Reid on the Rocket: Rocket snap slump with big win over Wildcats

Josh Currie's early third period goal lifted the Rocket to a 5-3 win over the Moncton Wildcats Tuesday night at the Charlottetown Civic Centre.

For the sixth time in seven games this season, the Rocket have beaten the Wildcats. The win also snapped a 10-game losing streak for P.E.I. and improved to 18-40-2-3 on the season.

Ben Duffy led the way for the Rocket scoring two goals and adding an assist. He said it was huge to snap the losing streak.

"Especially right before going into the Cape, the two biggest games of the season coming up. "

The success against the Wildcats this year has been thanks to rivalry the two teams have, said Duffy.

"Come time to play them we never want to lose and I think that's why we battle so hard to make sure we get those two points every game."

A lot of positives came out of the win, said Duffy.

"We played a full 60 minutes and stuck to our game plan…and that's what we got to do for the rest of the season."

Moncton opened the scoring with Allain Saulnier's 25th goal of the season at 12:27 of the first period.

It didn't take the Rocket long to respond as Louick Marcotte potted home his 11th of the season at 13:22 to tie the game.

Ryan Penny gave the Wildcats a 2-1 lead at 17:40.

After a near scoreless second period, Duffy's goal with 22 seconds left in the period tied the game at two.

In the third period, Duffy scored 51 seconds in to give the Rocket a 3-2 lead with his 34th of the season before Currie's 25th of the season made it 4-2 at 4:08.

Patrick Delisle-Houde got the Wildcats within a goal with a powerplay marker at 7:09.

Jimmy Oligny capped off the scoring with an empty net goal at 19:07.

Maxime Lagace made 26 saves for the win in goal for P.E.I.

Roman Will took the loss for Moncton stopping 28 shots.

With five games left on the schedule, the Rocket are still battling for that last and final playoff spot.

"We have to stay positive and make sure we compete and work hard in practice and make sure were mentally and physically ready for every game," said Duffy.

The Rocket are back in action Friday and Saturday night with back-to-back games against the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles in Cape Breton.

Rocket return home for their final home game of the season Sunday March 18 at 4 p.m. against the Halifax Mooseheads.

Video Highlights


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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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.

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

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

Trade Deadline Winners and Losers

Gormley Watch.

That was the distinct theme of this year's QMJHL trade deadline.

19-year-old defensemen Brandon Gormley, from Murray River, P.E.I. is in his fourth and likely final season in the Q. He’s expected to play on the Phoenix Coyotes farm team in Portland next season.

That’s one reason it was widely speculated that Gormley, who has played four seasons for the Moncton Wildcats, would be dealt to a contender.

Gormley was dealt to Memorial Cup host Shawinigan Cataractes in a monster deal.

But this was far from the only noteworthy deal on Saturday.

Who were the big winners and losers of the 2012 trade deadline? Here are my picks.

WINNERS

Shawinigan- Not only did they secure Gormley, but they also secured another P.E.I. defensemen in Morgan Ellis. Ellis, from Ellerslie, P.E.I. has two goals and three assists in two games since coming over from Cape Breton.

What makes these acquisitions so great for Shawinigan is not just the pure skill they have, but their leadership qualities as well. Both Gormley and Ellis were captains of their former clubs.

Oh, did I mention that just prior to Christmas, they also acquired stud defensemen Jonathan Narbonne? Regardless of the sheer amount of draft picks Shawinigan had to give up for these three, they are going all out to win the Memorial Cup in their arena, and that, on top of these three impact players makes them winners.

Chicoutimi- I talked to a few people around the league, and they were shocked that the Sags were buyers this year. However, the moves General Manager Marc Fortier have a loud “next season” tone to them. Fortier went out and acquired Christian Ouellet and Mathieu Gagnon from Gatineau, the Olympiques two leading scorers at the time. Fortier then acquired Jean-Gabriel Pageau, the player most talked about aside from Gormley.

While Ouellet is a 20-year-old and won’t be of any use next season, acquiring Gagnon, a great powerplay quarter-back, and Pageau, is huge for the team going into next season.

LOSERS

Quebec- Quebec did virtually nothing to push them over the top. With a plethora of young players, I expected much more from Patrick Roy et al. They are in a tough battle for tops in the Q, and considering the moves some of the other teams made, they may slip a bit in the second half.

P.E.I.- Ah, good ol’ P.E.I. They made a couple of moves leading up to Saturday, but nothing on the actual deadline day. For a rebuilding team, I really expected at least one of the overagers (Levesque, Bernard) to go for a draft pick or two. P.E.I. was on their annual late season surge when the trade deadline came, so it’s no wonder they stayed status quo. I for one, would like to have seen some players go, so the Rocket could finally get a top two draft pick (expansion team Sherbrooke automatically gets the first overall selection). Hopefully they continue to compete, but hopefully they don’t fall just short of the post season, thus eliminating them from a chance at securing an impact player yet again.

A Bit of Both

Moncton- The Wildcats held on to Brandon Gormley almost up until the 1 p.m. deadline. He ended up going to Shawinigan for 17-year-old Michael Matheson & two 2012 fifth-round picks, a 2013 first-round Euro draft pick, a 2013 third and fifth-round pick, and a 2014 second-round pick.

In part, this is highway robbery for Shawinigan, but in part this is pure genius for Danny Flynn. Gormley is worth at least an A++ 16-year-old, plus a couple first-round picks. Especially given his top defensemen honors at this years WJC tourney, Moncton should have gotten much more.

The genius in this is the sheer quantity of picks Flynn received, that he won’t have to protect at the upcoming expansion draft.

So, what do you think? Agree? Disagree? Tweet me @jonathan_dunphy and let me know!

Gormley traded to Shawinigan; Pageau to Sags

Today Moncton Wildcats Head Coach and General manager Danny Flynn announced that defenseman Brandon Gormley has been traded to the Shawinigan Cataractes for Micheal Matheson and six draft picks.

Draft picks included in the deal are:

Fifth-round of 2012(Shawinigan)

Fifth-round of 2012(Lewiston)

Third-round of 2013(Shawinigan)

Fifth-round of 2013(Shawinigan)

First-round euro pick of 2013(Shawinigan)

2nd round of2014(Shawinigan)

"This is a very difficult trade for our organization andfor me personally but we think long term this is the best move for the Moncton Wildcats at this time," said Flynn. "This move is in the best interest of the Wildcatslong term future. We want to congratulate Gorms on a tremendous World Junior Tournament and a great career here with Moncton. We wish him the best of luck as Shawinigan prepares to host the Memorial Cup."

According to the Wildcats website, Flynn will be available to speak to the media after tonight's gameagainst the Screaming Eagles at the Coliseum. Game starts at 7 p.m.

PAGEAU TRADED

The Gatineau Olympiques have traded captain Jean-Gabriel Pageau and a third-round pick in 2013 to the Chicoutimi Sagueneens for goaltender Alexandre Michaud, two second-round picks(BLB in 2013 and CHI in 2014) and a second-round pick in 2014.

DOUBLE DEBUT

Both Charlie Coyle and newly acquired defenseman Brandon Gormley are expected to make their debuts for the Saint John Sea Dogs and Shawinigan Cataractes, respectively, on Thursday at Harbour Station.

WJC Today - Final Day Recap

The 2012 World Junior Hockey Championship is over and here are the medal round results.

Canada 4, Finland 0: Summary

Canada shutout the Finns 4-0 to capture a bronze medal. Quinton Howden had two goals for Canada in the win. Barrie Colts forwards Tanner Pearson and Mark Scheifele picked up a goal and an assist each. Niagara IceDogs forward Freddie Hamilton added two assists for Canada.

Mark Visentin had an outstanding game in net, including an amazing behind the back catch to keep the game at 3-0 in the third.

Wildcats Defenseman Brandon Gormley was named Top Defenceman of the tournament and was also part of the Tournament All-Star team.

Sweden 1, Russia 0 OT: Summary

Sweden captured its first gold medal in 31 years over Russia in overtime. The winning goal came at 10:08 of overtime when Senators prospect Mika Zibanejad stole the puck from a Russian defender and went in alone on Andrei Makarov before beating him with a backhand deke.

Russian captain Yevgeni Kuznetsov was named Top Forward of the tournament. The Czechs Petr Mrazek was the Top Goaltender of the tournament.

All-Star Team:

G- Petr Mrazek

D- Brandon Gormley, Oscar Klefbom

F - Max Friberg, Yevgeni Kuznetsov, Mikeal Granland

Comments or questions can be sent to bryer@theQspot.ca .

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.

WJC Today - Day 4 Recap

There were only two games on the World Junior Hockey Championship schedule last night. Here are quick recaps of both games.

Canada 10, Denmark 2: Summary
The first game of the day was the Canadians taking on Denmark in Edmonton, Alta. Brandon Gormley and Mark Stone led the way for Canada with a pair of goals and an assist each. Quinton Howden, Brett Connolly, Ryan Strome, Scott Harrington, Freddie Hamilton and Brendan Gallagher picked up singles for Canada. Nicolai Meyer and Emil Kristensen scored for Denmark. Gormley was Canada's Player of the Game while Nicklas Jensen picked up the prize for the Danes.

Russia 14, Latvia 0: Summary
Game two of the day was the Russians against Latvia. Russia dominated the game with a 14-0 win. Yevgeni Kuznetsov led the Russians with 9 points tying him for the all-time WJC record of most points in a single game with Peter Forsberg.

Remparts forward Mikhail Grigorenko scored the Russians first goal before leaving the game in the second period with a foot injury. He would not return. He had an X-Ray and it showed no fractures in his leg.

Standings

Group A

Team	GP	W	L	OTW	OTL	PTS
SWE	2	1	0	1	0	5
RUS	2	1	0	0	0	3
SVK	2	1	1	0	0	3
SUI	2	0	1	0	1	1
LAT	2	0	2	0	0	0

Group B

Team	GP	W	L	OTW	OTL	PTS
CAN	2	2	0	0	0	6
CZE	2	1	1	0	0	3
FIN	2	1	1	0	0	3
USA	2	1	1	0	0	3
DEN	2	0	2	0	0	0

Scoring leaders can be seen Here.

Photo: Hockey Canada

WJC Today - Day 3 Recap

There were four games on the schedule for the third day of the World Junior Championships in Alberta yesterday.

Here is a quick recap of the games:

Finland 4, Team U.S.A. 1 - Summary

EDMONTON - The Finns had goals from Miikka Salomaki and Mikael Granlund while Joel Armia scored twice as Finland upset the Americans by a score of 4-1. Brandon Saad had the lone goal for Team U.S.A. who now drop to 1-1 on the tournament. Meanwhile, Finland has upped their record to 1-1. Sami Aittokallio made 38 saves for Finland for the win as John Gibson made 23 saves taking the loss for the Americans.

Finland resumes action on Friday Dec. 30 against Denmark at 8 p.m. EST. Team U.S.A. also resume action on Friday against the Czech Republic at 1:30 p.m. EST.

Switzerland 3, Sweden 4 (Shootout) - Summary

CALGARY - Sweden used a shootout to get by the Swiss to improve to 2-0 in the tournament.

Max Friberg, Joakim Nordstrom and Ludvig Rensfeldt scored in regulation for the Swedes as Sebastian Collberg and Friberg added goals in the shootout. Johan Gustafsson made 24 saves.

The Swiss got goals from Joel Vermin (2) and Dean Kukan. Lukas Meili made 51 saves in goal.

Sweden resumes action on Friday Dec. 30 against Slovakia at 5:30 p.m. EST. The Swiss meet Latvia also on Friday. Gametime 8 p.m.

Czech Republic 0, Team Canada 5 - Summary

EDMONTON - Scott Wedgewood made 26 saves and Mark Scheifele added a pair of goals in a 5-0 blanking over the Czech Republic.

Canada improves to 2-0 at the tournament. Also scoring for Canada were Mark Stone, Ryan Strome and Brett Connolly. QMJHLer's Brandon Gormley, Jonathan Huberdeau and Michael Bournival added assists each.

Czech netminder Petr Mrazek was awarded player of the game for his country with 33 saves. Freddie Hamilton was awarded the prize for Team Canada.

Canada is in action today against Denmark at 8 p.m. EST in Edmonton, Alta.

The Czechs meet U.S.A. on Friday at 1:30 p.m. in Edmonton, Alta.

Slovakia 1, Russia 3 - Summary

CALGARY - The Russians scored a pair of goals in the third period to break a 1-1 tie and picked up their second win of the tournament. Igor Ozhiganov, Mikhail Naumenkov and Nikita Kucherov had goals for Russia who trailed 1-0 after 20 minutes.

Milos Bubela had the lone goal for Slovakia who drops to 1-1 on the tournament.

Andrei Makarov turned aside 31 shots for the win in goal for Russia as Slovakian netminder Juraj Simboch stopped 37.

Russia resumes action on News Years Eve when they take on Sweden at 10 p.m. EST.

Slovakia plays Sweden tomorrow at 5:30 p.m. EST.

Standings
Group A

Team	GP	W	L	OTW	OTL	PTS
SWE	2	1	0	1	0	5
RUS	2	1	0	0	0	3
SVK	2	1	1	0	0	3
SUI	2	0	1	0	1	1
LAT	2	0	2	0	0	0

Group B

Team	GP	W	L	OTW	OTL	PTS
CAN	2	2	0	0	0	6
CZE	2	1	1	0	0	3
FIN	2	1	1	0	0	3
USA	2	1	1	0	0	3
DEN	2	0	2	0	0	0

Photo credit: TSN.ca

Huberdeau shines in Team Canada win

Saint John Sea Dogs captain Jonathan Huberdeau had a goal and four helpers to help lead Team Canada to an 8-1 win over Team Finland on Monday.

Huberdeau assisted on all three of Brandon Wheat King's forward Mark Stone's three goals, who was named player of the game for Team Canada after adding an assist for four points.


Moncton Wildcats defenceman Brandon Gormley and Sea Dogs defenceman Nathan Beaulieu also chipped in with assists each.

Stone opened the scoring in the first period at 2:14 on a beautiful feed from Huberdeau behind the net. Brendan Gallagher then scored at 4:25 to give Canada the 2-0 lead.

In the second period, Finland's Alexander Ruutu got the Finns on the board with a goal 1:21 into the period. But moments later, Stone had his second goal of the game at 3:02 to regain Canada's two-goal lead. Huberdeau scored a powerplay goal at 9:24 to give Canada the 4-1 lead before Dougie Hamilton added another Canadian powerplay goal at 12:54 to give Team Canada a 5-1 lead.

In the third period, Tampa Bay's Brett Connolly made it 6-1 just 52 seconds into the period. Gormley drew an assist on the goal. Stone completed the hat-trick at 4:05 giving Canada the 7-1 lead. Ryan Strome added a goal at 7:18 to round out the scoring.

Mark Visentin made 16 saves in net for Canada.

Christopher Gibson, who plays for the Chicoutimi Saugeneens, made 19 saves in net for Finland.

Team Canada plays the Czech Republic Wednesday night.

Game Summaries from opening day can be found 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.

VIDEO: NJT - Making Team Canada (QMJHL)

With the selection camp now behind them, how do Canada's National Junior Team members from the QMJHL feel about wearing red and white at the 2012 IIHF World Junior Championship this year?


Source: Hockey Canada

Four QMJHL players to represent Team Canada

Four Quebec Major Junior Hockey Players will represent Team Canada at the 2012 World Junior Championship in Calgary, Alta. starting on Boxing Day.

Moncton Wildcats defenseman Brandon Gormley, Saint John Sea Dogs defenseman Nathan Beaulieu and forward Jonathan Huberdeau, and Shawinigan Cataractes forward Michael Bournival were named to Team Canada this afternoon.

Gormley, a 13th overall pick by the Phoenix Coyotes in 2010, is the captain of the Wildcats in his fourth QMJHL season. So far this season, the 19-year-old Murray River, P.E.I. native has 10 goals and 27 points in 18 games.

Beaulieu, also in his fourth QMJHL season, is coming off a terrific year after winning the Memorial Cup with the Sea Dogs and getting drafted 17th overall by the Montreal Canadiens in this past summer's draft. In 30 games this season, the Strathroy, Ont. native has eight goals and 26 points.

Joining Beaulieu is fellow teammate Jonathan Huberdeau. Huberdeau is coming off a Memorial Cup championship in which he finished the tournament with three goals and six points in four games. The Sea Dogs captain went third-overall with the Florida Panthers in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft and has scored 10 goals and 28 points in 13 games. Huberdeau had 43 goals and 105 points in 67 games last season. He has been out of action for several weeks with an injury and hopes to be back in time for the tournament.

Bournival is in his fourth season with the Cataractes and is the team captain. He was a third-round pick by Colorado in 2010 but is now in the Montreal Canadiens' system. In 16 games this season, Bournival has posted 15 goals and 24 points.

Quebec Remparts goaltender Louis Domingue was cut earlier today and Victoriaville Tigres forward Phillip Danault was a late cut.

Danault said he respects the team's decision in an interview with TSN.

"If they win the gold medal, I'll respect it more for sure."

Danault scored two goals for Team Canada in a 7-4 win over the CIS All-Stars.

Zack Phillips, Saint John, and Jerome Gauthier-Leduc, Rimouski, were part of the first round of cuts on made Tuesday.

Canada opens the tournament on boxing day against Finland. Gametime is 4:30 p.m. Atlantic time.

Team Canada roster:

Goaltenders
Mark Visentin, Niagara (OHL)
Scott Wedgewood, Plymouth (OHL)

Defenseman
Nathan Beaulieu, Saint John (QMJHL)
Brandon Gormley, Moncton (QMJHL)
Dougie Hamilton, Niagara (OHL)
Scott Harrington, London (OHL)
Ryan Murray, Everett (WHL)
Jamie Oleksiak, Saginaw (OHL)
Mark Pysyk, Edmonton (WHL)

Forwards
Michael Bournival, Shawinigan (QMJHL)
Brett Connolly, Tampa Bay (NHL)
Brendan Gallagher, Vancouver (WHL)
Freddie Hamilton, Niagara (OHL)
Quinton Howden, Moose Jaw (WHL)
Jonathan Huberdeau, Saint John (QMJHL)
Boone Jenner, Oshawa (OHL)
Tanner Pearson, Barrie (OHL)
Mark Scheifele, Barrie (OHL)
Jaden Schwartz, Colorado College (WCHA)
Devante Smith-Pelly, Anaheim (NHL)
Mark Stone, Brandon (WHL)
Ryan Strome, Niagara (OHL)