Who's Hot, Who's Not: Feb. 20th - 26th

Two wingers from one of the league’s lowest ranked clubs take home hottest players of the week honours here at the q spot, and a team other than the Sea Dogs will be recognized for their strong play of late.  With less distinction, one of the league’s top scorers on what should be one of the top ranked teams is cooling down, and there’s no foreshadowing it, P.E.I is freezing in February.

The Val d’Or Foreurs may be near the QMJHL basement in 14^th place but the teams’ second leadings scorer Benjamin Casavant is one of the hottest producers in the league right now. Casavant has 29 goals and 60 points in 51 games this season.  Even at over a point per game on the season, February has been a good month.  Casavant is in the midst of a nine game point streak this month that at one point saw him score a goal in seven straight. He has 12 points in those nine games.

Anthony Mantha may be a surprise second entry for the lowly Foreurs this week. Prior to the beginning of February, Mantha had managed only 23 points in 55 games, and then only two points in his first four games to start the month.  But since then, Mantha has put together a six game goal scoring streak where he earned 12 points.  In ten games this month Mantha has put up 14 points and 26 points in his last 18.

This is the longest goal scoring streaks for both Mantha (Current) and Casavant (broken 02/26) QMJHL careers, and both players second longest points streak. Mantha had an eight game streak lasting until the end of January and Casavant has twice reached the 10 point plateau.

Despite Halifax’s strong play of late, 25 goal scorer Matthew Boudreau has struggled.  A two goal output on February 10^th against Chicoutimi improved Boudreau to a point per game with 52 points in 52 games.  Boudreau and the Mooseheads have played seven times since that game with Halifax sporting an impressive 5-2 record. Yet Boudreau hasn’t scored a point and is a minus five in those same seven games.  Boudreau’s will look to break out of his slump over the next three games which are against Gatineau and Rouyn-Noranda. In the two games against those two clubs this season, Boudreau has scored two goals and added an assist to go with a plus three rating.

Last week’s cold team of the week, the Chicoutimi Saguenees, continue to struggle, and nobody is feeling it more than leading scorer Guillaume Asselin. Asselin sits 18^th in league scoring with 67 points in 59 games but has only scored one goal and one assist in his last seven games.  A four game slump in the middle of those seven games was the longest he has been held without a point this season.

The Halifax Mooseheads are the surprise hot team of the QMJHL this week.  Halifax entered what may have been their hardest stretch of the year including four games in five nights on the road.  In their last nine games Halifax has had to play Shawinigan and Victoriaville twice, and Saint John and Chicoutimi once. Shawinigan, Saint John, and Victoriaville are first, second, and third in points this season.  Halifax won four of those six games and are 6-2-0-1 in their last nine. Within those nine games the Mooseheads have even managed a four game winning streak, swept Victoriaville and split with Shawinigan. One of their two losses was a hotly contested 4-3 against the Saint John Sea Dogs. Their only other regulation loss was to the memorial cup hosts Shawinigan. 

You don’t have to travel from this week’s hottest team to find its coldest. The P.E.I Rocket have had a dismal February. The Rocket have now lost eight straight being outscored 45-13 in the process. Four in a row were at home by a combined score of 24-3. Positive news is leading scorer Ben Duffy is starting to break out of his slump with two points in his last three games. Less fortunate news is the team’s next game will be against the Saint John Sea dogs at Harbour Station.  Their last meeting ended in a 10-1 drubbing.

Honourable Mentions: 

The Saint John Sea Dogs have won 14 straight games now, and 15 of their last 16.

Montreal Canadians first round pick Nathan Beaulieu of the Saint John Sea Dogs had a seven game point streak snapped Saturday in Moncton. Beaulieu has 1 goal and 14 points in nine games in February. 

16-year-old Halifax Mooseheads forward Ryan Falkenham had a four game streak snapped Saturday against Shawinigan. The longest streak of the young rookie’s career saw him score four goals and add two assists.

*Disclaimer- 15 of 16 does not include forfeit to Gatineau that Saint John originally won.

Injuries haven't slowed the Sea Dogs

By Patrick Moore
TQS Writer

Before the season even started, the Saint John Sea Dogs knew a Memorial Cup repeat was going to be a tough road to travel.

No one knew the feeling more than Stanislav Galiev. The Washington Capitals pick returned for the Sea Dogs 5-0 win against the P.E.I. Rocket after missing 48 games with a broken wrist.

It was tough for him, knowing that he wasn't able to help his teammates on the ice.

"It's tough to watch the games when you're sitting in the stands."

A lot of credit does lie with the rest of the Sea Dogs.

"I told the players to just go out and play their best, " said head coach Gerard Gallant.

With 12 games left in the season, the Sea Dogs haven't had a game with their full roster.

Sea Dogs captain Jonathan Huberdeau is happy to have the team back with some games left in the season.

"It's good, it gives us a chance to work on our team chemistry which will help us in the playoffs."

He admits there is a lot of pressure on the team this year because they are looking to repeat as Memorial Cup champions.

"Even though we won it last year, it's important not think about it. It's a new year and a new team."

Galiev did what he could while he was injured,

"I didn't go on any road trips, because I had to work out and stay in shape, but I would support the guys during home games."

Gallant expects the Sea Dogs to be much better now that everyone is back.

"I expect us to compete every game."

He isn't worried about who they end up playing in the first round of the playoffs.

"It doesn't matter if we play the Rocket, Cape Breton or Rouyn-Noranada. We are going to play our game."

Gallant said that a series against P.E.I. or Cape Breton would be ideal because the travel would be cut down by a lot. They would probably have to take a plane to Rouyn-Noranda.


*Patrick is currently enrolled in the Journalism program at Holland College.

Power Rankings - February 23rd

There is some minor shuffling around the top of the rankings this week while the bottom of the list remains largely intact. A powerhouse continues to win, a couple of Anthony’s are doing well for themselves, even if their respective clubs are struggling and a once thought contender continues to struggle.

#1 Saint John Sea Dogs (42-14-0-2) – Last week# 1 - No change – Have increased their win streak to 12 games. The Sea Dogs are rolling at the right time. Can anyone shut down Huberdeau and company?

#2 Shawinigan Cataractes (39-12-3-4) – Last week #4 - Up two spots – Seem to be doing just fine without Brandon Gormley. The Cataractes have beat Chicoutimi twice in their last four games.

#3 Victoriaville Tigres (37-17-1-3) – Last week #2 -Down one spot- Have now had five straight one goal games. Things are starting to get a little too close for comfort for a team that should be handling P.E.I. and Cape Breton with ease.

#4 Quebec Remparts (36-15-5-2) –Last week #5 – Up one spot- After a 4-1 loss to Saint John (who’s not losing to them these days), they followed it up with road wins in Moncton and P.E.I.

#5 Halifax Mooseheads (33-19-2-4) – Last week #6 – Up one spot- Had their four game winning streak snapped by none other than Saint John. Return of leading scorer Nathan MacKinnon will help on the score sheet.

#6 Chicoutimi Sagueneens (29-20-3-6) – Last week #3 – Down three spots – Lost four straight games. Their vaulted offense has only scored seven goals in that span. Buying at the deadline is starting to look a little ambitious in Chicoutimi right now.

#7 Rimouski Oceanic (36-23-1-0) – Last week #7 – No change – Embarrassed Cape Breton with a 10 goal onslaught. Petr Straka led the Oceanic with four points. Rimouski lost their first overtime game of the season this week.

#8 Blainville-Boisbriand Armada (33-21-2-2) –Last week #9 – Up one spot –Three straight wins this week and have collected nine out of their last 10 points.

#9 Moncton Wildcats (27-25-3-2)- Last week #10 – Up one spot – Suffered their fourth shutout loss of the season to the Remparts, snapping a four game winning streak.

#10 Acadie-Bathurst Titan (27-27-2-3) – Last week #8- Down two spots – Gutsy third period comeback against the Mooseheads, but probably shouldn’t have given up six second period goals in the first place.

#11 Drummondville Voltigeurs (24-26-2-6)- Last week #11 – No change - Have needed a shootout in two straight and four times in their last 10.

#12 Baie-Comeau Drakkar (27-26-1-3)- Last week #12 – No change – Have not scored nor given up a power play goal in the last week.

#13 Gatineau Olympiques(23-25-4-5)- Last week #13 – No change - Adam Chapman had three goals and an assist while defender Anthony Cortese had four assists leading the Olympiques to a 1-1 record last week.

#14 Val d’Or Foreurs (24-30-0-5)- Last week #14- No change- Wingers Benjamin Casavant and Anthony Mantha each have scoring streaks on the line this week. Casavant has had points in seven straight (6G-3A-9P). Mantha meanwhile has a found the score sheet in four straight (5G-2A-7P).

#15 Rouyn-Noranda Huskies (18-34-3-3)- Last week #15- No change- Have only won three of their past 10. The Huskies started a six game home stand with a loss to Val d’Or on Wednesday night. They will be hoping that their extended stay at home will change their fortunes and create some distance between them and last placed P.E.I. Rocket.

#16 P.E.I. Rocket (17-37-2-2) – Last week #16- No change - The Rocket have now lost six straight. They have been shut out twice and have managed only five goals in their last five games. Leading scorer Ben Duffy has only one assist in that span.

#17 Cape Breton Screaming Eagles (21-33-1-2)- Last week # 17 – No change - Confidence building first leg in a home and home against Rimouski. Then they gave up 10 goals in the second leg to bring them right back down to earth.

Check back next week for the third edition of The Q Spot’s QMJHL PowerRankings. As always, feel free to leave your disagreements in the comments section below.

Three QMJHL teams make the cut for BMO Top 10 rankings

Three Quebec Major Junior Hockey League teams made the BMO CHL MasterCard Top 10 Rankings for week 22 which were announced today by the Canadian Hockey League.

The Saint John Sea Dogs, Shawinigan Cataractes and the Quebec Remparts have all made the cut.

Saint John sits at spot No. 2 on the rankings with an impressive 42-14-0-2 record. The mighty Sea Dogs are currently in the midst of 12-game winning streak. Their last loss came back on Jan. 12 when they lost 4-1 to Shawinigan.

Shawinigan sits at No. 5 with a 39-12-3-4 record, behind Tri-City Americans and in front of the Portland Winterhawks. The 2012 MasterCard Memorial Cup hosts have gone 6-4 in their past ten games.

Patrick Roy's Quebec Remparts have secured the final spot at No. 10 with a 36-15-5-2 record. Quebec has won their last two games by shutting out their opponents.

The Victoriaville Tigres were honourable mentions yet again with a 37-17-1-3 record.

BMO CHL MasterCard Top 10 Rankings - Week 22
1. London Knights, OHL (42-13-0-1)
2. Saint John Sea Dogs, QMJHL (42-14-0-2)
3. Kamloops Blazers, WHL (41-14-1-3)
4. Tri-City Americans, WHL (41-15-1-2)
5. Shawinigan Cataractes, QMJHL (39-12-3-4)
6. Portland Winterhawks, WHL (42-15-2-1)
7. Edmonton Oil Kings, WHL (39-14-3-4)
8. Plymouth Whalers, OHL (37-17-2-1)
9. Ottawa 67's, OHL (36-15-5-1)
10. Quebec Remparts, QMJHL (36-15-5-2)

nolan@theqspot.ca

Delisle-Houde, Rogers handed suspensions

The disciplinary prefect of the Quebec Major Junior League handed down two lengthy suspensions today.



Moncton Wildcats left-winger Patrick Delisle-Houde was suspended five games for his hit to the head on Quebec Remparts' Adam Erne last Saturday.



Reasons for the suspension as listed by the league are as follows:


-Hit his opponent who was no longer in possession of the puck.

-Made contact simultaneously with his body and head.

-Did not try to avoid total contact.

-Was his first offence.



Connor Rogers, a defensemen with the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles was suspended for 10 games for his knee-on-knee hit on Rimouski Oceanic player Jean-Francois Plante.



Reasons for his suspension are as follows:


-Even though the player at fault was gliding, he had a certain speed.

-He extended his leg to hit his opponent.

-The contact was done with force on the knee.

-Was his first offence.



You can see the hit at the 18 second mark with the video below.



Thanks to Chris Phillips of HockeyFights.com for the video.

jonathan@theqspot.ca

2012 Marcel-Robert Trophy finalists revealed

The 17 team candidates, along with the five finalists for the 2012 Marcel-Robert Trophy were revealed today.

The award, is for scholastic player of the year, and will be given out on April 4, 2012 at the Golden Pucks Gala.

Here is the list of the candidates from each team.

Acadie-Bathurst, Sébastien Trudeau
Baie-Comeau, Alexandre Chênevert
Blainville-Boisbriand, Alex Micallef
Cape Breton, Jonathan Brunelle
Chicoutimi, Dominic Poulin
Drummondville, André Bouvet-Morrissette
Gatineau, Rock Régimbald
Halifax, Luca Ciampini
Moncton, Patrick Delisle-Houde
PEI, Josh Currie
Québec, Vincent Barnard
Rimouski, Jean-Philippe Mathieu
Rouyn-Noranda, Steven Mercier
Shawinigan, Michaël Bournival
Saint John, Kevin Gagné
Val-d’Or, Thierry Comtois
Victoriaville, Yanni Gourde

Here is the list of the 5 finalists

Cape Breton, Jonathan Brunelle
Moncton, Patrick Delisle-Houde
Rimouski, Jean-Philippe Mathieu
Shawinigan, Michaël Bournival
Victoriaville, Yanni Gourde

The award is very prestigious. The five finalists will now go through an intense interview process, which measures their analytical skills, as well as their understanding of current events.The interview plays a key role in determining the winner, and will be held in Montreal on Feb. 27, 2012.

Each of the 17 nominees get a $400 scholarship. The five finalists receive an additional $400 scholarship, and the winner receives a $500 bursary.

Big difference between East and West divisions

While looking at the standings, it's quite obvious there's a huge amount of disparity between divisions in this league.

Take a quick look at the Telus East Division. See how five of the six teams have X's beside them? That means they've clinched a playoff birth.

Now take a look at the Telus West Division. Only one team has clinched a playoff birth thus far.

Just that alone, tells you the Telus East Division has teams that are much better than those of the Telus West Division. But the standings only tell part of the story.

The fifth best team in the East Division, if placed in the West, would be second.

The East Division has a combined winning percentage of .629, compared to the West, who doesn't even have a team at the .600 mark, and has a combined winning percentage of .474, a full 155 points less than the East.

So what does all this mean?

Well, for one, the East would be a tougher division to get wins, given that the majority of games are played within the division. Teams constantly need to be on their "A" game. Coaches need to work that much harder to get the most out of their players game in and game out.

The same isn’t necessarily true for teams in the West Division. In my opinion, and many others, wins come easier within an easier division.

General manager's need to be constantly working the phones to keep their teams ahead of the curve.

Their scouts need to work extra hard, to ensure their teams can keep up with the talent level in their division in particular.

It also means that their fans are treated to the highest caliber of games, given that the majority of games are played within the division.

And it shows.

Five of the six teams in the Telus East division are in the top 10 in attendance. Quebec tops the league, as well as the entire CHL with a staggering average of 11,352 (Attention Gary Bettman!)

To the West's defense, they do have two teams in the top 10, Blainville-Boisbriand at seventh, and Gatineau at ninth.

There really isn't anything the league brass can do to even out the competitive playing field of these two divisions (trust me, I'm in P.E.I), so the responsibility falls on the management of the West Division teams to attempt to be more competitive with not only the other teams in the West, but the other teams in the Q.

Hopefully they will look into it. Their fans deserve it.

jonathan@theqspot.ca

Halifax Mooseheads battle Sea Dogs in Saint John tonight

The two longest winning streaks in the QMJHL will be on the line tonight in Saint John as the Halifax Mooseheads visit Harbour Station.

The powerhouse Saint John Sea Dogs (41-14-2-0) boast an impressive 11 game winning streak and have only lost one game in 2012. Expect to see their high flying offence on display tonight in front of their hometown fans. Saint John has scored 21 goals in their last three games.

The Mooseheads (33-18-2-4) will be in tough trying to shut down first round selections Jonathan Huberdeau and Nathan Beaulieu. Each have nine points in their past three games. If that weren’t enough for the Mooseheads defenders to think about, Charlie Coyle and Tomas Jurco each have six points in those same three games.

Halifax has been impressive themselves lately, winners of four straight and six of their past 10. Halifax will be hoping for their leading scorer, Nathan MacKinnon, to return from a thumb injury. He will be a game time decision.

The Mooseheads last played in Bathurst where they exploded for six second period goals before allowing five in the third to set up a tense final minute.

The Sea Dogs lead the season series 5-1 and outscoring Halifax by a margin of 31-15. Their last match was a 7-3 Sea Dog victory. In that game, Coyle and Jurco each scored two goals and Huberdeau added two assists.

Who to watch tonight:

Jonathan Huberdeau (Saint John) – 26GP -19G -33A -52PTS, Has scored five points in three games against Halifax this season.

Zach Fucale(Halifax) – 47GP-3.11GAA -.892S%, Has given up more than three goals only twice in his last seven games.

Who's Hot, Who's Not: Feb. 13th - 19th

The who’s hot who’s not has a very Maritime feel this edition with three of the four players hailing east of Quebec.

Zach O’Brien of the Acadie-Bathurst Titan continues to find the back of the net with ease in 2012.  In the 12 games since the start of the New Year O’Brien has scored 14 goals.  He also has 10 assists for 24 points in that time.  He’s the hottest player on a team that boasts three of the top four in league scoring.

South of Bathurst, the first round selection of the San Jose Sharks, Charlie Coyle continues his hot play for the Saint John Sea Dogs.  Since defecting to Saint John from Boston College prior to the World Junior Champions, Coyle has picked up 17 points in 12 games.  Coyle has 9 goals and 8 assists and has failed to pick up points only twice since joining the Dogs.  Impressive numbers for a player adjusting to a heavier schedule and a new team.

Ben Duffy’s lack of production lately is doing nothing to help the PEI rocket out of the QMJHL’s basement. Since starting February with two straight multi point games, Duffy has managed only one assist in the five games since.  The Rocket have lost those five games by a combined score of 28-5.

 Yanni Gourde is a surprise entry into the not category.  Gourde is running away with the league scoring title with 103 points on the season.  Still, Gourde only has one goal and one assist in his past four games and a minus two rating in that time.  As with Duffy in P.E.I, the Tigres are struggling with along with Gourde picking up only two wins in the past four games and scoring more than three goals only once.

The Saint John Sea Dog’s continue to roll in 2012.  The additions of Charlie Coyle and Charles-Olivier Roussel, Stanislav Galiev recovering from injury, and Jonathan Huberdeau, Nathan Beaulieu, and Tomas Jurco returning from national team duty has propelled the Sea Dogs on an impressive run.  The Sea Dogs have won 11 straight games and 12 of 13 since the start of 2012.  They are showing that once again, they are the team to beat in the QMJHL.

The Chicoutimi Sagueneens were expected to be a power house after the trade deadline.  They started out hot, having 6 straight wins prior to the February 10^th matchup against the Halifax Mooseheads.  The Mooseheads won that game 4-1 starting a four game losing streak for the Sagueneens.   The Sags have been held to only one goal only twice in that span.

Your favorite player heating up and get left out?  Think your favorite team is hotter than the Sea Dogs? Let me know in the comments section below. And check back next week for a Who’s Hot Who’s Not update.

Roy, Huberdeau and Will named Telus three stars of the week

Frederick Roy, Jonathan Huberdeau and Roman Will have been named the Telus three stars of the week the league announced today.

The week is the period spanning from Feb. 13 to Feb. 19.

Frederick Roy of the Quebec Remparts is the week's first-star after collecting three goals and 11 points in four games.

The 20-year-old Montreal, Que. native had a goal and four assists on Tuesday Feb. 14 in a 9-1 win over the Baie-Comeau Drakkar. On Friday, he collected an assist in a 4-1 loss to the Sea Dogs. The next day, he netted the only two goals in his team's 2-0 victory over the Moncton Wildcats. On Sunday, he added three helpers in a 6-0 win over the P.E.I. Rocket.

The second-star of the week is Saint John Sea Dogs superstar and captain Jonathan Hubderdeau after collecting two goals and seven points in two games.

In a 10-1 win over the P.E.I. Rocket on Wednesday, the 18-year-old Florida Panthers prospect had a pair of goals and a pair of assists. On Friday, he added three assists in a 4-1 win over the Quebec Remparts.

Moncton Wildcats netminder Roman Will is the week's third-star after allowing two goals on 65 shots over the course of two games.

On Friday, the 19-year-old Czech Republic native made 34 saves in a 3-1 win over the Acadie-Bathurst Titan. On Saturday, he allowed one goal and made 29 saves, despite a 2-0 loss against the Quebec Remparts.

nolan@theqspot.ca

Reid on the Rocket: Remparts blank Rocket

The Quebec Remparts took full advantage of their powerplay scoring three times with the extra man and adding three others in a 6-0 win over the P.E.I. Rocket Sunday afternoon at the Charlottetown Civic Centre.

The Remparts, who improved to 36-15-5-2 on the season, were led by Mikhail Grigorenko (1-2) and Frederick Roy (0-3) who had three points each.

P.E.I. has dropped their fifth straight game and drop to 17-36-2-2 on the season.

Ben Duffy, Rocket's assistant captain, said the team competed hard but could not stay discipline.

"They were 3-for-4 on the powerplay and against a skilled team like that you got to stay out of the box."

The Rocket have only managed to score five goals in the last five games with two of those games being shutout by the opponent.

The chances are there, said Duffy.

"Maybe we're gripping our sticks a little too hard and being a little too fancy which is causing us to make mistakes and really, we just have to keep it simple."

Staying positive, Duffy said he doesn't think these last five games will have a bad effect on the team over the next month.

"We're still competing hard which is a good sign, so I think when we get a couple of lucky goals and w'ere competing like we are, pucks are going to start going in from everywhere.

Quebec opened the scoring with Grigorenko's 32nd of the season at 10:45 of the first period before Gabriel Desjardins scored on the powerplay at 11:19 to give the Remparts a 2-0 lead.

In the second period, the Remparts got a powerplay goal from Marc-Antoine Carrier at 3:19 to take a 3-0 lead.

Anthony Duclair added to the lead at 10:39.

In the third period, Logan Shaw's powerplay goal at 12:02 gave the Remparts a 5-0 lead. Alexandre Comtois finished off the scoring at 13:43 to give the Remparts a 6-0 lead.

Maxime Lagace took the loss for the Rocket allowing six goals on 28 shots.

Remparts rookie netminder, Francois Brassard made 27 saves to earn the shutout.

The Rocket are back in action Wednesday Feb. 22 when they travel to Blainville-Boisbriand to take on the third-place Armada. Game time is 8 p.m.

Video Highlights


nolan@theqspot.ca

Reid on the Rocket: Hobbs, Tigres edge Rocket 3-2

Former Rocket captain Matt Hobbs came back to Charlottetown to haunt the P.E.I. Rocket by scoring the game-winning goal for the Victoriaville Tigres in a 3-2 win over the Rocket Saturday night.

The goal was scored on the powerplay at 11:36 of the third period and was Hobbs' fifth of the season and second since joining the Tigres in December.

The 20-year-old defenceman played two and a half seasons with the Rocket and said it was good to see familiar faces on the ice but weird being on the other bench.

"It was a good feeling and it's nice to get the game-winning goal against your old team. It was a lot of fun."

Hobbs described his goal as a "flutter of a goal."

"A goal is a goal so I'll take it."

The Victoriaville Tigres upped their season record to 37-17-1-3.

For the Rocket, it's their fifth straight loss and drop to 17-35-2-2 on the season.

Rocket forward Jessyko Bernard said the team doesn't try to think about the losing streak.

"We try to think of our next game…we're fighting for a playoff spot and these are our playoffs."

It was tough seeing Hobbs score the game winner, said Bernard.

"He had a good shot and then we blocked it and then he got another one, it went over my shoulder then off (Marc-Andre) Levesque. Hobbs is a good guy and I wish him all the best in Victo…but we got to get a win right now and no matter who scores on their team, it's not good for us."

Bernard had a goal for the Rocket in the contest.

Victoriaville opened the scoring at 3:29 of the first period with a goal from Philippe Halley.

The Tigres went up 2-0 with a goal from Brandon Hynes at 18:38.

After a scoreless second period, Josh Currie put the Rocket on the board with his 20th of the season at 3:04, before Hobbs gave the Tigres the 3-1 lead.

Bernard scored a late powerplay goal for the Rocket at 17:01 but that wouldn't be enough for the Rocket.

Bernard said the Rocket came out sluggish and were not finishing checks in the first period

"We picked up our hits in the second…and once you get momentum its hard to get it away from a team."

Rocket goaltender Maxime Lagace made 22 saves in the loss.

David Honzik picked up the win for the Tigres making 27 saves and earning first-star honours.

The Rocket are back in action Sunday afternoon when they host Patrick Roy's Quebec Remparts. Game time is 7 p.m.

Video Highlights


nolan@theqspot.ca

Potvin and Bussières suspended

Dany Potvin and Raphael Bussieres have been suspended multiple games by the disciplinary prefect of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.

Potvin, 19, of the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles was suspended four games for an incident which occurred Feb. 15 against the Victoriaville Tigres.

He received a five-minute major checking to the head penalty along with a game-misconduct.

His opponent no longer had possession of the puck and did not see Potvin coming. The opponent was not injured on the play. This is Potvin's first offense.

Bussieres, 18, of the Baie-Comeau Drakkar was handed a five-game suspension for an incident which occurred Feb. 15 against the Shawinigan Cataractes.

At the 10:36 mark of the third period, Bussieres was given a five-minute major boarding penalty and a game misconduct.

Bussieres' opponent was in a vulnerable position and was injured on the play. Bussieres pursued his opponent and hit his opponent with his left shoulder into the boards. He did not try to partially or totally avoid contact. This is Bussieres first offense.

bryer@theqspot.ca

Power Rankings - February 16th

It's been an eventful couple of weeks around the QMJHL. Saint John continues to dominate, a World Junior star goes down and the usual frontrunner Gatineau franchise is much lower than they are accustomed too.

As expected the Saint John Sea Dogs lead the way in this first edition of the QMJHL power rankings here at The Q Spot. See them, and the rest of the QMJHL teams below.

#1 Saint John Sea Dogs (40-14-0-2) – Winners of 10 in a row. Their most recent victory was a 10-1 drubbing of the PEI Rocket. Jonathan Huberdeau leads the way with 18 points in that span, followed by Tomas Jurco with 17 points and Charlie Coyle has 16.

#2 Victoriaville Tigres (36-16-1-3) – Points in six straight since losing 6-0 to Shawinigan, including four wins. Victoriaville has scored the most goals in the QMJHL this season with 258.

#3 Chicoutimi Sagueneens (29-18-3-6) – The additions of Jean-Gabriel Pageau, Christian Ouellet and Mathieu Gagnon have made the Sagueneens bonafide contenders this season. Combined with Guillaume Asselin, Charles Hudon, Etienne Brodeur and Lukas Sedlak, the Sag’s have more than enough offence to go around.

#4 Shawinigan Cataractes (37-12-3-4) – Only has two regulation losses in their last 10 games. An injury to Brandon Gormley will hurt the Cataractes down the stretch. Even so, they have more than enough depth on the blue line to still make a lot of noise.

#5 Quebec Remparts (34-14-5-2) – Quebec have been little more than average over the past few weeks but a 9-1 victory over Baie-Comeau looks to have Remparts back on track. In a slump for the potential number one overall pick’s standards, Mikhail Grigorenko still has 11 points in his last 10 games.

#6 Halifax Mooseheads (30-18-2-4) – Brought home five out of eight points on a brutal road trip that saw the Mooseheads play four games in five nights. Injuries to key defenders Steve Gillard, Sawyer Hannay and Austyn Hardie would usually cause a team to be much lower in the rankings. Fortunately for Halifax rookie goaltender Zachary Fucale has been incredible, earning the Telus first star of the week. Nobody wants to play a hot goaltender.

#7 Rimouski Oceanic (34-22-0-0) – The Oceanic have not lost or had a game enter a shootout this season. They are getting hot at the right time with eight wins in their last 10. Any team putting up nine goals in Quebec needs to be taken seriously.

#8 Acadie-Bathurst Titan (27-24-2-3) – Boast three of the league’s top four scorers. Even still they are just over .500 and have won only five of their last 10.

#9 Blainville-Boisbriand Armada (30-21-2-2) – They may be third in the league, but it’s only because they play in by far the weakest division in the QMJHL this season.

#10 Moncton Wildcats (26-24-3-2)- Winners of three straight games. The Wildcats have allowed only one goal five times in the last nine games.

#11 Drummondville Voltigeurs (23-26-2-5)- Have won six of their last 10, losing two in shootouts. One of those shootouts was against the powerhouse Saint John Sea Dogs.

#12 Baie-Comeau Drakkar (26-25-1-3)- Have lost seven of their last 10. Losing Carl Gelinas for five games due to suspension doesn’t help their rankings any.

#13 Gatineau Olympiques (22-24-4-5)- Unusually low ranking to a perennial league favourite. Sold the majority of their offence at the trade deadline and giving up nine goals to Victoriaville and 12 goals to Quebec doesn’t help things.

#14 Val d’Or Foreurs (23-29-0-4)- On the bright side, they have scored 12 goals in their past 3 games.

#15 Rouyn-Noranda Huskies (17-32-3-3)- Have had the most goals scored against in the entire league this season.

#16 P.E.I. Rocket (17-34-2-2) – Have the worst goal differential in the league and have scored a league low 170 goals this season. But they have beat Cape Breton twice in their last 10 games.

#17 Cape Breton Screaming Eagles(20-32-1-2)- Have only managed one point in their last six games with loses Val d’or, Rouyn-Noranda, P.E.I., and Gatineau.

Is your favourite team too low? Rival too high? Let me know in the comments section below.

Russia return

By Bradey Williston
TQS Writer

With the return of Russian forward Stanislav Galiev the Saint John Sea Dogs have the depth to be considered the best top-six forward unit in the CHL.

The top-six include Galiev, Jonathan Huberdeau, Charlie Coyle, Zack Phillips, Jurco and Danick Gauthier.

Galiev has been out of for most of the season after undergoing surgery to repair a broken left wrist on Oct. 1, 2011. The Russian sniper was on a hot streak before his injury scoring three goals and three assists in just five games.

Since his return, he has made an immediate impact on the already stacked Sea Dogs roster. Galiev notched two goals in a 7-2 home victory over the Titan on Feb. 12, his first since Sept. 24, 2011.

This season he has an impressive nine points in just eight games, the kind of offensive flare the Sea Dogs will need going in to their highly anticipated playoff stretch.

Galiev and the Sea Dogs are back in action this Friday, when they play host to the Quebec Remparts . Game time at Harbour Station and broadcast time on Rogers Sportsnet is 8 p.m.

A few of Galiev’s Tweets leading up to his return:

@Galixon_97 :

It's been tough 4month for me, watching games from stands! And now I'm back. First game tomorrow since 1st October. #Dogs #RoadToShawi. Tweeted on Feb. 10

I hope I don't forget how to shoot the puck @mathieutcorbeil. Tweeted on Feb. 8

Great day inDC today.Heard great news from a doctor this morning.Now at the airport,coming back to Saint John. Tweeted on Feb. 8

Three QMJHL teams make BMO Top 10 rankings

Three QMJHL teams have made the cut for the BMO CHL MasterCrad Top 10 Rankings for week 21 which was released by the Canadian Hockey League today.

The Saint John Sea Dogs top the list for the Q at No. 2 with a 40-14-0-2 record. The defending Memorial Cup Champions only sit behind the London Knights who are posting a 41-11-0-1 record.

The next Q team are the Shawinigan Cataractes at No. 5 with a 37-12-3-4 record. They sit behind the Tri-City Americans (38-15-1-2) and are ahead of the Edmonton Oil Kings (38-13-3-4).

In the 10th spot are Patrick Roy's and Mikhail Grigorenko's Quebec Remparts with a 34-14-5-2 record. The Remparts fall back a spot after being ranked ninth last week.

The Victoriaville Tigres were honourable mentions with a 36-16-1-3 record.

BMO CHL MasterCard Top 10 Rankings
1. London Knights, OHL (41-11-0-1)
2. Saint John Sea Dogs, QMJHL (40-14-0-2)
3. Kamloops Blazers, WHL (41-12-1-3)
4. Tri-City Americans, WHL (38-15-1-2)
5. Shawinigan Cataractes, QMJHL (37-12-3-4)
6. Edmonton Oil Kings, WHL (38-13-3-4)
7. Plymouth Whalers, OHL (36-15-2-1)
8. Kitchener Rangers, OHL (36-15-1-1)
9. Portland Winterhawks, WHL (38-15-2-1)
10. Quebec Remparts, QMJHL (34-14-5-2)

nolan@theqspot.ca

Reid on the Rocket: Sea Dogs dominate struggling Rocket

The Saint John Sea Dogs built a 4-0 lead in the first period and never looked back as they went on to dominate the P.E.I. Rocket 10-1 at the Charlottetown Cvic Centre on Wednesday night.

It wasn't a pretty loss for the Rocket either, as the two teams combined for 92 penalty minutes including four fights.

For Saint John, it's their 10th win a row and remain first overall with a 40-14-0-2 record. For the Rocket, it's their third straight loss and remain in last place with a 17-34-2-2 record.

Rocket captain Josh Currie said it was an embarrassing loss.

"It was really tough on all of us. Obviously you don't want to lose in front of your home crowd, especially 10-1."

It was a bad game, said Currie.

"We couldn't get anything going. I thought we had offensive chances but their goalie came up huge, and when they had chances they were able to put them in and that's what it came down to."

Jonathan Huberdeau (2-2) led the way for Saint John with four points as Charlie Coyle (1-2) and Tomas Jurco (2-1) chipped in with two points.

Alex Noel had the lone goal for the Rocket.

It didn't take long for Saint John to open the scoring as Huberdeau scored 4:15 into the first period. Oliver Cooper made it a 2-0 Sea Dogs game at 9:58 before Coyle made it 3-0 at 11:14.

Jurco's powerplay marker at 14:15 chased Rocket starter Maxime Lagace out of the net after giving up four goals on only eight shots.

Currie said the team came out strong in the first.

"We were hitting them, getting pucks down low…but then we took penalties and it's costly against a team like that."

In the second period, Maxime Villemaire scored 55 seconds in to give the Sea Dogs a 5-0 lead before Jurco scored shorthanded at 2:30 to increase the lead by six. Villemaire added a second goal at 6:33 to make it 7-0.

With the Saint John up 7-0, the Rocket only had five shots on goal half way through the second.

That's pretty bad, said Currie.

"I thought as the game went on we got more pucks to the net and played a little bit better, but unfortunately they also were able to put more in."

Noel gave the Rocket some life with his eighth of the season 1:13 into the third period. But, the Sea Dogs responded with goals from Danick Gauthier, Stanislav Galiev and Huberdeau to increase the Sea Dogs lead to 10-1.

Antoine Bibeau made 20 saves in relief of Lagace.

Sea Dogs goaltender Mathieu Corbeil made 21 saves.

The schedule doesn't get any easier for the P.E.I. Rocket as the host the Victoriaville Tigres on Saturday night, then take on the Quebec Remparts on Sunday.

A closer look
Shots per period: P.E.I. 3,5,14 total 22; Saint John 11,13,10 total 34.

Scorers: P.E.I. - Noel; Saint John - Coyle, Huberdeau (2), Jurco (2), Gauthier, Villemaire (2), Cooper

Powerplay: P.E.I. 0-for-7; Saint John 2-for-4.

Fights: 4, Herret, P.E.I. vs. Villemaire, Saint John; Oligny, P.E.I. vs. Villemaire, Saint John; Gallant, P.E.I. vs. West, Saint John; Gallant, P.E.I. vs. Villemaire, Saint John

Video Highlights


nolan@theqspot.ca

Gelinas suspended five games

The Disciplinary Prefect of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League has suspended Baie-Comeau Drakkar left-winger Carl Gelinas for five games.

Here is the rationale which led to the suspension:
-Gelinas was travelling at a high speed
-Gelinas hit his opponent's head with his forearm and his elbow
-Was Gelinas' first offence
-Gelinas was in vulnerable position
-Opponent was not injured on the play

The decision was rendered after reviewing the video of the incident, gathering the testimonies from the players and the organizations involved, reading the officials' report and consulting the independent committee in the matter of disciplinary sanctions.

Moosheads survive tough road trip

The Halifax Mooseheads returned home after a successful road trip which concluded Sunday evening in Victoriaville, Que. The Mooseheads earned five points out of a maximum of eight despite playing some of the league’s top teams in a span of five days.

It started Wednesday night in Baie Comeau against the Drakkar. This game featured a lot of publicity of all the wrong reasons as there was a controversial, although quite successful, marketing campaign targeting 16-year-old star Nathan MacKinnon. In front of a very detestable crowd, MacKinnon would score the game’s first goal. Halifax eventually lost 2-1 in a shootout.

Friday night in Chicoutimi was a rematch of the January tilt which was aired nationally on Rogers Sportsnet. The Moose lost that game 7-4 but were able to exact some revenge Friday thanks in part to Matt Boudreau’s two goals, one of which came on the power play. The Moose would go on to win 4-1.

Saturday saw the Memorial Cup hosts Shawinigan prove too strong for the depleted and weary Mooseheads. Shawinigan won the game 5-2 outshooting Halifax 43-17 in the process. Despite Shawinigan carrying the play most of the night, Halifax kept the score close until the final minute when Shawinigan scored two goals in the empty net.

Halifax’s roadtrip came to a conclusion Sunday afternoon in Victoriaville. Andrew Ryan scored his seventh of the season and Alex Grenier scored in the shootout to give Halifax a 2-1 victory.

The Mooseheads (30-18-2-4) won’t have much time to rest after what could be their toughest road trip of the season. They play back-to-back games at home starting Thursday night against the sixth-place Rimouski Oceanic (34-22-0-0). Then on Friday, the Moose will once again play the fourth-place VictoriavilleTigres (35-16-1-3).

Fucale, Huberdeau and Brunelle named Telus three stars of the week

Zachery Fucale, Jonathan Huberdeau and Jonathan Brunelle have been named the Telus three stars of the week, the QMJHL announced today.

The week is the period spanning from Feb. 6 to Feb. 12.

Zachery Fucale, 16, of the Halifax Moosheads is the week's first star.

The rookie goaltender posted a 2-1-0-1 record and a 1.44 goals-against average.

On Wednesday Feb. 8, Fucale made 35 saves in a win over the Drakkar. On Friday Feb. 10, he made 32 saves and was named the game's first star in a 4-1 win over the Chicotumi Sagueneens. On Saturday, he allowed three goals on 41 shots against the Shawinigan Cataractes in a 5-2 loss. On Sunday, he made 23 saves in a 2-1 shootout win over the Victoriaville Tigres.

The week's second star is Saint John Sea Dogs superstar Jonathan Huberdeau.

The 18-year-old recorded four goals for six points in two games.

In a 5-0 win over the P.E.I. Rocket on Saturday, the St. Jerome, Que. native had a hat-trick and added an assist. The next day, he recorded a goal and an assist in a 7-2 win over the Acadie-Bathurst Titan.

The Sea Dogs captain has 17 goals and 45 points in 24 games this season.

Cape Breton Screaming Eagles captain Jonathan Brunelle is the third star of the week.

The 20-year-old forward had three goals for eight points.

On Thursday Feb. 9, Brunelle collected two assists against the Gatineau Olympiques. On Saturday, he scored a goal and added a pair of assists. On Sunday, he had a pair of a goals and an assist.

The Boisbriand, Que. native has 23 goals and 69 points in 54 games this season.

Photo courtesy of metro.ca

nolan@theqspot.ca

Reid on the Rocket: Penalties prove costly for Rocket

The Acadie-Bathurst Titan used the powerplay to their advantage with four powerplay goals in a 4-2 win over the P.E.I. Rocket Friday night at the K.C. Irving Regional Centre.

Christophe Lalancette scored the game-winning goal at 13:45 in the second period and added another goal at 14:23 in the third period.

Scoring for the Rocket were Victor Provencher and Alex Noel early in the second period.

Sebastian Trudeau added a late first period goal and Etienne Salvail added a goal for the Titan.

The Titan went 4-for-6 on the powerplay, as the Rocket were shutout on three attempts.

Antoine Bibeau made 20 saves on 23 shots through two periods before being replaced by Maxime Lagace who made nine saves.

Titan goaltender Robert Steeves was 21-for-23.

The Rocket host the Saint John Sea Dogs tonight at 4 p.m.

nolan@theqspot.ca

QMJHL names Scholastic Players for January 2012

The QMJHL has released results for the Scholastic Players for the Month of January 2012. The main objective of this monthly award is to recognize student athletes’ success both on the ice and in the classrooms. The players are chosen for their school results, the school-hockey conciliation, their team spirit and of course their performance on the ice.

Here is the list of scholastic honours for January:

CITY	PLAYER	EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION
Baie-Comeau, Drakkar	Samuel Carrier	Cégep@distance
Acadie-Bathurst, Titan	Adam Stevens	Bathurst High School
Blainville-Boisbriand, Armada	Félix Plouffe	Cégep Lionel-Groulx
Cap-Breton, Screaming Eagles	Jonathan Brunelle	Cégep@distance
Chicoutimi, Saguenéens	Jérémy Grégoire	Odyssée, Dominique Racine
Drummondville, Voltigeurs	Francis Lambert-Lemay	Cégep de Drummondville
Gatineau, Olympiques	Robert Pelletier	Grade 12 Nouveau-Brunswick
Halifax, Mooseheads	Alexandre Côté	Prince Andrew
Moncton, Wildcats	Érik Robichaud	Acadia University
PEI, Rocket	Ryan Graves	Colonel Gray High School
Québec, Remparts	Jérémie Malouin	Cégep de Limoilou
Rimouski, Océanic	Alexandre Tanguay	Cégep de Rimouski
Rouyn-Norandan, Huskies	Redgie Bois	Cégep de l'Abitibi-Témiscamingue
Shawinigan, Cataractes	Pierre-Olivier Morin	Collège de Shawinigan
Saint-John, Sea Dogs	Jonathan Huberdeau	St. Malachy’s High School
Val-d'Or, Foreurs	Matt Murphy	Golden Valley High School
Victoriaville, Tigres	Philippe Halley	Cégep de Victoriaville

Should the Q hold an outdoor game?

With the long awaited announcement that the OHL would have two regular season outdoor games at Comerica Park in Detroit as part of the NHL Winter Classic, I wonder if Gilles Courteau has begun to fathom the possibility himself. 

I hope the commissioner of the QMJHL has at least contemplated the idea of the QMJHL holding an outdoor game

The positives to the idea are endless. The exposure the QMJHL would get would be priceless. Not only would fans in Quebec and Atlantic Canada be watching, but more than likely fans across the nation and maybe internationally as well.

And if the Q was able to put on a great event and gain attention, chances are networks like Sportsnet would air more games.

All this and I didn't even get into the revenue yet.

Revenue is the biggest positive. The revenue to be had in an outdoor game would be huge.

Scenario: The Quebec Remparts host the Halifax Mooseheads outdoor game at Olympic Stadium in Montreal. 

This scenario would work out amazing if Mikhail Grigorenko did not make his NHL club in the fall. A showcase of Grigorenko versus MacKinnon in a stadium that can hold 65,000 plus spectators would definitely bring in a ton of cash.

Let’s say the average price of tickets to the event were about $15. If Olympic Stadium sold out (and all indications are it would), that’s $975,000 on ticket sales alone. Add in concessions, and merchandise, as well as parking and you could easily clear three million dollars in revenue before taxes.

On top of ticket sales, merchandise, concessions, as well as different events leading up to the game would also bring in serious dollars.

You can also bet that the host city would do everything in its power to hype up the game. Even with the host city taking in 20 percent of gate revenues, you’re still looking at the upper end of two million dollars.

I honestly do not see many negatives at all with an outdoor game, certainly not from a business perspective. The only negative I’ve been able to come up with is that ice surfaces outdoors are not as good as indoor ice surfaces, but that hasn’t stopped teams in the past.

The OHL is generally a trendsetter and I can imagine David Branch and company will make these two games a spectacle next year. So, I plead with Mr. Courteau, consider the idea?

If you do, I guarantee you will become an even smarter man.

jonathan@theqspot.ca

Quebec, Saint John, Rimouski and Shawinigan part of remaining Sportsnet games

Sportsnet released its remaining schedule for its Friday Night hockey. The match-ups include some of the top ranked teams in the league and gives a sneak preview of what could turn out to be some hard-fought playoff matchups.

Of the five games left on their schedule, two of them involve QMJHL teams.

Starting Friday Feb. 17, Jonathan Huberdeau and the reigning Memorial Cup Champion Saint John Sea Dogs take on potential top NHL draft pick Mikhail Grigorenko and his Quebec Remparts teammates.

Then on Mar. 9, Jerome Gauthier-Leduc and the Rimouski Oceanic take on the hosts of the 2012 Memorial Cup, Brandon Gormley, Morgan Ellis and the Shawinigan Cataractes. These three defensemen have been some of the best in the entire CHL.

With these games being having huge playoff implications, this kind of publicity could be huge for the QMJHL, who usually takes a backseat to the OHL and the WHL.

Hopefully the games live up to their billing so that we can see more QMJHL games carried by Sportsnet.


jonathan@theqspot.ca

Three QMJHL teams make BMO Top 10 rankings

Three QMHJL teams made the cut for the weekly BMO CHL Top-10 rankings which were announced today.

Topping the list of QMJHL teams are the Saint John Sea Dogs who sit at No. 2. The defending Memorial Cup champions went 3-0 last week and are currently riding a seven-game win streak and have gone 9-1 in their last 10 games.

The Sea Dogs moved up two spots from last week.

Also included in the list are the Shawinigan Cataractes at No. 5. The Memorial Cup hosts loaded up at the trade deadline have gone 7-2-0-1 in their last 10 games. They have surrendered the least amount of goals in the QMJHL with 136.

Rounding out the QMJHL teams on the list are the Quebec Remparts at No. 9. Patrick Roy's team is battling the Cataractes for first in the Telus East division. They currently sit two points back of them with 73 points. They are 4-4-2 in their last ten.

The Victoriaville Tigres were an honourable mention with a 34-16-1-2 record.

BMO CHL MasterCard Top 10 Rankings - Week 20
1. London Knights, OHL (38-11-0-1)
2. Saint John Sea Dogs, QMJHL (38-13-0-2)
3. Kamloops Blazers, WHL (37-12-1-3)
4. Tri-City Americans, WHL (37-12-1-1)
5. Shawinigan Cataractes, QMJHL (35-12-2-3)
6. Edmonton Oil Kings, WHL (35-12-2-4)
7. Plymouth Whalers, OHL (35-13-2-1)
8. Kitchener Rangers, OHL (34-14-1-0)
9. Quebec Remparts, QMJHL (33-13-5-2)
10. Ottawa 67's, OHL (32-13-4-1)

jonathan@theqspot.ca

Gourde named CHL Player of the Week

Victoriaville Tigres forward Yanni Gourde was named the CHL Player of the Week, the Canadian Hockey League announced earlier today.

The week is the period spanning from Jan. 30 to Feb. 5.

Gourde, 20, is the QMJHL's leading scorer and has become the first player to win the award twice this season after recording two four-point games.

Gourde last won the award for the week of Dec. 5 to Dec. 11.

The St-Narcisse, Que. native picked up four assists in an 8-7 overtime loss to Rimouski on Wednesday Feb. 1.

On Friday Feb. 3, Gourde recorded two goals and two assists and was named the game's first-star in a 6-1 win over the Baie-Comeau Drakkar.

Gourde is in his fourth season with the Tigres and has 29 goals for 99 points in 53 games so far this season.

Also considered for the award this week was Dominik Uher of the Spokane Chiefs who scored six goals for nine points in four games, and Brandon Saad of the Saginaw Spirit who scored three goals and seven points in three games.

Guillaume Asselin of the Chicoutimi Sagueneens was the last QMJHL player to win this award back on the week of Jan. 9 to Jan. 15.

nolan@theqspot.ca

Three QMJHL Players in Bob MacKenzie's latest draft rankings

Bob McKenzie named his top 30 players for the upcoming draft in a rankings special Tuesday night on TSN. Of the 30 players he named, two currently play in the QMJHL and one is slated to play in the Q next season.

Here are the players named by MacKenzie:

2. Mikhail Grigorenko, F, Quebec Remparts - Grigorenko started the season as a one-dimensional player, and Patrick Roy has turned him into a well rounded player, says MacKenzie. MacKenzie compared Grigorenko to Evgeni Malkin & Pavel Datsyuk. He called him a "200 foot player". He also said some scouts might rather Grigorenko as he's a big center. He noted that Grigorenko hasn't played well since high ankle sprain. He said that if the team with the first overall pick thinks they're close they might take him over Nail Yakupov, because of his two way play.
He also noted that most scouts said they would take Yakupov, but he has talked to some that would rather take Grigorenko. His biggest asset is that he's a big, two-way center, a hot comodity in today's NHL.

24. Martin Frk, F, Halifax. MacKenzie did not speak in depth about Frk, but he has Frk ranked in and around where most have him ranked. No real surprise there.

*25. Stefan Matteau, F, USA. Matteau is not playing in the QMJHL currently, as he is currently with USA Under-18, but he will join the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada next season, where his father is the coach. His ranking is on par with where others have him ranked as well.

jonathan@theqspot.ca

Cameron and Racine handed suspensions

Jason Cameron and Jonathan Racine have both been suspended multiple games by disciplinary prefect of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League today.

Cameron, a second-year forward with Saint John, was suspended four games for his hit to the head of Shawinigan Cataractes forward Kirill Kabanov.

The reasons for the length of the suspension, as released by the QMJHL are as follows:
-His opponent was in a vulnerable position
-Cameron was at fault:
-Came from the blind side and hit his opponent’s head with his shoulder ;
-Propelled himself upwards to get at his opponent’s head;
-Did not have much speed;
-Was his first offense.
-The player was injured

You can view the hit here.

Racine, a third-year defensemen with Shawinigan, received four games as well as a mandatory one game suspension for his hit on Saint John forward Jonathan Huberdeau.

The reasons for the length of the suspension, as released by the QMJHL are as follows:
-His opponent was in a vulnerable position and no longer had the puck
-Racine at fault
-Traveled a good distance, gained speed and propelled himself towards the to
-As he was about to miss his target, he hit the player with his fist and edge of his stick
-Was at his first offense.
-There was no injury.

You can view the hit here.

jonathan@theqspot.ca

Gatineau claim against Sea Dogs could prove costly for Saint John

Interesting news out of Saint John surfaced over the weekend.

The Gatineau Olympiques are claiming that Saint John Sea Dogs forward Maxime Villemaire had played against them Jan. 4 without signing a playing contract.

Villemaire was acquired from Drummondville the day before and was apparently supposed to sign some sort of document to play with his new club. According to Gatineau, this did not happen until Jan. 6.

If Gatineau's claim proves true, the two points Saint John got in the win would be rescinded. This could be a huge blow for them, as they are challenging for first-overall in the league.

Possibly the most interesting part of this story is the timing. The claim surfaced about a month after the game. Why would this be brought up now?

He did not want to join the Sea Dogs, but for some reason played in the game against Gatineau. Afterwards, he opted to go to Longeueil of the Quebec Junior AAA.

The Sea Dogs then somehow convinced him to come back to Saint John, after he had already left and was on his way to join Longeueuil, to sign his player card.

Villemaire apparently didn't know that by signing this, he wouldn't be able to suit up for Longueuil where he wanted to play after being dealt. Pierre Petroni, general manager of Longueuil says Saint John tricked Villemaire by making him come back to sign his card and not explaining to him that he was signing a contract committing him to Saint John.

The problem I have with this claim is that Villemaire should know this. At the very least, his agent should have known about this rule.

So how did this get the league's attention?

When Villemaire and Longueuil were trying to get Villemaire released, Petroni showed Marcel Patenaude, vice-president of the QMJHL a text message dated Jan. 6, from someone in the Sea Dogs organization. This message apparently told Villemaire to come back to sign his player card. QMJHL Commissioner Gilles Courteau apparently also saw the text but allegedly did not take any action at the time.

It seems then that Villemaire and Petroni brought this up to the folks in Gatineau, knowing that a claim from a QMJHL team would get them the end result they wanted.

Now, before the Saint John fans blame Villemaire or Petroni, keep in mind that none of this would have occurred had Saint John not rushed to get Villemaire into the line-up. Had they followed proper procedures, this mess would not have occurred.

What will be the final outcome in regards to the game played with an illegal player? One would have to believe that something like this will happen.

In this instance, Drummondville had won the game but because they dressed three over aged players instead of the maximum two, the two points for the win were taken away. With a 3-0 win, one would wonder if they would have lost if they had dressed one less over aged. All scoring remained the same, so the players’ stats were not affected.

While not the same scenario, both players could be considered "illegal or ineligible" players, therefore, expect the end result of this case to be similar.

So, some crafty work by Villemaire and Petroni to get him to Longeuil could have a profound impact on the Sea Dogs playoff positioning. Currently, they have a comfortable 17-point lead on Halifax in their division, but only three points up on Shawinigan for first overall in the QMJHL, which could turn into one point if and when the two points are taken away.

All in all, it's hard to believe that a player of Villemaire's caliber could play such a pivotal role in playoff seeding.

Lesson to be learned: Cross your T's and dot your I's before you act.

jonathan@theqspot.ca

Grigorenko handed golden opportunity by CHL boss

Many fans were left disappointed Wednesday night as potential first overall pick in the upcoming NHL draft, Nail Yakupov, skipped out on the Top Prospects game.

One person who should not have been left disappointed is the player battling Yakupov for first overall. His name is Mikhail Grigorenko.

Grigorenko had a prime opportunity to display his talents in front of hundreds of scouts and have all their eyes on him. If Yakupov had played, Grigorenko still would have been on display, but in a more diluted fashion.

The Top Prospects game is one of the most important games for scouts to evaluate players. Aside from the World Junior Championship, this game is the single biggest indicator of how a player can fare against top competition.

Grigorenko did in fact impress, dazzling scouts with his vision and playmaking skills. There were some criticisms, but that was just white noise.

If Yakupov, a fellow Russian just like Grigorenko, had played, maybe scouts would have been solely focused on him, thus missing out on the brilliance that is Grigorenko.

And now, Grigorenko has been gifted another opportunity to shine, without Yakupov breathing down his neck.

David Branch, president of the CHL, and commissioner of the OHL (Where Yakupov plays), handed down a two game suspension to Yakupov for skipping out on the game.

This may come as a surprise to some, as Yakupov is the OHL’s biggest star, and main attraction, but skipping the game, without sufficient evidence of an injury, means an automatic two game ban. This is similar to the suspension Martin Frk of the Halifax Mooseheads, received for opting to rest, rather than participate for his country in the World Junior Championship.

Grigorenko, who has already played 14 more games than Yakupov, due to injury, needs to capitalize on every opportunity he can. Grigorenko’s points per game is 1.51 compared to Yakupov’s 1.89. That’s a wide margin to make up. That’s why these two games are crucial for Grigorenko.

The suspension to Yakupov could have happened to Grigorenko as well, had he not traveled to Kelowna for the game. But Grigorenko did go, much to the dismay of Remparts Head Coach and General Manager Patrick Roy.

Grigorenko was examined by doctors on site and cleared to play in the game.

And this is what Branch’s problem with the folks in Sarnia was. Had he at least taken the trip, the medical staff on site could have looked at him. If they deemed him not healthy enough to play, no suspension would have been handed down. Clearly though, it was more a case of him not participating, than being injured, as Yakupov was healthy enough to play in Sarnia’s game against Kingston just three days prior to the event.

So, again it is Grigorenko’s time to shine. While it is only a two game suspension, chances are, with Yakupov out, all eyes will again be turned to Grigorenko. If he can have a couple strong games, perhaps scouts will start paying attention to him more and more. Certainly when Yakupov returns, eyes will again be on him. But you can bet Grigorenko will do everything in his power to keep as much of the spotlight on him.

Hopefully the unintentional gift given to him by Branch can be repaid come the NHL draft in June in the form of going first overall.

You can bet Grigorenko would love nothing more.

jonathan@theqspot.ca

Gourde, Graham and Bernard named TELUS three stars of the week

Yanni Gourde, Domenic Graham and Jessyko Bernard were named the Telus three stars of the week today.

The week is the period spanning from Jan. 30 to Feb. 5.

The first star of the week is Victoriaville Tigres left-winger Yanni Gourde. On Wednesday in an 8-7 loss to Rimouski, the 20-year-old collected four assists. On Friday in a 6-1 win over Baie-Comeau, the St-Narcisse, Que. native was named first star with two goals and four points.

Gourde finished the week with two goals and eight points in two games.

Gourde currently sits first overall in scoring, just one point shy of 100 and has an 11 point lead over Zach O'Brien of the Acadie-Bathurst Titan.

The second star of the week is Drummondville Voltigeurs goaltender Domenic Graham. On Friday, the 17-year-old made 43 saves in a 3-2 shootout loss against the Saint John Sea Dogs. On Saturday, Graham made 27 saves in a 2-1 win against the Rimouski Oceanic.

The third star of the week belongs to P.E.I. Rocket forward Jessyko Bernard. On Tuesday in a 4-1 win over the Moncton Wildcats, the 20-year-old forward had a goal and an assist. On Thursday in a 9-6 win over Cape Breton, Bernard collected a goal and a pair of assists and had the game winner. On Friday in a 4-2 win over Cape Breton again, the Dalhousie, N.B. native added the game-winning goal.

Bernard finished the week with three goals and six points and helped the Rocket move out of last place.

nolan@theqspot.ca

Game Previews-February 4th, 2012

Game of Interest:

Saint John (37-13-0-2) at Shawinigan (35-11-2-3)-

This is clearly the marquee game of the night. Both teams are miles ahead of the competition this season, and are the favorites to be the two teams from the Q in the Memorial Cup. Both teams have great records in their past ten games, Saint John winning nine times and Shawinigan winning eight.

Players to Watch

Saint John-Zach Phillips has been the Sea Dogs most consistent forward. With 66 points in 45 games, expect the Gormley-Ellis pairing to play big minutes against Phillips’ line.

Shawinigan- Morgan Ellis has been lights out since joining the Cataractes on New Years Eve. In 11 games for TheShawi, Ellis has 5 goals, 9 assists for 14 points.

Other games on the Q schedule tonight:

Rouyn-Noranda (16-30-2-3) at Chicoutimi (27-16-3-6)

Rimouski (32-1-0-0) at Drummondville (21-25-2-5)

Acadie-Bathurst (24-22-2-3) at Halifax (28-16-2-3)

Quebec (32-13-4-2) at Blainville-Boisbriand (28-20-2-1)

Val-d'Or (21-27-0-4) at Gatineau (19-24-4-4)