QUEBEC-MARITIMES SCOUTING

[JPA]

Quebec-Maritimes Scouting / 3starsportmanagement.com   I'm happy to announce that Quebec-Maritimes Scouting has partnered with Three Star Sport Management  to provide scouting and prospect information in a professional and secure manner.   To register, please click on the link above and follow the directions. The one time seasonal fee is $50.00  CDN (all taxes included). It is a secure site and registered with etransfer and PayPal.   Three Star Sports Management is owned and operated by Mike Collier. I've known Mike for several years,  and what I've always liked about him was his integrity and his honesty.   While it isn't part of our agreement or partnership, I would highly recommend Three Star Sport Manage-  ment to any players / parents who might have aspirations of playing NCAA, Major Junior, University, Minor  Pro or international hockey.   For anybody wondering what Quebec-Maritimes Scouting offers, it's in depth coverage of prospects  geared towards the 2024 QMJHL draft. Included is a master list of more than 450 eligible players where  individual statistics are updated weekly. Of those 457 prospects, 252 will be selected in the QMJHL draft.   As of mid-January, more than 125 individual prospect bios have been put together and ranked from 1 to  125 (almost 7 rounds). More prospects are added daily and integrated into the rankings.   I started doing this four years ago during COVID when nobody was allowed to attend games. I wanted to  help out if I could. Then I discovered that I liked the challenge. In addition, to be any good at evaluating  hockey players, you need to put in the time to watch them. You can't just watch a highlight reel or you  wouldn't be able to rank players with any kind of accuracy. Being retired, I have the time necessary to  put into it.   If you are a scout that can only see so much hockey but want a wider knowledge of players from Quebec  or the Maritimes, or a Director of Scouting wanting to bounce his own rankings off somebody who has  actually watched hundreds of prospects, or a player wondering if he's ranked - or where he's ranked, or if  you're a parent wondering what is being said and if being drafted is even a reality - this is the service for  you.   There are also the fans who are interested in seeing where their teams are drafting, what picks they  own, and who might be available in that range. The great thing is that it's affordable for all.   The 2024 QMJHL draft is scheduled for June 8th at the Avenir Centre in Moncton. Agree with the rankings  and assessments - disagree - or be skeptical, you can still be prepared and knowledgeable about the  prospect pool leading up to the draft.   To register: Quebec-Maritimes Scouting / 3starsportmanagement.com   You can also purchase by e-transfer by sending $50.00 to: [e-mail]   Note: When paying b e-transfer, please include your email address so the proper access information    can be sent back to you.

[JPA]

FROM LE SOLEIL
The draft is here to stay in junior hockey
By Mikaël Lalancette, Le Soleil
April 13, 2024

Good news in these uncertain economic times. Even if the current context is not easy for anyone in the event industry, the Quebec Maritime Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) is not thinking of imitating the National Hockey League in its desire to slash expenses related to the organization of its annual draft.

Last fall, the owners of the National Hockey League (NHL) voted overwhelmingly in favour of a new draft format. From now on, teams will stay in their quarters, as do the National Football League (NFL) and the National Basketball Association (NBA), and the league will hold a gathering of only prospects and commissioner Gary Bettman.

The result will be millions of dollars less in expenses for the clubs, which will save huge travel and accommodation costs. Bye bye history and tradition, we'll blow up the model for something different, which may not be better. We'll see.

Bigger and more expensive
The junior hockey draft has gone from strength to strength over the past 15 years. The League has modernized its technology and developed a complete offering surrounding the flagship event of its season, which serves as a showcase for the hockey and school coaching offered by its teams.

One might think that the QMJHL would have been tempted to throw away its draft and hold it 100% virtually as is the case in the other two leagues, but that is not at all the intention of the commissioner, Mario Cecchini.

The QMJHL wants to keep going
The latter wants to do everything possible to preserve the week of the assizes and the draft as we know them.

"I'd like to find a way to maintain it, but whether it's discussed in the order of priorities, every two or three years, I don't have a problem with that," said the QMJHL boss in an interview with Le Soleil. We're giving the young people an extraordinary time, that's our big motivation."

Barring a dramatic turnaround, the June 7 and 8 draft in Moncton will not be the QMJHL's "last real" auction. Organizations are considering hosting the event in 2025, including the Gatineau Olympiques in their brand new Slush Puppie Centre.

"When I compare the two budgets, ours and the NHL's, we're doing a damn good job," Cecchini said. The parents' comments are unanimous and you can see that this is such a special moment in the lives of young people."

A shortened draft
While the survival of the flagship event of the junior hockey season does not seem to be in jeopardy, its form is about to change.

In recent weeks, the members' meeting approved a few changes for the 2025 draft, which will be reduced from 14 to 12 rounds. That's 36 fewer players who will be claimed starting next year.

The upcoming draft in Moncton will also be the last in its current form as the QMJHL has decided to eliminate its U.S. draft. Starting in 2025, teams wishing to draft Americans will have to choose them in the regular auction, as was the case before the 2018 reform.

The April 25 Lottery
The final step before the next draft in Moncton will take place on April 25 as part of the first pick lottery. Four teams will have a chance to draft first overall, including general manager Maxime Desruisseaux's Val-d'Or Foreurs, who will have 15 chances out of 21 to speak first.

The RDS sports channel will present the draw for the draft, the first round of which will be broadcast by TVA Sports on June 7.

QMJHL Director of Hockey Operations Pierre Leduc.

Chances of Drafting #1
Val-d'Or Foreurs: 15 out of 21 (71.4%)

Cape Breton Eagles: 3 of 21 (14.3%)

Quebec Remparts: 2 of 21 (9.5%)

Saint John Sea Dogs: 1 in 21 (4.8%)

[JPA]

Highly touted Steele Subaru forward Aiden O'Donnell was selected in the 1st round of the OHL draft on Thursday night, 14th overall, by Brantford.

Because his father (Chris) had played in the OHL, it allowed a loophole for Aiden to opt into either the OHL or QMJHL draft.

While its disappointing for the QMJHL and its teams to lose a top ranked player (many had him top five), it happens every year, as eligible players for the QMJHL draft opt to head elsewhere.

For me personally, I think the rule should be changed or removed, but as long as it's there - hate the rule - not the player. If you were the player or his parents or his agent - what would you do? Be honest. . .

If the rule was not in place, I don't think Aiden O'Donnell would have a problem reporting to any QMJHL team that drafted him.

A little known tidbit about Chris O'Donnell is that he holds the Fred Page Cup (former Eastern Canadian Junior A Championship) records for most goals in a game and in a period. In 2000, Chris scored 6 goals in a game as his Halifax Oland Exports defeated the Pembroke Lumber Kings 8-6. All 6 goals came in the 1st period. That info can be found in the MHL Record Book in the individual records section - a great place to take a stroll down memory lane.

The following is from the 2024 QMJHL Draft Guide - before Aiden was removed from the mix. I had him ranked 4th overall in my final rankings for anybody wondering.

4.   CSR Feb. A 2008 AIDEN O'DONNELL, Steele Subaru 6'1" - 170 lbs. Centre: Shoots L SEASON TEAM / LEAGUE GP G A PTS. PIM 2021-22 Harbour Storm NSU15MHL a; b  33   19   21    40   14 2022-23 Harbour Storm NSU15MHL c; d; e; f  31  45*  40   85*   38 2023-24 Steele Subaru NSU18MHL g  31  24  22   46   20 a - NSU15MHL Provincial MVP          b - NSU15MHL Rookie All-Star Team       c - NSU15MHL First All-Star Team   d - NSU15MHL Most Goals (45)      e - NSU15MHL Most Points (85)    f - NSU15MHL Top Forward                             g - Named NSU18MHL Rookie of the Year          Aiden O'Donnell looks to be the best prospect from Atlantic Canada as of mid-November. He  has shown well against the top competition at both the QMJHL Cup (tournament All-Star) and  the Monctonian (tournament All-Star game) and seems to keep improving with every game.  As with many very top players, he appears to be at his best in the biggest games.    Watching his game action, he has good jump and has pull away speed after the first couple  of steps. He's strong on his skates and plays with a natural physical edge. He likes to finish  his checks and will often jostle opponents away from the puck. He's learning to work the  cycle on the left wall and end boards and likes to go to the front of the net where he's really  hard to contain with his size. He has a way of leaning into opponents to win puck battles in  a similar manner to Markus Vidicek. He uses his body well without taking penalties, and that  should project well to the next level.   He has a really good shot and is a goal scorer, but he can also set up plays. He's usually in  deepest in the O Zone and often the last back into his own end, but I think that's by design.  He has the upside to become a top power forward who can score. He's already physically  dominant in his age group at 15. He will need to work on his faceoffs, but does seem to win  some draws very cleanly. It seems to be a matter of getting better with experience.   Update: Aiden finished the season as the league's 4th leading scorer despite missing 7  games. His 1.48 points per game was the league's 2nd best. He led all 15 year-olds in goals  (24); assists (22) and points (46) and was named the NSU18MHL Rookie of the Year. What  convinced me to slot him into 4th place in the rankings was his ability to raise his game  against the very best opposition, whether it be at the Monctonian, QMJHL Cup, Canada U16  or the playoffs.   The Hockey News did a study a few years ago where they determined that the biggest ages  of development for hockey players as far as growth and developing skills was between 14  and 17. With his dominance in his age group at 14 and 15, that trajectory is very likely to  continue. He might very well be this year's version of Alexis Joseph with his combination of  size and skills.

Max Brocklehurst was also selected in the 2024 OHL draft. He went in the 3rd round, 57th overall, to the Windsor Spitfires. His father Craig had played for the Cornwall Royals of the OHL in the late 1980's and early 1990's before joining the Charlottetown Abbies where he won a scoring title and MVP award. He was later traded to the Amherst Ramblers in one of the biggest trades in league history. I had Max ranked 79th overall towards the 2024 QMJHL draft (5th round).

79.   CSR Feb. NR 2008 MAX BROCKLEHURST, New Hampshire Mountain Kings 5'9" - 155 lbs. Centre: Shoots L SEASON TEAM / LEAGUE GP G A PTS. PIM 2021-22 Bedford Barons NSU15MHL  29  15  11   26     8 2022-23 Bedford Bandits NSU15MHL  32   23   33    56     4 2023-24 New Hampshire BEAST 15U    3     2     3      5     0 2023-24 New Hampshire 15UAAA  69  86*  99* 185*     2   Max Brocklehurst looks even smaller than his listed 5'8" - 150 lbs., but he's big in talent.  He's always involved from the moment he hits the ice to when he leaves it. He's quick and  fast and darts in and out of traffic with the puck and keeps defencemen on their heels. He's     a really good stickhandler and playmaker with a heads-up style. His hockey IQ seems very  high as he reads the play as quickly as he moves and instinctively knows what to do - when  to cut - when to reverse - when to shoot and when to pass. He has tremendous offensive  skills.   Defensively, and despite his smaller size, he's feisty and combative and willing to mix it up.  He gets involved in front of the net at each end. He looks sturdy and has a low center of  gravity and gets in under bigger players - beating them to pucks and winning puck battles  by positioning. He never seems to get hit hard or knocked down.   Max finished 8th in NS U18 scoring last year, leading his Bedford Bandits team in scoring  by 13 points. The Halifax Gulls and Harbour Storm placed 8 players in the top 10 scorers,  so to even get up to number 8 in league scoring took some doing.   This season, he's scoring at close to 3 points per game average, with 111 points in only 38  games. As of mid-December, he leads all US Prep 15U players in scoring by a whopping 22  points. Kaiden Sahajpal of St. John's is 3rd with a distant 86 points and is also considered a  top prospect. They are teammates at New Hampshire.   As a high end scorer in US Prep School hockey, chances are likely high that Max is being  pursued by multiple NCAA programs, and add in that he's on the small side, and I'd guess  that he will go that route. I don't have anything to base that on, other than gut feeling. As  far as this list, if he opts for the QMJHL, he could soar in the rankings. Small or not, he's a  feisty, highly skilled prospect with a big motor.   Update: Max added an inch and 5 lbs. over the season and is now just under the average  for a player his age at the U18 level. He had an unbelievable season with 154 points in US  U15AAA play to lead all players. He and teammate Kaidan Sahajpal finished 1-2 in league  scoring leaving all others far behind.   To put it in perspective, Maxim Dube who the CSR has highly ranked on their February list  as an A prospect finished with 75 points - less than half of Max's 154 total. Last year, highly  regarded Zach Morin put up 130 points in the same league. The season before, William  Shields was the top ranked Canadian with 114 points. While it's hard to compare players  from season to season, there is no denying that Max is a very gifted offensive player.   Max is the son of former MJAHL scoring champion and league MVP, Craig Brocklehurst.

I also had defenceman Sean-Matthew Goyette listed as a QMJHL draft eligible prospect who might go in the later rounds of the draft. He was born in Hawkesbury ON but had played his minor hockey in Quebec. He put up some big numbers this season playing prep with Team Maryland. Sean-Matthew was picked in the 6th round of the OHL draft, 115th overall, by Mississauga.

240.  2008 SEAN-MATTHEW GOYETTE, Team Maryland 15U 5'11" - 175 lbs. Defence: Shoots R SEASON TEAM / LEAGUE GP G A PTS. PIM 2021-22 Mille-Iles Seigneurs QM15AAAR  28    3  11   14   28 2022-23 Mille-Iles Seigneurs QM15AAAE  30    1   10   11   26 2023-24 Team Maryland 15U AAA  66   24  37    61   82      Sean-Matthew Goyette finished 8th in defencemen scoring amongst 15 year-olds in US       15AAA scoring this season. He had the 4th highest goal total. He can clearly find a lane to  put up numbers like that. He is the younger brother of 2004 David Goyette who put up 40  goals and 117 points with the Sudbury Wolves this season. I don't know how David ended  up in the OHL, but it seems to raise flags about what path Sean-Matthew might pursue.

[JPA]

FROM LE JOURNAL DE QUEBEC
'I don't think I've seen this before': No one agrees on who will be the top prospect for the QMJHL draft
KEVIN DUBÉ
Thursday, 25 April 2024 00:00

The QMJHL will hold its lottery for the next NHL Draft on Thursday. So who is the best young player born in 2008, the one that the team that wins this lottery will have the chance to claim at the very top? No one really knows.

There is a consensus for the draft, which will be held in Moncton on June 7 and 8, and that is that there is no consensus.

No player stands out as the top prospect of the 2024 class and a consensus choice to hear his name called at the top of the list.

In our conversations with several stakeholders, forwards Tynan Lawrence (Shattuck St-Mary's), Jayden Plouffe (Esther-Blondin), Romain Litalien (Séminaire Saint-François), Dylan Rozzi (Lac Saint-Louis), Chad Lygitsakos (Trois-Rivières) and Maddox Dagenais (Quinte, Ont.), as well as defencemen Benjamin Cossette-Ayotte (Trois-Rivières), Jacob Gouchie and Cameron Chartrand (Bishop Kerney Selects) were named as potential first picks or, at the very least, like the best of the cuvée.

But no one agrees on who is at the top of the class.

"There are a lot of good players who need development, but not Alexis Lafrenière," we were told.

Not to mention that another of the top prospects in the QMJHL pool, Cole Harbour forward Aiden O'Donnell, preferred to report to the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), where his father played briefly at the time, citing "travel" reasons. He was a first-round pick of the Brantford Bulldogs recently.

No consensus
According to what we were told, teams even found themselves with a happy problem during meetings between recruiters when no one around the table had the same name as the first on the list.

"There's no consensus this year," said Pierre Cholette, director of the QMJHL's Recruiting Support Centre, the equivalent of NHL Central Scouting. I can't even name a group of five players and tell you that for sure the very first choice is going to be in there. It's not because they're not good, but more because there isn't one that stands out from the rest. I don't think I've ever seen that before."

The U.S. Threat
Complicating the situation, once again this year, is the threat of some of the best prospects to continue their journey to the United States. At the moment, Lawrence, Chartrand and Dagenais are casting doubt on their intentions.

"You don't get a 100 per cent clear answer from them," said Quebec Remparts general manager Simon Gagné, who will be given a 10 per cent chance of drafting first in the lottery by selecting the Charlottetown Islanders.

These uncertainties are also changing the overall picture, some stakeholders pointed out.

For example, if the Val-d'Or Foreurs win the lottery (they have 15 of the 21 balls in their abacus), many expect them not to draft players from the Maritimes, like Lawrence, for example, while it could be a different story if it was the Sea Dogs who were to win, they who convinced his brother, Josh, to play in the QMJHL in 2018, after he threatened the United States.

"I WANT TO DRAFT 1 AND 2" – MAXIME DESRUISSEAUX
The fact that there is no consensus doesn't change much for Val-d'Or Foreurs general manager Maxime Desruisseaux: "I want to draft 1 and 2, it's a luxury."

The Abitibi squad struggled last season, finishing last in the QMJHL standings with a measly 35 points, which gives them the best odds in the lottery with nine balls out of 21, or 43% of the chance of drafting first. The Foreurs also hold the first-round pick of the second-worst team in the regular season, the Quebec Remparts, acquired in the trade that sent Justin Robidas to the Old Capital last season.

This means that Val-d'Or has 15 of the 21 balls that will be placed in the abacus and a total of 71% of the chances of drafting first.

A Difference
In his eyes, drafting first and second overall would be a significant advantage.

"I think there's a difference between the players we have first and second on our list and the players who are three, four or five. We've identified players who stand out and who, when they're 18, 19 or 20 years old, are going to lead the league."

By the way, for those who think that the Foreurs, or any other team that will win the lottery, could opt for a recalcitrant with the very first pick in order to get a compensatory pick of the same rank next season and secure the services of Alexis Joseph, that's not how it works. The compensatory pick offered to teams that speak in the top five is the sixth in the following year's draft.

After a top-5 finish, the team receives a pick of the same rank as the player it selected in the following year's draft.

THE PERCENTAGE IN THURSDAY'S LOTTERY
Val-d'Or Foreurs: nine balls out of 21 so 43% chance of drafting first
Val-d'Or Foreurs (Quebec City pick): six of 21 balls for 28%
Cape Breton Eagles (St. John's choice): three of 21 for 14%
Quebec Remparts (Charlottetown choice): two balls out of 21 for 10%
Saint John Sea Dogs (Gatineau's choice): one scoop out of 21 for 5%

[JPA]

There has been a slight change of plans.

The Final 2024 QMJHL DRAFT GUIDE is now available.

458 prospects have been identified as being strong possibilities to be selected in the QMJHL draft (only 254 will be selected).

Prospects have been ranked from 1 to 254, and all have in-depth profiles available detailing their career stats, what style of player they are, and what they do best.

In addition, another projected round of prospects (for a total of 15 full rounds) have profiles included. A total of 273 in-depth prospect profiles are available.

For those who have already purchased the mid-season guide, there will be no further cost.

For anybody looking to purchase the guide, please follow the instructions at the top of the thread. The payment system is secure and confidentiality is guaranteed.

The goal is to try to help out the teams, scouting staffs, agents, players and parents who don't have time to sit around all day sorting through reams of game footage trying to organize and arrange lists. Very few people have the time for that, and what this does is allow them to have something to compare and bounce their own findings off.

For the fan and observer who wishes to be informed heading into the draft wondering where your team will pick and who might be available around those picks - this is for you as well.

This is not meant as a mock draft, especially with so many uncertainties with who might report to which team. It's a simple ranking system of the prospect pool from top to bottom.

It could take anywhere from 10 minutes to 24 hours for your payment to go through - but it's usually within the half hour range, so the earlier you send payment - the earlier you access the information.

Above all, knowing who the prospects are and what they bring will help you put together your own lists.

Nobody needs to agree with my rankings. If a group of 30 people were to put together a list of the top ten prospects heading into the draft - there might not be two people with identical lists. The point is to be informed.

What I find is that a lot of people are informed about the first round or two of prospects, and then don't have a strong grasp of the 3rd round on. That's where the more informed teams and scouting staffs get ahead of the curve, while others fall behind a bit. Teams without a lot of top picks can close the gap a bit through solid depth drafting.

The final CSR list should be out this week some time, but there's really no need to wait any longer for those looking for in-depth prospect info.