Second round ready to go

After Chicoutimi's 4-3 overtime win over Bathurst in Game 6 Sunday night, the second round of the playoffs is set to go.

The No. 1 Saint John Sea Dogs will play the 13th-seeded Baie-Comeau Drakkar, who upset the Victoriaville Tigres 4-0. The series starts Friday April 6 in Saint John with Game Two going on Saturday. The series will switch to Baie-Comeau for games three, four and five on April 10, 11 and 13 respectively. Games six and seven will be back in Saint John on April 16 and 17.

Shawinigan will play the Chicoutimi Sagueneens.

Shawinigan won their first-round matchup against the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies 4-0.

The series gets underway Friday April 6 and April 7 in Shawinigan.

The third series includes the third-placed Blainville-Boisbriand Armada taking on the seventh-seeded Rimouski Oceanic.

Armada won their series against Gatineau 4-0. Rimouski swept Val-'d'Or in four games.

The series kicks off Friday April 6 in Blainville.

Last but not least, the Quebec Remparts will battle against the Halifax Mooseheads. This series will feature Mooseheads' Nathan MacKinnon going up against Remparts' Mikhail Grigorenko.

Quebec swept Drummondville in the first round and Halifax swept rival Moncton Wildcats.

This will be the second series in the second round to have a 2-3-2 format. Quebec gets games one and two on Friday and Saturday, and Halifax gets games three to five. Games six and seven will come back to Quebec if necessary.

Stay tuned for The Q Spot's second round predictions.

Click here for playoff bracket.

nolan@theqspot.ca

Ouellet, Bouvet-Morrissette and Zlobin named Telus three stars of the week

Xavier Ouellet, Andre Bouvet-Morrissette and Anton Zlobin were named the Telus three stars of the week on Monday night by the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.

The week is the period spanning from March 5 to March 11, 2012.

Blainville-Boisbriand Armada defenceman Xavier Ouellet is the week's first-star after collecting four points in three games.

The 18-year-old Detroit Red Wings prospect collected a goal in a 4-3 win over Victoriaville on Wednesday. On Friday, the Terrebonne, Que. native collected two assists in a 5-0 win over the Rouyn-Noranada Huskies. Lastly, on Saturday, Ouellet recorded a goal in a 4-2 win over Rimouski.

The Armada captain has 21 goals and 58 points in 61 games this season.

The second star of the week is Drummondville Voltigeurs forward Andre Bouvet-Morrissette after collecting four goals and six points.

On Wednesday in a 7-3 loss to Quebec, the 20-year-old scored a pair of goals. On Friday, he added a goal in a 3-1 win. Then, on Saturday he added a goal and a pair of assists in a 6-1 win over the Baie-Comeau Drakkar.

The Becancour, Que. native is in his overage season in the Q and has 39 goals and 71 points in 61 games.

Last but not least, Shawinigan Cataractes forward Anton Zlobin was named the third-star of the week.

The 18-year-old Russian collected three goals and six points in two games.

On Thursday in a 4-2 win over the Huskies, Zlobin had a goal. On Sunday against the No. 1 ranked Saint John Sea Dogs, Zlobin scored a pair of goals and added three assists.

Zlobin is draft eligible for the upcoming 2012 NHL Entry Draft. He has 39 goals and 74 points in 64 games this season.

nolan@theqspot.ca

Three Q teams make BMO Top 10 Rankings

Three Quebec Major Junior Hockey League teams have made the cut for the BMO MasterCard Top 10 Rankings the CHL announced yesterday.

For the second straight week, the Saint John Sea Dogs claim the top spot in the country. The Shawinigan Cataractes and the Quebec Remparts are the other two teams.

Saint John's 47-14-0-2 record has them in the number one spot. The mighty Sea Dogs have won 16 straight games.

The Cataractes sit a No. 4 with a 42-14-3-4 record. The 2012 Memorial Cup hosts are 7-2-1-0 in their past 10 games.

And last but not least, Patrick Roy's Quebec Remparts sit at the No. 8 spot with a 41-15-5-2 record. The Remparts are 9-1-0-0 in their past 10 games.

The Victoriaville Tigres were honourable mentions.

BMO CHL MasterCard Top 10 Rankings

1. Saint John Sea Dogs, QMJHL (47-14-0-2)
2. London Knights, OHL (45-16-0-1)
3. Portland Winterhawks, WHL (46-16-3-1)
4. Shawinigan Cataratces, QMJHL (42-14-3-4)
5. Tri-City Americans, WHL (46-17-1-2)
6. Plymouth Whalers, OHL (43-17-2-1)
7. Edmonton Oil Kings, WHL (44-15-3-4)
8. Quebec Remparts, QMJHL (41-15-5-2)
9. Kamloops Blazers, WHL (44-17-2-3)
10. Niagara Ice Dogs, OHL (42-17-0-3)

nolan@theqspot.ca

Canadiens sign Morgan Ellis to entry-level deal

Montreal Canadiens general manager Pierre Gauthier announced today the signing of defenseman Morgan Ellis to a three-year contract (2012-13 to 2014-15). As per club policy, financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

In 54 games with the QMJHL’s Cape Breton Screaming Eagles and Shawinigan Cataractes, Ellis ranks tied for seventh among defensemen in the league with 46 points (13 goals and 33 assists). He ranks tied for fifth among league defensemen for goals (13). The 6-2 and 204-pound defenseman displays a +18 plus/minus differential and served 45 penalty minutes.

The 19-year-old Ellerslie, P.E.I., native has recorded 117 points (25 goals and 92 assists) in 231 games since his junior debut with Cape Breton in 2008-09. He was drafted in the fourth round, 117th overall by the Canadiens at the 2010 NHL Entry Draft. Ellis took part in his second training camp with the Canadiens in 2011, appearing in one preseason game. He was returned to the Screaming Eagles on Sept. 26.

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

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

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).

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

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

Game Previews-February 3rd, 2012

Game of Interest:

Saint John (36-13-0-2) at Drummondville (21-25-2-4)- Something has to give. Both teams have winning streaks; Drummondville has a four game streak going, while Saint John is riding a five game streak. This is a definite game of interest.

Players to Watch

Jonathan Oligny (Drummondville) & Ian Saab (Saint John). Oligny and Saab are one and two respectively in penalty minutes and major penalties. Expect them to drop the gloves tonight.

Other games on the Q schedule tonight:
Moncton (23-23-3-2) at Halifax (27-16-2-3)

Cape Breton (20-28-0-2) at P.E.I. (16-31-2-2)

Rimouski (31-21-0-0) at Quebec (32-12-4-2)

Victoriaville (33-16-1-2) at Baie-Comeau (24-22-1-3)

Gatineau (19-23-4-4) at Blainville-Boisbriand (27-20-2-1)

Rouyn-Noranda (16-29-2-3) at Chicoutimi (26-16-3-6)

Val-d’Or (21-26-0-4) at Shawinigan (34-11-2-3)

Ouellet, Asselin and Girard named Telus stars of the month

Xavier Ouellet, Guillaume Asselin and Gabriel Girard have been named the TELUS three stars for the month of January the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League announced today.

Xavier Ouellet, 18, of the Blaineville-Boisbriand Armada is the first star of the month.

The Terrebonne, Que. native had points in 10 of 11 games this month. He also registered five games with two points or more. In total, Ouellet scored four goals for 16 points and a plus-8 rating in 11 games over the course of January.

The month's second star is Chicoutimi Sagueneens right-winger Guillaume Asselin.

Asselin ended the month with the most goals of any player with 12, equalling Titan's Zach O'Brien. In addition, 19 of his 21 points were collected on the road. He registered at least two points a game for seven games while scoring three game-winning goals. The 19-year-old Quebec City, Que., native finished with a plus-7 rating.

The third star of the month is Shawinigan Cataractes goaltender Gabriel Girard.

Girard, 20, registered a goals-against average of 1.71, which was the best amongst league goaltenders. He won seven of eight games and finished behind Roman Will of the Moncton Wildcats with a save percentage of .934.

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 128^th 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 35^th 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 59^thamong North American skaters and Hrivik 65^th.

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.

“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.

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.

jonathan@theqspot.ca

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

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

Whos Hot - Whos Not: January 9th -15th

This week in the Q was filled with a multitude of high scoring games which leads to a few players putting up some big numbers in points and other putting up minus numbers in +/-.

The week's hottest player Guillaume Asselin of the Chicoutimi Sagueneens put up four goals and four assists in three games with a plus-1 rating helping his team to a 2-1 record through the week.

Next up are a couple of defencemen who are putting up some big numbers since being traded just before the deadline. Jérémie Blain, now playing with the Victoriavillie Tigres, had one goal and chipped in five helpers in three games over the week as the Tigres went 3-0. The former Titan player has three goals and for 10 points in seven games. The final hot for the week is the blue line duo of a couple Prince Edward Island natives who have been logging significant minutes for the Memorial Cup hosts Shawinigan Cataractes. Brandon Gormley and Morgan Ellis have proved to be great acquisitions since being traded from Moncton and Cape Breton respectively, Ellis has chipped in four goals and five assists with a plus-7 rating since moving from the Eagles, while Gormley has been solid on the blue line adding two assists on the island and a plus-4 rating, these two will play big roles in Shawinigan bringing the Memorial Cup back to the Q.

Shawinigan gets the nod for the hottest team of the week. Someone might need to call the fire department when this team returns home. The team picked up three wins over the week the biggest one coming against the highly touted Saint John Sea Dogs, a 4-1 victory in Saint John, as well as romping the Rocket 8-2 and edging Bathurst 2-1 in a shootout. It will be interesting to see how the teams caps off a 6 game road swing in the following week.

Quebec was ice cold last week losing two important games to Val-d'Or and Victoriaville both on home ice. The team was ranked fourth overall in the recent Week 16 CHL Top 10 Rankings and although the team didn't struggle to score they didn't manage to pick up a point.

This week's cold player hasn't produced much since returning from the World Junior Championships. Saint John Sea Dogs forward Jonthan Huberdeau has struggled to make ends meet since returning, a problem he has been having all season long. Huberdeau has battled injury for most of the season. He only managed one assist for the Sea Dogs this past week, Expect him to up his game in the coming weeks as his team makes a final plug for first overall in the league.

Reid on the Rocket: Cataractes too much for the Rocket

It was a Friday the 13th night for the P.E.I. Rocket in an 8-2 loss to the Shawinigan Cataractes Friday night at the Charlottetown Civic Centre.

Shawinigan built a 4-0 first period lead and never looked back. The loss for the Rocket, drops them to 12-27-2-2 on the season.

Michael Bournival led the way for the Cataractes with two goals and two assists. Fellow Island-natives, Morgan Ellis (1-1) and Brandon Gormley (0-2), had two points each.

Rocket defenceman Ryan Graves said the team had a poor effort.

"They're obviously a good team…we could have been a lot better I think."

Gormley, a native of Murray River, P.E.I., said it was a good win for his club.

"We played well right from the start and ready to go."

Shawinigan built a 4-0 lead in the first period with goals Ellis, Anton Zlobin and two goals from Bournival.

Graves said the second period was suppose to be a bounce back period.

"It's not really over…try to prove what we can really do."

In the second period, the Cataractes built up a 7-0 lead with goals from Kirill Kabanov, Loik Poudrier and Pierre-Olivier Morin.

Louick Marcotte and Matej Beran scored for P.E.I. to make it a 7-2 game.

Michael Chaput had the lone goal of the third period to make it 8-2 Shawinigan and cap off the scoring.

Maxime Lagace started for the Rocket but was pulled after allowing six goals on 17 shots and was relieved by Antoine Bibeau who stopped 25-of-27 shots.

Alex Dubeau made 16 saves in goal for the Cataractes.

The Rocket host the Chicoutimi Sagueneens Saturday night at 7 p.m.

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