Centreville goalie seeks gold at worlds

By Patrick Moore
Special to the Kings County Advertiser
NovaNewsNow.com
TQS Contributor

Brandon Whitney hopes to take home gold from the world under 18 tournament in the Czech Republic after a disappointing playoff appearance.

The Centreville native said he is excited to play for Canada.

"It's my first time to Europe. Looking forward to the tournament. It's an honour to play for Canada and I expect it to be fun."

Whitney played in three playoff games for the Victoriaville Tigres, giving up 12 goals in the short series.

The Tigres were considered one of the top contenders in the QMJHL playoffs, but they fell very short of a championship or a spot in the Memorial Cup after the 13th place Baie-Comeau Drakkar eliminated the Tigres in four games in the opening round.

"It was a big surprise. We really didn't give our all this year. Hopefully next year will be a better run."

In the 36 games Whitney played in this season for the Tigres, he has 22 wins, four losses and four overtime losses.

At least one of Whitney’s opponents is not surprised to see he got a spot on Team Canada.

“He’s a big kid that covers a lot of the net. He has very good work ethic and deserves that spot on the U-18s,” said P.E.I. Rocket forward Ben Duffy.

Tigres manager Jérôme Mésonéro said he hopes international experience will help Whitney play more consistently. He said it was inconsistency that eliminated the Tigres early in the playoffs.

“Our goaltenders failed in the first round, I don’t want to say that. But next year will be important. He needs to be more consistent next year. Hopefully we play better next year.”

Mésonéro also said this tournament will help Whitney going into his draft year.
“The main thing is that it’s for him, it’s his draft season. He worked hard all season, he had a good season.”

Whitney, who is ranked second for North American goalies, isn’t worried about the draft.

"I'm not really thinking about the NHL Draft right now. I still have a few weeks left of hockey, maybe. I will think about it after we're done."

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

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

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).

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

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 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)

The QMJHL at the Home Hardware Top Prospects Game

Well, it’s that time of the year again.

The CHL’s finest draft-eligible prospects have gathered in Kelowna, B.C. to play in tonight’s Home Hardware Top Prospects Game. The game can be seen on Rogers Sportsnet beginning at 10 p.m. EST (11 p.m. Atlantic time.)

For all the invited prospects, it’s a chance for them to get noticed by scouts in the hopes of receiving an invitation to Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh for the 2012 NHL Entry Draft.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at the participants from the QMJHL. A total of nine QMJHL prospects will be in Kelowna, with four on Team Cherry coached by Mark Recchi, and the remaining five will play for Team Orr, led by Pat Quinn.

Team Cherry
Dillon Fournier, D, Rouyn-Noranda Huskies (9-20-29, 39 GP)
Even though Rouyn-Noranda is battling with P.E.I. to stay out of the QMJHL basement for the second consecutive year, Dillon Fournier has been a shining light on defence for the Huskies.

As the first pick in the Lewiston MAINEiacs Dispersal Draft in June and the sole QMJHL defender in the Top Prospects Game, the Montréal product is enjoying a breakout season, having already doubled his offensive output in just over half the number of games.

Fournier’s increased production projects similarly to what Sea Dogs defender and Canadiens first-round pick Nathan Beaulieu experienced in 2009-10, his 17-year-old season.

Central Scouting currently has Fournier listed 138th among North American skaters, but a solid showing in Kelowna could increase the attention he gets at the Entry Draft.

Martin Frk, RW, Halifax Mooseheads (8-6-14, 16 GP)
Trailing only Mikhail Grigorenko, Martin Frk is the highest-ranked QMJHL prospect playing in Kelowna tonight.
Currently ranked 25th among North American skaters by Central Scouting, the Czech forward’s draft season was derailed in the preseason by a concussion. He didn’t make his regular season debut until Dec. 9 against P.E.I., but he’s turned it around after a slow start.

Frk may have missed an opportunity to boost his stock by opting out of playing for the Czech Republic at the World Junior Hockey Championships, but he comes into Kelowna with a hot hand, having scored 11 points during his current six-game point streak.
A strong performance from Frk in the Top Prospects Game would do wonders to elevate him toward the place where scouts thought he should be ranked prior to getting injured.

Andrew Ryan, LW, Halifax Mooseheads (5-4-9, 25 GP)
Much like his teammate Frk, Andrew Ryan has also had to battle back from a pre-season injury to regain his form.
A broken ankle at the end of August cost him the first two months of the regular season, but he’ll have plenty of opportunities to impress scouts in Kelowna as he attempts to make up for lost time.

Ryan ranks 64th among North American skaters going into the game, and he’s scored just one point since the start of 2012. However, look for the St. John’s, N.L. native to come out with something to prove tonight as he looks to jump onto the radar of all scouts in attendance.

Brandon Whitney, G, Victoriaville Tigres (20-3-0-1, 2.95 GAA)
If possible, the Kentville, N.S. native has played bigger than his 6-5 stature for Victoriaville this season, which has him ranked third among all North American goaltenders in the most recent Central Scouting rankings.

He’s been a key component in Victoriaville’s efforts this season, having only lost three games while keeping his team within striking distance of Québec and Shawinigan in the TELUS East Division race.

His 20 victories are good enough to tie with Halifax’s Zachary Fucale for tops among rookie goaltenders (tied for fourth in the QMJHL), and he leads all rookie goaltenders with a 2.95 goals-against average (tied for eighth overall.)

With Central Scouting’s top-ranked North American goaltender Malcolm Subban out of the game with a groin injury, this may be Whitney’s shot to step up and put pressure on not only Subban, but also fellow Team Cherry goaltender Matt Murray, who ranks second among North American netminders.
A great performance tonight could strengthen Whitney’s argument for being the best goaltender available at the 2012 NHL Entry Draft.

Team Orr
Francis Beauvillier, C, Rimouski Oceanic (17-7-24, 51 GP)
With teammates Jérôme Gauthier-Leduc and Alex Belzile commanding attention in Rimouski, St-Hyacinthe, Que. native Francis Beauvillier has quietly put together a solid season to date for the Oceanic.

Picked up by Rimouski in the Lewiston dispersal draft, Beauvillier ranks fourth on the team in goals (17) and sixth in points (24) through 51 games to help the Oceanic stay in the hunt for home-ice advantage in the first round of the QMJHL playoffs. His goal totals also eclipse his total from last season with the MAINEiacs, where he scored 11 times in 57 games.

Beauvillier ranks 62nd among North American skaters in the Central Scouting mid-season rankings, so this game is important if he wants to elevate his standing in the eyes of scouts.

Raphaël Bussières, LW, Baie-Comeau Drakkar (16-22-38, 43 GP)
A former first-round selection of the Moncton Wildcats in the 2009 QMJHL Draft, Raphaël Bussières has steadily continued to develop as a player after being traded to Baie-Comeau.
His point production has gone up in each of his three QMJHL seasons, and he’s averaging nearly a point per game in 2011-12. He sits tied for third on the Drakkar in goals (16) and tied for fourth in points (38).

Bussières currently sits just outside the top 50 among North American skaters in the Central Scouting rankings (57th), but a strong showing tonight in Kelowna could put him back into the top 50, and it may well put him on the minds of more NHL scouts as the Entry Draft draws closer.

Mikhail Grigorenko, RW, Québec Remparts (28-36-64, 41 GP)
With Sarnia’s Nail Yakupov out of the Top Prospects Game due to injury, the door may well be open for fellow Russian Mikhail Grigorenko to shine and further fuel debate over whose name should be called first in Pittsburgh this June.

An assistant captain for Team Orr, Grigorenko is ranked as the top prospect in the ISS mid-term rankings and second among North American skaters by Central Scouting. Grigorenko has scored in bunches since coming over to North America, producing at a rate of 1.56 points per game. The numbers could have been higher if he hadn’t played for Russia at the World Junior Hockey Championships over Christmas.

The scary part? He doesn’t turn 18 until the middle of May.

Grigorenko is a big reason why the Remparts are in the hunt in the TELUS East Division, and with a good showing in the Top Prospects Game, he may well stake his claim to the first overall pick in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft.

Tomas Hyka, RW, Gatineau Olympiques (17-30-47, 40 GP)
If it weren’t for the NHL’s Collective Bargaining Agreement, Czech forward Tomas Hyka may have been in the Philadelphia Flyers system instead of this year’s Top Prospects Game.

The Gatineau Olympiques instead became the beneficiaries, selecting Hyka with the eighth selection in the CHL Import Draft this past summer.

Hyka must have taken some advice from Flyers star and Gatineau alumnus Claude Giroux during his time in Philadelphia’s camp, because he’s adjusted to the North American game very well. He’s scored over a point per game with the Olympiques this season compared to his 2010-11 season with his hometown under-20 team, BK Mlada Boleslav, where he tallied 31 points in 38 games.

Hyka finds himself ranked 65th among North American skaters according to Central Scouting, but if he can show flashes of the confidence he displayed in his lone exhibition game as a Flyer, or the brilliance he displays in Gatineau offensively and killing penalties, Hyka surely won’t be passed over in this year’s draft as he was last year.

François Tremblay, G, Val D’Or Foreurs (14-22-0-3, 3.78 GAA)
François Tremblay has been a workhorse for Val D’Or this season, ranking fourth among all Q goaltenders in minutes played (2,253) and saves (1,054).

In fact, his workload may well skew his other statistics toward the bottom end of the spectrum, as he doesn’t rank particularly high in save percentage (18th, .881) or goals-against average (20th, 3.78 GAA).

However, Tremblay is a technically-sound, big-bodied goaltender, which should make him a valuable commodity in Pittsburgh this June.

Tremblay currently ranks sixth among North American goaltenders, but with the aforementioned Malcolm Subban, Jon Gillies (Indiana in the USHL) and Saginaw’s Jake Paterson not playing in the game, Tremblay has a golden opportunity to shine and show scouts he’s ready to take the next step.

Game Previews: Feb. 1, 2012

There is only one game in the Q tonight, but keep in mind, the CHL Top Prospects Game is on Sportsnet at 10 p.m. EST.

Rimouski (30-21-0-0) at Victoriaville (33-16-0-2) - These QMJHL rivals clash in an Eastern Division battle. Both teams have seven wins and three losses in their last 10 games. Game time is 7 p.m. EST.

Victoriaville has been great at home, sporting an 18-6-0-1 record, while Rimouski has a sub .500 record on the road. Expect Victoriaville to continue their winning ways.

Players to Watch

Victoriaville - Forward Yanni Gourde is quietly having himself a career year. Gourde leads the league in scoring with 27 goals and an impressive 64 assists in just 51 games. He has 25 powerplay assists.

Rimouski - Jermoe-Gauthier Leduc - I seem to go back to Gauthier-Leduc for every Rimouski preview, but with good reason. Some interesting stats on the Oceanic defenseman. He is third overall in shots taken in the league with 200. To counter that, he isn't in the top five in shots on goal. He is also tied with Baie-Comeau's Samuel Carrier with three game-winning shootout goals.

jonathan@theqspot.ca

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

nolan@theqspot.ca

Game Previews: January 22nd

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

Players to Watch

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

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

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

Interesting Fact

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

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

Players to Watch

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

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

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

Players to Watch

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

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

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

Stat of the Game

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

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

Players to Watch

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

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

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

36 QMJHL players listed in midterm rankings

Quebec Remparts forward Mikhail Grigorenko tops the NHL Central Scouting's midterm rankings for the 2012 NHL Entry Draft for the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.

Yesterday, the Canadian Hockey League announced that 145 CHL players appear on the list.

The domestic rankings list a total of 210 North American skaters including 120 from the CHL, also listing and additional 36 North American goaltenders which includes 25 that currently compete in the CHL.

The QMJHL has 36 representatives on the rankings, with Grigorenko at spot number two, below Nail Yakupov of the Sarnia Sting who is number one.

The highest ranked goaltender for the QMJHL is Victoriaville's Brandon Whitney at number three.

Here is the list of QMJHL players that made the rankings
NORTH AMERICAN SKATERS
RK Name Team
2 Mikhail Grigorenko, Quebec Remparts
25 Martin Frk Halifax, Mooseheads
59 Matej Beran, P.E.I. Rocket
62 Francis Beauvillier, Rimouski Oceanic
64 Andrew Ryan, Halifax Mooseheads
65 Tomas Hyka, Gatineau Olympiques
87 Vladislav Shalimov, Val-d'Or Foreurs
89 Ryan Culkin, Quebec Remparts
93 James Melindy, Moncton Wildcats
96 Charles Hudon, Chicoutimi Sagueneens
102 Liam O'Brien, Rouyn-Noranda Huskies
116 Justin Hache, Shawinigan Cataractes
126 Tomas Pavelka, P.E.I. Rocket
128 Anton Zlobin, Shawinigan Cataractes
130 Taylor Burke, Gatineau Olympiques
138 Dillon Fournier, Rouyn-Noranda Huskies
168 Loic Leduc, Cape Breton Screaming Eagles
173 Tomas Filippi, Baie-Comeau Drakkar
177 Raphael Corriveau, Cape Breton Screaming Eagles
186 Sven Andrighetto, Rouyn-Noranda Huskies
190 Alexandre Leclerc, Rouyn-Noranda Huskies
193 Jeremie Fraser, Acadie-Bathurst Titan
196 Luca Ciampini, Halifax Mooseheads
207 Domenic Poulin, Chicoutimi Sagueneens

NORTH AMERICAN GOALTENDERS
RK Name Team
3 Brandon Whitney, Victoriaville Tigres
6 Francois Tremblay, Val-d'Or Foreurs
13 Etienne Marcoux, Blainville-Boisbriand Armada
16 Francois Brassard, Quebec Remparts
18 Maxime Lagace, P.E.I. Rocket
25 Jacob Brennan, Acadie-Bathurst Titan
30 Roman Will, Moncton Wildcats
33 Philippe Trudeau, Cape Breton Screaming Eagles

Full list can be viewed here.

nolan@theqspot.ca

Tigres add Blain to blue-line

The Victoriaville Tigres continue to add to their blue-line as they have acquired defenceman Jeremie Blain from the Acadie-Bathurst Titan.


In return, the Tigres send 18-year-old defenceman Francois Godin, Bathurst's third-round pick in 2012, a first-round pick in 2013 and a second-round pick in 2013.

Blain, 19, scored six goals and 24 points for the Titan in 29 games this season and was a fourth-round pick by the Edmonton Oilers in 2010.

Godin was a sixth-round pick by the Tigres in 2010 and has two goals and eight points in 34 games.

The Tigres have acquired Matthew Hobbs from the P.E.I. Rocket, Daniel Milan from the Moncton Wildcats and now Blain from the Titan in the last week. The team recently released 20-year-old defenceman Guillaume Rousseau.

Milan traded to Victoriaville

The Victoriaville Tigres have made another dip into the trading period by acquiring defenceman Daniel Milan from the Moncton Wildcats.

Milan, 19, spent the last two seasons with the Wildcats recording 14 goals and 43 points in 101 games.

In return, the Victoriaville Tigres sent defensemen Danick Emond and Jacob Sweeney to the Wildcats.

Emond, 18, had four goals and 15 points with the Tigres this season. The Montreal, Que. native was a second-round pick by the Chicoutimi Sagueneens in 2010.

Sweeney, 16, was a first-round pick by the Tigres in 2011 and played in three games this season with the Tigres but registered zero points.

In another trade on the day, the Quebec Remparts traded 20-year-old left winger Olivier Hinse to the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada for 19-year-old defenceman Marc-Antoine Carrier.

Hinse played in five games this year with the Remparts recording two assists.

For a complete list of trades, click here.

Rocket trade captain to Victoriaville

The P.E.I. Rocket have traded captain Matthew Hobbs to the Victoriaville Tigres.

In exchange for the 20-year-old defenceman, the Rocket receive 18-year-old right winger Benjamin Laliberte, Baie-Comeau's second-round pick and Saint John's sixth-round pick.

Laliberte was a first round pick in he 2009 QMJHL Entry Draft and has one goal and three points with the Tigres this year. He had six goals and 20 points last year as a 17-year-old and had five goals and 15 points in his rookie season with Gatineau.

Hobbs, who was named captain this offseason, struggled this season with three goals and 13 points in 36 games. Last season he had 16 goals and 40 points in 65 games.

Hobbs has done a lot of good things for the organization, said Rocket president Serge Savard Jr. in a press release.

"However, we had the opportunity to get some pieces that will be assets as we continue to rebuild and we had to take it. We wish Matthew all the best on and off the ice this year and in years to come."

The Rocket travel to Saint John tomorrow night to battle the Sea Dogs.

The Q back in action tonight

After breaking for Christmas over a week ago, the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League kicks back into gear tonight with six games on the schedule.

First on the list is the struggling P.E.I. Rocket (8-24-2-2) visiting the Halifax Mooseheads (22-11-1-2) at 7 p.m.

Next on the board is the Victoriaville Tigres (21-13-0-2) visiting the Drummondville Voltigeurs (14-18-2-3) at 8 p.m. Atlantic Time.

Third on the night is the Quebec Remparts (28-6-2-1) hosting the Rimouski Oceanic (22-17-0-0) at 8 p.m.

Fourth on the list is Shawinigan (25-9-2-2) hosting the Armada (20-14-2-0) at 8 p.m.

Next up is the Chicoutimi "Sags" (17-11-3-5) visiting the Baie-Comeau Drakkar (19-15-1-1) at 8 p.m.

And finally, the Val-d'Or Foreurs (15-19-0-4) visit their arch-rivals, Rouyn-Noranda Huskies (12-25-1-1) at 8 p.m.

Trade updates
On Dec. 21, Saint John acquires Danny Chiasson (1992-09-23) and 12th round pick in 2012 from the Baie-Comeau Drakkar for an 11th round pick in 2012.

On Dec. 21, Acadie-Bathurst traded defenceman Garrett Clarke (1992-11-03) to the Gatineau Olympiques for a fifth-round pick in 2012 (via P.E.I) and a ninth-round pick in 2012.

On Dec. 20, Gatineau acquired Olivier Daoust from Moncton for Baie-Comeau's 2012 third-round pick.

To view a list of transactions so far, click here.

Busy weekend heading into Christmas break

There are quite a few games slated for this weekend as we enter the final week of action before the league breaks for Christmas.

Tonight, there are eight games in action tonight, combining for 16 of the the league's 17 teams.

First on tonight's schedule are the mighty Saint John Sea Dogs (26-10-0-1) visiting the struggling Cape Breton Screaming Eagles (14-20-0-1) at 7 p.m.

Second on tonight's schedule is the Halifax Mooseheads (21-10-1-2) visiting the Moncton Wildcats (17-16-2-0) at 7 p.m.

The P.E.I. Rocket, the other Maritime Division team in action tonight, are in Quebec to take on Patrick Roy and Mikhail Grigorenko's Remparts. The Rocket are in last place with an 8-22-2-2 record, as the Remparts are in first with an impressive 26-6-2-1 record. Gametime is 8 p.m.

Other Quebec teams in action tonight consist of the Gatineau Olympiques (16-14-2-3) visiting the Drummondville Voltigeurs (13-17-2-3) at 8 p.m, Baie-Comeau Drakkar (17-15-1-1) at Victoriaville Tigres (21-11-0-2), Chicoutimi Sagueneens (16-10-3-5) visiting the Rimouski Oceanic (20-17-0-0), Blainville-Boisbriand Armada(18-14-2-0) at Rouyn-Noranada Huskies (12-23-1-1) and the Shawinigan Cataractes (23-9-2-2) visit the Val-d'Or Foreurs (15-17-0-4).

The schedule loosens up on Saturday with only five games on the board.

The P.E.I. Rocket travel to Rimouski to battle the Oceanic, the Acadie-Bathurst Titan (17-17-2-2) travel to Victoriaville, the Olympiques host the Drakkar, Rouyn-Noranda Huskies host Shawnigan and the Armada visit the Foreurs.

On Sunday, only three games are on the schedule with Bathurst visiting Quebec, Halifax in Cape Breton, and Saint John visiting arch-rival Moncton Wildcats.

The trading period opens up on Monday Dec. 19.

In other news, it has been reported that Charlie Coyle will be reporting to the Saint John Sea Dogs. Coyle has left Boston University and is likely to sign with the Sea Dogs. Coyle's departure is due to academic issues.

Coyle, an East Weymouth, M.A., native had three goals and 14 points in 16 games with Boston University this season. The 19-year-old was selected 28th overall by the San Jose Sharks in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft. His rights were traded to the Minnesota Wild.

Saturday night results

Quick recap of the scores from last night.

All home teams were victorious last night, opposite of what happened on Friday night.

Baie-Comeau were 5-1 winners over the Shawinigan Cataractes. Lukas Cingel (2-0), Raphael Bussieres (2-0), Tomas Filippi (0-2) and Felix Girard (0-2) all had two points in the Drakkar win. Yannick Veilleux had the lone goal for Shawinigan.

The Cape Breton Screaming Eagles had a big 9-4 win at home over the Rouyn-Noranada Huskies. Morgan Ellis had two goals and two assists. David Rose (1-2), Kyle Farrell (0-3), Logan Shaw (1-1), Denis Kindl (2-1) and William Carrier (1-2) also had multiple points on the night.

In Moncton, the Wildcats were 4-3 winners over the Victoriaville Tigres. Teams were tied 3-3 after the first period until Allain Saulnier scored a powerplay goal for the Wildcats and they would hold on to win.

In Gatineau, the Olympiques came back from a 3-1 deficit to beat the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada 4-3 in overtime. Mathieu Gagnon (1-1) had the overtime winner for Gatineau.

Lastly, the Quebec Remparts thumped the Halifax Mooseheads 6-1. Mikhail Grigorenko had a goal and an assist for the Remparts, as Nathan MacKinnon had an assist for the Mooseheads.

Saturday night preview

There are five games on the schedule tonight for the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.

The first game on the schedule is the Shawinigan Cataractes (17-7-1-2) at the Baie-Comeau Drakkar (12-11-0-0) at 5 p.m. AST.

Anton Zlobin leads the Cataractes in scoring with 22 goals and 32 points in 25 games.

Leading scorers for the Drakkar are Carl Gelinas and Alexandre Durette with 24 points each in 23 games.

Shawinigan is 1-0 against the Drakkar so far this season with a 3-2 win back on Oct. 27.

The second game on the scoreboard is the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies (7-17-1-1) visiting the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles (10-13-0-1) at 7 p.m.

Leading the way for Huskies is Zurich, Switzerland native, Sven Andrighetto with 12 goals and 27 points in 25 games.

Jonathan Brunelle leads the Screaming Eagles in scoring with eight goals and 27 points in 24 games.

This is the first time these two teams have met this season and will also play again tomorrow night.

Third on the scoreboard is the Victoriaville Tigres (17-8-0-1) visiting the Moncton Wildcats (14-11-1-0) at 7 p.m.

Yanni Gourde leads the Tigres in scoring with an impressive 14 goals and 43 points in 26 games.

Moncton is led by Alex Saulnier with 16 goals and 39 points in 26 games.

Victoriaville and Moncton have not met yet this season.

The next game on the schedule is the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada (12-12-1-0)visiting the Gatineau Olympiques (12-10-1-1) at 8 p.m.

Armada rookie Christopher Clapperton leads the team in scoring with 10 goals and 27 points in 25 games, along with Jess Tanguy who has eight goals and 27 points in 24 games.

Jean-Gabriel Pageau leads the 'Piques with 18 goals and 31 points in 17 games.

Both teams have met each other twice so far this season and each team has won a game.

Past results: Sept. 16, GAT 0 @ BLB 7, Sept. 23, BLB 2 @ GAT 6.

The last game on the night is the the Halifax Mooseheads (14-6-1-1) visiting the Quebec Remparts (18-4-2-1) tonight at 8 p.m.

League superstars Nathan MacKinnon, Halifax, and Mikhail Grigorenko, Quebec, will go head-to-head.

MacKinnon leads the Mooseheads in scoring with 12 goals and 34 points in 22 games.

Grigorenko leads the Remparts with 18 goals and 39 points in 25 games.

Halifax won the last meeting between the two clubs on Oct. 22 in Halifax in 4-3 overtime win.