Les Mooseheads forcent la tenue d'un 6ième match

Pour un deuxième match d’affilé, les Remparts avaient la chance d’envoyer les Mooseheads en vacances pour de bon. Mais pour une 5ième fois en autant de rencontres, les hommes de Dominique Ducharme ont marqué le 1er but du match et en ont profité pour se diriger vers une victoire de 3-2 sur les Diables Rouges, vendredi soir, au Metro Center de Halifax pour forcer la tenue d’un 6ième match qui aura lieu lundi soir au Colisée Pepsi de Québec.

Le jeune prodige des Mooseheads, Nathan Mackinnon, a encore une fois connu un fort match. Il a marqué le but gagnant sur une savante passe de Jonathan Drouin au 3ième tiers et a en plus récolté une mention d’aide. Jusqu’à maintenant, en 9 rencontres en séries éliminatoires, l’attaquant natif de Dartmouth a marqué un impressionnant total de 10 buts et a en plus amassé 5 passes pour un total 15 points. Il a de plus maintenu un différentiel de +9. C’est tout simplement exceptionnel. Surtout qu’il n’est âgé que de 16 ans! De l’autre côté, Mikhail Grigorenko, son rival, si on peut l’appeler ainsi, a connu un autre match difficile. Il a trop souvent été invisible lors de ses présences sur la patinoire. Il a tout de même terminé le match avec une récolté de 1 point. Une passe qu’il a récolé sur le but de Gabriel Desjardins en 3e période.

Cameron Critchlow 5ième, Trey Lewis 1er et Nathan Mackinnon 10ième ont trouvé le fond du filet pour les Mooseheads. Martin Lefebvre 4ième et Gabriel Desjardins, ex-Orignaux, 7ième ont riposté pourQuébec. Halifax a dominé 39-26 au chapitre des tirs au but. Louis Domingue a connu un départ fort acceptable stoppant 36 rondelles. De l’autre côté, Zachary Fucale a encore une fois, je me répète, été incroyable. Il a d’ailleurs volé Adam Erne en 1ière période avec la jambière droite. Il a réalisé 24 arrêts.

Selon Patrick Roy, les Mooseheads méritaient la victoire. «Ils ont bien joué ce soir, ils méritaient assurément la victoire. Ils ont été plus combatifs que nous, ils ont gagné les batails le long des rampes et ils enont profité.» a-t-il affirmé après la rencontre.

9664 spectateurs ont assisté à cet excellent duel. Il s’agit de la 3ième meilleure assistance de l’histoire des Mooseheads au Metro Center. Les 9 & 10 Mai 2005, 10 596 spectateurs avaient assisté aux deux visites de Sidney Crosby alors que celui-ci évoluait à l’époque avec l’Océanic de Rimouski.

Donc, avec cette victoire, un match 6 sera au minimum nécessaire dans cette série pour déclarer un vainqueur. Il aura lieu lundi, 16 Avril, au Colisée Pepsi de Québec. Le match débutera dès 19h (heure de l’Est). Si les Mooseheads parviennent à l’emporter, le match ultime aura lieu immédiatement le lendemain, même heure, même place.

Les Mooseheads acculés au pied du mur

Halifax, NÉ - Les Remparts l’ont emporté par la marque de 5-3 sur lesMooseheads mardi soir au Metro Center de Halifax devant une foule de 8204spectateurs pour ainsi acculer la formation Néo-Écossaise au pied du mur en prenant l’avance3-0 dans cette série quart de final 4 de 7.

L’attaquant numéro 21 des Remparts, Micheal McNamee, a assurémentété la grande vedette de la soirée inscrivant 3 buts pour mériter son tour duchapeau et la 1e étoile du match. Il s’agissait de ses 2e,3e et 4e buts des présentes séries éliminatoires. PatrickRoy attendait justement le réveil de son attaquant qui n’avait marqué qu’unseul but en 6 matchs en séries d’après saison. Il en demandait plus, il en aobtenu d’avantage immédiatement!

Konrad Abeltshauser a ouvert la marque en première période avecun puissant tir de la pointe droite qui a trompé la vigilance de Louis Domingue.Mais l’avance des Orignaux n’a pas duré bien longtemps. À peine 2 minutes plus tard,Micheal McNamee a marqué le premier de ses 3 filets de la soirée pour nivelerla marque 1-1. Un total de 16 minutes de pénalité ont été distribuées lors de cepremier engagement. Après avoir pris les devants 3-1 grâce à des buts deMatthew Boudreau (2e) et d’Alexandre Grenier (2e) au deuxième tiers, les hommesde Dominique Ducharme se sont complètement écroulés. D’abord, Kurt Etchegary (1er)a déjoué Zachary Fucale entre les jambières à l’aide d’un tir frappé de l’enclavepour réduire la marque à 3-2. Puis, une minute plus tard, «Big Mac» MichealMcNamee a inscrit son 2e de la rencontre pour créer l’égalité 3-3.Le deuxième vingt se termina par cette marque. Par la suite, en troisièmepériode, l’ontarien a complété son tour du chapeau avant devoir Jérémie Malouin (6e) confirmer la victoire des siens dans unfilet désert. Les Remparts ont dominé 37-22 au chapitre des tirs au but.

Micheal McNamme (#21) célébrant son tour du chapeau

À noter que surprenamment, en 3 matchs, les Remparts n’ontjamais eu l’avance après deux périodes face aux Mooseheads. Ils l’ont tout demême emporté à 3 reprises. Un aspect qui sera quand même à améliorer pour latroupe de Patrick Roy si celle-ci veut espérer vaincre des équipes commeShawinigan ou Saint-John dans les rondes suivantes. L’avantage numérique seraaussi à peaufiner. Après avoir roulé à un train d’enfer contre les Voltigeurs,l’attaque à 5 des Diables Rouges connait des difficultés récemment.

Les Mooseheads feront donc face à l’élimination dès demainsoir devant leurs partisans au Metro Center. Si Halifax l’emporte, un match 5sera nécessaire vendredi soir, de nouveau en Nouvelle-Écosse en raison duformat 2-3-2 de cette série. Le match débutera dès 18h.


Crédit photo: Le Journal de Québec

Les Remparts réalisent un vol

Les Remparts ont créé l’égalité 3 à 3 avec à peine une vingtaine de secondes à faire à la 3^e période avant de finalement l’emporter par la marque de 4-3, samedi soir, en prolongation sur les Mooseheads de Halifax pour ainsi prendre une avance de 2-0 dans cette série quart de finale.

Avec moins d’une minute à faire au troisième engagement, les 12 340 spectateurs présents au Colisée Pepsi croyaient bien que tout était terminé avec les Mooseheads en avant 3-2. Mais Nathan Mackinnon a été d’une erreur monumentale en envoyant la rondelle dans les gradins avec 49.1 secondes à faire. Les Diables Rouges allaient donc profiter de l’avantage de deux hommes pour le reste du troisième tiers puisque Patrick Roy avait déjà retiré son gardien Louis Domingue au profit d’un 6e attaquant. Et ce qui devait arriver arriva. Après plusieurs tentatives devant le filet, Logan Shaw fit finalement mouche en logeant la rondelle derrière Zachary Fucale pour ainsi niveler la marque 3-3. Puis, à 6 :02 de la première période de prolongation, Jérémie Malouin sema l’hystérie dans le Colisée Pepsi en marquant à l’aide d’un tir des poignets dans le haut du filet de Fucale qui était à ce moment étendu de tout son long dans son demi-cercle bleu. À noter que sur ce jeu, les officiels ont été très longs à faire entendre leur sifflet et ne l’ont en fait pas fait entendre. Le portier des Mooseheads, Zachary Fucale, en avait d’ailleurs long à dire sur le travail des officiels après ce jeu.



Les Remparts réunis après le but victorieux de Jérémie Malouin en prolongation

Mikhail Grigorenko (2e) et Gabriel Desjardins (6e) ont complété la marque pour les Remparts. Nathan Mackinnon deux fois (8e et 9e) et Matthew Boudreau (1er) pour Halifax. Zachary Fucale a connu une soirée de travail fort acceptable stoppant 32 des 36 tirs des hommes de Patrick Roy. Quant à Louis Domingue, il a connu une soirée peu occupé de 19 tirs mais a tout de même alloué 3 buts. Lors des deux premiers matchs de cette série, il aura donc accordé 6 buts sur un total 36 lancers pour un mince taux d’efficacité de 0.833%. Un aspect qui sera à améliorer pour le vétéran de 19 ans si les Remparts espèrent faire un long bout de chemin en séries éliminatoires.

Avant que cette série débute, plusieurs amateurs avaient hâte de voir comment les deux jeunes vedettes, Nathan Mackinnon et Mikhail Grigorenko, se débrouilleraient. Jusqu’à maintenant, en 2 matchs, c’est nettement et sans aucun doute l’attaquant des Mooseheads qui a eu le meilleur. En plus de récolter 4 points contrairement à 1 seul pour Grigorenko, il a démontré beaucoup plus de choses sur la glace que son vis-à-vis. Il a été plus rapide, il a obtenu de meilleurs chances de marquer et a gagné ses batailles à un contre un. Des recruteurs avancent même qu’il serait peut-être blessé. Ce qui expliquerait sans doute ses performances plus qu’ordinaires des derniers matchs.

La série se transporte maintenant du côté du Metro Center de Halifax pour les rencontres 3 et 4, au minimum. Si les Mooseheads remportent au moins une de ces deux rencontres, un match 5 sera nécessaire et sera de nouveau présenté en Nouvelle-Écosse en raison du format 2-3-2 de cette série. À noter que les matchs présentés à Halifax débuteront dès 18h, heure de l'Est.

Crédit photo: Le journal de Québec

Grigorenko, Gourde clean up at Golden Puck Awards

QMJHL's top NHL draft prospect, Mikhail Grigorenko was the big winner at Wednesday night’s Golden Puck Awards.

Grigorenko of the Quebec Remparts edged Halifax Mooseheads' Nathan MacKinnon for both the RDS Cup (Rookie of the Year) and the Michel Bergeron Trophy (Offensive Rookie of the Year). He also won the Michael Bossy Trophy as the top professional prospect.

Victoriaville Tigres forward Yanni Gourde was named league MVP, taking home the Michel Briere trophy. He also won the Jean Beliveau tophy as top scorer.

Jean-Francois Houle of the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada won the coach of the year. Houle led his team to a 40-22-4-2 record, easily the best record in the West division. He edged out Sea Dogs coach Gerard Gallant, who had won the award the previous two seasons and Remparts coach Patrick Roy.

Houle's boss, Joel Bouchard, was named the league's top general manager.

While Gallant lost out on a third straight coach of the year award, the Sea Dogs were still big winners. Captain Jonathan Huberdeau took home the Paul Dumont Trophy (Personality of the Year) and goaltender Mathieu Corbeil won the Jacques Plante Trophy.

Jerome Gauthier Leduc, who had 28 goals, and 46 assists in 62 games patrolling the Rimouski blueline, was named the league's top defenseman.

Other winners included: Zach O'Brien (Acadie-Bathurst Titan) for sportsman of the year; Jonathan Brunelle (Cape Breton Screaming Eagles) was named the top scholastic player; and Vincent Barnard (Quebec Remparts) was singled out for his humanitarian and community involvement.

jonathan@theqspot.ca

Colisee Pepsi review

We have a special feature for you by Stadium Joruney, a website that reviews stadiums all across the World. Today's feature is a review done by the website on the Quebec Remparts home, Colisee Pepsi.

In the article, the Quebec Remparts are compared to Vancouver Giants of the WHL as they also play in an older, larger arena, Vancouver Coliseum, which was also a former NHL home.

The Colisee Pepsi was given a 1/5 for food and beverage, a 5/5 for its atmosphere, a 3/5 for the neighbourhood, and a 5/5 for the fans.

To see the full review click here. Please take the time to read it. It's a very good and interesting read.

There are also several more stadium reviews from the QMJHL included on the website including the Halifax Metro Centre, Moncton Coliseum, Centre Bionest de Shawinigan and the Robert Guertin Centre. Other CHL teams rinks are also included.

-Photo used by permission of Stadium Journey.
-Thanks to Stadium Journey Preisdent and Co-founder Paul Swaney for sending us this article.

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

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

Hyka, Duclair and Marcoux named Telus three stars of the week

Tomas Hyka, Anthony Duclair and Etienne Marcoux were named the Telus three stars of the week, the QMJHL announced earlier today.

The week is the period spanning from Feb. 27 to March 4, 2012.

Tomas Hyka of the Gatineau Olympiques is the week's first star after potting a pair of goals and collecting nine points.

The 18-year-old Czech native was named third-star on Wednesday with a goal. On Friday he scored a goal and added a pair of assists in an overtime win over Drummondville. He was named second star of the game.

On Sunday, he collected four assists in an 8-2 win over Drummondville.

The week's second star is Quebec Remparts rookie Anthony Duclair. Duclair, 16, scored his 25th goal of the season on Wednesday in a 9-2 thumping over the Baie-Comeau Drakkar. He tallied three points in the game to be named the game's first star.

On Sunday, the Montreal, Que. native collected a goal and a pair of assists in a 4-2 win over the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles.

Duclair has 60 points on the season.

The third star of the week belongs to Etienne Marcoux of the Blainville-Boisbrian Armada.

On Friday he made 29 saves in a 6-2 win over the Baie-Comeau Drakkar then posted a shutout the next night against Chicoutimi.

He posted a 1.00 goals-against average and a 0.959 save percentage.

nolan@theqspot.ca

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

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

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

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

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

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

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)

Saulnier concussion one of many

With four games left in the 2010-11 QMJHL season, the Moncton Wildcats played the P.E.I. Rocket.

Midway through the second period, the Wildcats forward Allain Saulnier passed the puck to his twin brother Alex, but he lost the puck.

The puck went to the boards near the Wildcat bench. Alex won the race to the puck, but he lost the size battle. Paradis’ shoulder made contact with Alex’s head,
leaving him motionless on the ice. He had a concussion.

The Quebec Remparts know exactly how the Wildcats felt at that moment. Two seasons ago in a game against the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies, former Huskies forward Patrice Cormier threw a blindsided elbow to the head of Remparts defenceman Mikaël Tam.

The hit sent Tam into convulsions. Tam recovered quickly and returned later that season. The QMJHL suspended Cormier for the rest of the season and playoffs, effectively ending his junior career.

“It’s definitely something that needs to be taken out of the game. You hit to take a player out of the play, not the game,” said Remparts coach Patrick Roy.

The Wildcats responded to the hit. Allain went after defenceman Jimmy Oligny, and Wildcat enforcer Scott Trask fought Paradis.

Alex would eventually skate off the ice on his own.

“I just didn’t feel normal so I knew something wasn’t right and I had headaches,” said Alex.

Alex missed the playoffs due to the concussion. He said he was tempted to come back, but he did what was best for his health.

“Maybe a little bit but I tried to be honest with myself and how I felt and after a few practices I felt ready to come back.”

The Wildcats have their own rule for players with concussions. They wait until the player has no symptoms of a concussion, then they move to light workouts, then non contact practices, and finally a normal practice.

“The reasons for longer recovery are not completely understood, but are related to the amount of damage to the brain and where the brain was damaged,” said physiotherapist Colin Moore.

Avoiding a concussion, or lessening the severity of one can easily be done.
“Wear a helmet and a mouth guard can help,” said Moore.

Concussions have been on the rise in hockey. There are currently 20 players in the NHL out with a concussion or concussion like symptoms.

The Eastern Conference alone has 15 players out with a concussion. There are 15 teams in the Eastern Conference.

Other injuries listed as “upper-body injuries” allow teams that don’t want to specify what the injury is for their player’s safety to use.

Alex got a game misconduct for hitting Oligny in the head in a recent home game against the P.E.I. Rocket. No suspension was given.