on Saturday Night.

The Mooseheads took the early lead on the home town Dogs, when Ashley took an amazing pass from Marty Frk and made no mistake potting the puck past the Sea Dogs net minder.

The sea dogs did not wait long to get on the board however, when Coyle scored his third of the year off a pass from Zack Phillips. The game was tied at one.

Less than a minute latter it was Coyle again, as he made no mistake on the pass from the Sea Dog captain Jonathan Huberdeau, making it 2-1 Saint John to end the first period.

The Sea Dogs would add to their lead in the second period when Danick Gauthier took a great pass from Grant West on a 2-on-1 play. Gauthier scored his 34th of the year to make it 3-1 Saint John.

The Sea Dogs would take a penalty and it would end up coasting the defending Memorial Cup Champions, as Frk scored to make it 3-2, Shots were 28-23 Sea Dogs after two periods.

The third period did not start off well for Saint John as Halifax scored 45 seconds in on a choppy play in front of the net. They got more than three shots away before one found the back of the net, tying the game at 3-3.

However 23 seconds later, the Sea Dogs Scored again to regain their one goal lead when Stephen MacAuley took an amazing feed from Tomas Jurco at 1:08.

The Dogs then went up by two as Jurco found the back of the net after being robbed three times in the second period. It was his 22nd of the year assisted by Gauthier.

Just seconds later it appeared that the Dogs made it 6-3. However, it was waived off by the refs. They did not disclose a reason nor was the play reviewed. It did not matter as the Sea Dogs made it 6-3 when Adien Kelly blasted one by the Heard's netminder with 12:22 remaining in the third period. They did review this one, and the goal was good.

The Halifax meltdown continued just over a minute latter when Jurco got his second of the night to make it 7-3 Saint John and chased the Halifax starting goalie from the net.

With 7:45 left in the final frame, Halifax took a penalty for hooking; giving the worst QMJHL powerplay another chance. The Sea Dogs then took a questionable tripping call 46 seconds later making way for some 4-on-4 action.

The Moose would then take another penalty for checking from behind at 18:14; but once again Saint John's special teams could not find the back of the net and the dogs would win the game 7-3 in front of 6,408 fans.

Looking ahead: The Sea Dogs will play tomorrow afternoon in Bathurst, Game time is 3 p.m. at the KC Irving Center.

Reid on the Rocket: Sagueneens blast Rocket


The Chicoutimi Sagueneens struck five times in the second period and put the game away in an 9-1 win over the P.E.I. Rocket Saturday afternoon in Chicoutimi, Que.

After holding a 1-0 lead after the first period, the Sagueneens scored five times in the second and added three more in the third period.

Jean-Gabriel Pageau (2-3) led the way for Chicoutimi with five points.

Ben Duffy had the lone goal for the Rocket.

The loss for the Rocket drops them to a season record of 13-29-2-2.

Pageau opened the scoring in the first period at 14:58 to give Chicoutimi the 1-0 lead.

In the second period, Chicoutimi struck 20 seconds in with a goal from Steve Lebel to give the Sagueneens a 2-0 lead. Charles Hudon scored on the powerplay at 7:18 to make it a 3-0 game. Jeremy Gregoire, Charles Hudon and Guillaume Asselin, powerplay, added goals for Chicoutimi to increase the lead to 6-0.

Duffy's 26th of the year put the Rocket on the board at 18:58.

The scoring continued in the third period. Etienne Brodeur gave Chicoutimi a 7-1 lead before Lebel scored shorthanded at 12:26 to make it 8-1. Pageau capped off the scoring with a powerplay goal at 15:13.

Chicoutimi used the powerplay to their advantage, going 3-for-6 on the night, The Rocket on the other hand were 0-for-3 on the powerplay.

Maxime Lagace made 38 saves in goal for the Rocket. Christopher Gibson picked up the win for the Sagueneens making 21 saves.

The Rocket travel to Victoriaville Sunday afternoon to battle the former captain, Matt Hobbs and the Tigres. Gametime 5 p.m. EST.

Friday, January 20, 2012

Reid on the Rocket: Penalties kill Rocket in loss to Drakkar

Two powerplay goals in the third period lifted the Baie-Comeau Drakkar to a 6-1 win over the P.E.I. Rocket Friday night in Baie-Comeau, Que.

The Drakkar scored five times in the third period, breaking a 1-1 tie.

Drakkar forwards Jonathan Lessard and David Rose took advantage of a five-minute major penalty by Rocket defenceman Jimmy Oligny. Oligny was assessed a game misconduct for hitting from behind.

The loss for P.E.I. drops them to a 13-28-2-2 season record.

The Rocket opened the scoring in the first period with Deverick Ottereyes' first career QMJHL goal at 6:18 but the lead didn't last long until Robbie Graham tied the game for Baie-Comeau at 9:59.

After a scoreless second period, Lessard and Rose scored on the powerplay to give the Drakkar a 3-1 lead. Goals were then followed by Tomas Filippi, Gabirel Verpaelst and Rose in a span of 1:57.

Antoine Bibeau made 35 saves in the loss for the Rocket. Drakkar netminder, Philippe Cadorette made 12 saves for the win.

The Drakkar were 2-for-10 on the powerplay, as the Rocket were 0-for-1.

The Rocket will travel to Chicoutimi on Saturday to battle the Sagueneens. Gametime 5 p.m. EST.

nolan@theqspot.ca

Carnevale joins Shawinigan


It appears that former Sarnia Sting forward Taylor Carnevale has joined the Memorial Cup hosts Shawinigan Cataractes.
The overage forward, had seven goals and 23 assists in 32 games for the Sting. Carnevale’s play this season for Sarnia was seen as disappointing.
The team cut ties with Carnevale earlier this season. At this time it was expected that he was going to have season-ending shoulder surgery.
From what Sarnia has stated, Carnevale lied to them about the severity of his injury.
"It is surprising because we were told he was going to have season-ending surgery within three weeks," said Sting Head Coach and General Manager Jacques Beaulieu.
Beaulieu stated that, with Carnevale being an overage forward, they did what was best for the team, releasing him so they could pick up a player to replace his roster spot.
One would have to think that Shawinigan has other plans for Carnevale. He has been hampered by shoulder problems throughout the season, but they may (and probably will) have him finish out the season, in the hopes of a Memorial Cup victory.
If he can provide the depth that this move was made for, you have to think that, on top of their other moves at the deadline, the Cataractes are the odds on favorites to win the Memorial Cup.
This will be Carnevale’s sixth team (five in the OHL, first in the QMJHL) in five junior seasons.

Thursday, January 19, 2012

Gormley enjoying change of scenery


Brandon Gormley couldn't be happier and looks forward to competing in the Memorial Cup this year with the Shawinigan Cataractes.

The 19-year-old defenceman from Murray River, P.E.I. was dealt to the Cataractes from the Moncton Wildcats for six draft picks and Michael Matheson on the final day of the QMJHL trading period.

Gormley had just returned home from competing with Team Canada in the World Junior Champions in Calgary, Alta., winning a bronze medal. He was also named the tournament's top defenceman after finishing with three goals and six points in as many games.

The experience at the world juniors was unbelievable, he said.

"As a kid you grow up dreaming of playing in it and for it to finally come after years of not making the team…it was definitely worth the wait. It was a lot of fun and an experience I'll never forget."

Just a few days after the tournament had ended, Gormley was a member of the Cataractes.

The trade was a group decision, said Gormley.

"We thought it was best for my hockey career going forward and best for Moncton too. That's the cycle of junior hockey…I'm pretty thrilled to be here and part of this team."

Before his departure from Moncton, Gormley had 10 goals and 27 points in 26 games this season.

Prior to the Cataractes acquiring Gormley, they acquired fellow Prince Edward Island native Morgan Ellis from the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles.

Gormley found out about Ellis being traded while he was at the world juniors, he said.

"It was definitely in the back of my mind, if I did get traded there then I'd figured we'd be playing together."

Ellis is one of the top players in the league, said Gormley.

"It's pretty easy to play with him out there. He's a great guy, we communicate really well…I couldn't be happier."

Gormley knew Ellis from growing up in P.E.I., he said.

"That's the good part about coming here is playing with him. He's made the transition for me really easy."

Gormley and Ellis made their final stop to P.E.I. for the season, and possibly their junior career, on Friday Jan. 13 in an 8-2 win over the P.E.I. Rocket.

Gormley had two assists, as Ellis had a goal and an assist.

The Shawinigan Cataractes are this year's hosts for the Memorial Cup Championship. Gormley said it's a very exciting tournament.

"To get another crack at that is going to be good. Were all looking forward to it."

This will be Gormley's second Memorial Cup tournament as he helped lead Moncton to the tournament back in 2010 in Brandon, Man., but the team went 0-3 and was eliminated from the tournament.

So far in three games with the Cataractes, Gormley has two assists and a plus-five rating. The Cataractes are back in action on Friday Jan. 20 against the Quebec Remparts in Quebec.

Photo courtesy of The Guardian.

nolan@theqspot.ca

Alex Beauregard reportedly diagnosed with thyroid cancer


Chicoutimi Saguenéens winger Alexandre Beauregard reportedly has been diagnosed with thyroid cancer.

Chicoutimi's medical staff noticed a lump on the thyroid gland of Beauregard, 20, and then referred him to a specialist.

"Alex will soon be going home to Montreal to be operated on. The duration of his absence has yet to be determined". Remarked Francois Savard, the team's physician.

Beauregard, a member of the Memorial Cup champion Saint John Sea Dogs last year, has every intention of coming back to play, and to help Chicoutimi to a berth in the Memorial Cup.

"This news came as quite a shock" said Beauregard "Though, I don't think this is the end of the world. My goal is to return in order to help the team during the playoffs"

Not only has this affected Beauregard and his Saguenéens teammates, but fans from Chicoutimi, as well as his former team in Saint John have shown an outcry of support. Beauregard has been a fan favorite in both cities. Chicoutimi fans have signed a get-well card for him, and there has been a lot of chatter that Saint John would do something similar.

Beauregard has 14 points and 90 penalty minutes in 27 games for Chicoutimi.

Learning languages key part of junior hockey


Rocket forward Alex Gallant is escorted to the penalty box after a fight in a recent 7-3 loss to the Saint John Sea Dogs in Charlottetown.


Tomas Pavelka knew three languages when he arrived from the Czech Republic to play junior hockey for the Rocket. Now he speaks five. He knew Czech, German and Russian when he arrived. He has added English and French.
Pavelka struggled early on. He had to adjust to an English-speaking province as well as a smaller ice surface. European rinks have a much larger ice surface.
But it’s not just the European players who have to adjust to an English-speaking province.
When Olivier Croteau first came to P.E.I. through a trade with the Gatineau Olympiques, he struggled with English so he’s impressed with Pavelka.
“When he came here, he could already speak three languages. Now he can speak English and French,” said Croteau.
The Rocket roster includes two players from the Czech Republic. Last year the Rocket had two Czech-born players finish their junior careers with the Rocket. Having them on the team helped them prepare for the Czech rookies, said Rocket assistant captain Josh Currie.
“It helped a lot. We have two guys coming from a European culture and things are totally different here for them.”
Rocket coach Gordie Dwyer helps the players adapt.
“Gordie is great. If he’s talking one-on-one with a French player, he will speak in French,” said rookie Alex Gallant.
The players said the French players are good at speaking English, but the English players admit they can’t speak French.
“I can’t speak a word of French,” said Currie.
Despite not being able to speak Czech, the players do what they can to help Matej Beran and Pavelka.
“It’s a challenge, but we do what we can to help them,” said Croteau.
Beran and Pavelka said their teammates have played a huge part in their adjustments to life in Canada.
Team leading scorer Ben Duffy is well liked by Beran and Pavelka.
“We like Ben Duffy, he has helped us a lot. He’s a great guy,” said Beran.
The players struggled early on, but once they start to know each other, the adjustment was very fast.
“I’m amazed at how fast Beran and Pavelka are adjusting. Pavelka can already speak some French and English,” said billet coordinator Lisa Savard.

The Decline of the QMJHL


I think it's fair to say that the QMJHL doesn't get a fair shake when compared to the other two leagues in the CHL. More often than not, its prospects are not given a fair assessment by scouting blogs, nor by credible sources such as Central Scouting or the International Scouting Service.
Case in point is TSN hockey analyst Craig Button's first round assessment of the upcoming NHL draft.
Button, a former general manager for the Calgary Flames, listed Mikael Grigorenko at number seven in his Jan. 16 rankings. That's six spots back of potential first overall pick Nail Yakupov.
So what's the issue with Button's rankings?
This is the lowest Grigorenko (who is having a standout season for the Quebec Remparts) has been ranked on any of the top rankings lists (the ISS has had Grigorenko ranked first overall for three consecutive months, while CSS has Grigorenko ranked second).
Grigorenko, though, is only a small part of this. The table below breaks down the top 30 skaters on the ISS & Button’s list. The CSS is not included, as they have separate lists for North American and European skaters.

Button
ISS
QMJHL
1
1
OHL
11
11
WHL
6
6
Euro
9
6
US
3
6
Looking at this breakdown, it's clear that the QMJHL is behind the other major junior leagues in producing top end talent.
The QMJHL has only one player ranked in the first round on both these lists. That’s very troubling.
What's the issue? Personally, I feel these scouting services are spending more time elsewhere, and not being able to see the top end talent the QMJHL has to offer.
Brian Huddle, a scout & columnist for Future Considerations hockey, attributes part of the reason for these rankings to scout confidence in the league.
“I think some teams tend to shy away from the Q a bit. It’s great hockey, but has been given a reputation as a league that is a tad easier to score in comparison to (a league like) the OHL” says Huddle. “There seems to be a general lack of confidence in offensive production out east translating at the National Hockey League level”.
A few other scouts I have talked to have echoed this as well.
Another theory I have is the manner in which the QMJHL markets its players in comparison to the other two CHL leagues.
Take the OHL for example. I know, along with everyone else in the scouting world, that they are the best developmental league in the world, no doubt. But they also market their players better. Cable companies within Ontario cover all OHL contests, and these games can be seen in other parts of the country. With my cable package, I can watch any OHL game, on any given night.
For some of these scouting services, where budgets are sometimes tight, this is how they get to view games. Most scouts I have talked to in the pro ranks, view more OHL games than any other league, and can credit accessibility as a big reason.
The QMJHL has tried something similar - a partnership through Telus - airing Q games. The difference is that the OHL packages are usually added into packages such as Centre Ice as a bonus. So you get your NHL games, as well as OHL games.
You would think, with Saint John of the QMJHL winning the Memorial Cup, that coverage would have increased. But games are still rarely televised. EastLink TV broadcasts one QMJHL game each and every Friday, but this only reaches a small portion of viewers.
I asked Huddle if he thought if the OHL does a better job marketing its players, or if they’re just more skilled in general. He raised a few great points: the OHL has a leg up on the rest of the competition in the way it has marketed its players. For example, naming Steven Stamkos & John Tavares as players they did an excellent job marketing when they played in the league.
“As far as the skill, the OHL benefits from a bigger population and some great programs out of the GTHL as well”.
Hockeyfights.com writer Chris Phillips agrees.
“I think it comes down to the players,” says Phillips. “The O has a bigger scope. More often they get elite players, more often scouts want to see them”
Basically, what it comes down to most times is the bigger the market, the bigger the revenue. The more revenue a team (or league) takes in, the more money they can dish out for development.
“They have the luxury of some bigger markets in southern Ontario, and some money to back that marketing job. And that’s without word of mouth” Huddle also said.
Word of mouth. This may be the key. If word isn’t getting out about these players, then scouts aren’t noticing the talent. I think this may be the biggest challenge facing the league in the future.
Until the league does a better job exposing its players to the world, the best we can expect is for rankings to stay on par with this season’s, but we’re probably looking at them slipping even farther.

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

BMO CHL Top 10 Rankings Announced

Today the Canadian Hockey League announced the BMO Top 10 Rankings for week 17. Three QMJHL teams cracked the top 10. The Shawinigan Cataractes jumped to number three after an impressive Maritimes road trip winning all three games. The Saint John Sea Dogs, who have been ranked in the top 10 every week this season, and Quebec Remparts where ranked sixth and seventh respectively. The Victoriaville Tigres were an honorable mention.

Rank
Team (Record)
Last Week Rank
Number of Weeks Ranked
1
Tri-City Americans (34-10-0-0)
1
14
2
London Knights (32-9-0-1)
2
16
3
Shawinigan Cataractes (32-10-2-2)
6
15
4
Kamloops Blazers (31-10-1-2)
7
8
5
Plymouth Whalers (30-10-2-1)
3
10
6
Saint John Sea Dogs (32-13-0-2)
5
17
7
Quebec Remparts (29-9-4-2)
4
14
8
Portland Winterhawks (30-12-2-1)
-
3
9
Edmonton Oil Kings (29-11-1-4)
8
5
10
Kitchener Rangers (28-12-1-0)
9
6





Honourable Mention:



Ottawa 67's (26-11-4-1)
10
4

Victoriaville Tigres (29-15-0-2)
-
12

Niagara IceDogs (26-13-0-3)
-
1