2023-24 OFFSEASON OUTLOOK - CHICOUTIMI SAGUENEENS

[JPA]

CHICOUTIMI SAGUENEENS Yanick Jean  TEAM OUTLOOK:    Head Coach/GM: Yanick Jean    Imports: D Peteris Bulans; D Norwin Panocha                                                                                                                The Sagueneens finished fourth in the conference last season (33-31-3-1) and then lost    in the 1st round to Rimouski in 5 games.    Heading into the 2023-24 season, they have a very young roster with an abundance of  high end returnees and prospects. Their rebuild appears geared for a year or two down  the road, but with so much budding talent, they could become a top team as early as the  coming season.    The upside of the entire team is huge. There will be a bit of juggling around by position  for the coaches as they see where to fit all of the pieces. Even putting together a projected  roster was tough.  The three 20 year-olds appear to be D Jonathan Desrosiers, LW Fabrice Fortin and C Alexis  Morin barring any further roster moves before camp.

CHICOUTIMI SAGUENEENS TRAINING CAMP ROSTER

GOALTENDERS	YOB	SIZE	GP	W-L	SO	GAA	Sv%
Michael D'Orazio, Willmar / Drayton Valley Jr. A	2004	6'6"-205 lbs.	25	7-11	1	4.80	.860
Mathys Fernandez, Val d'Or Foreurs	2005	6'0"-174 lbs.	31	10-17	1	4.42	.872
Mathias Hernandez, Lanaudiere QM17AAA	2007	6'3"-194 lbs.	17	7-6	0	2.76	-
Derrick Huang, Boston Eagles 15U	2007	5'10"-160 lbs.	-	-	-	-	-
Steven Luciano, Mid Fairfield Rangers 15U	2007	6'0"-158 lbs.	7	-	-	2.06	.843
Ryan Nolan, Holderness Prep	2005	5'11"-161 lbs.	8	-	-	-	.955
Raphael Precourt, Saint-Francois QM18AAA	2006	5'11"-181 lbs.	27	19-6	3	2.37	.914
Justin Roux, Marie-Riviere QM17AAA	2006	6'0"-180 lbs.	17	7-4	0	2.29	-
Luciano Ruggiero, Gatineau QM18AAA	2006	6'2"-188 lbs.	7	3-3	0	3.53	.897
Ryan Sanborn, The Hill Prep	2005	6'1"-175 lbs.	49	-	1	2.43	.913
DEFENCEMEN	YOB	SIZE	GP	G	A	PTS.	PIM
L Lucas Boisvert, Gatineau / Chicoutimi	2004	6'0"-154 lbs.	26	0	3	3	12
L Peteris Bulans, Acadie-Bathurst / Chicoutimi	2005	6'0"-181 lbs.	31	5	13	18	10
L Jonathan Desrosiers, Chicoutimi Sag'eens	2003	6'0"-183 lbs.	63	2	11	13	101
L Charles Gaudreault, Jonquiere Elites U18	2005	5'11"-157 lbs.	38	2	7	9	52
L Alonso Gosselin, Chateauguay Grenadiers U18	2007	6'0"-172 lbs.	35	1	3	4	14
R Jacob Guevin, Univ. of Nebraska NCAA	2003	5'11"-181 lbs.	36	4	14	18	6
L Edouard Houde, Notre Dame Hounds Sk U18	2005	6'2"-175 lbs.	43	2	12	14	52
R Alex Huang, Saint-Eustache Vikings U18	2007	6'0"-159 lbs.	42	6	34	40	10
L Nathan Lebrasseur, Coll. Notre-Dame U18	2007	5'11"-184 lbs.	42	3	12	15	30
R Charles-Etienne Lemay, Levis Chevaliers U18	2006	5'10"-160 lbs.	42	4	14	18	26
R Jake MacDonald, South Shore Junior A	2005	5'10"-176 lbs.	46	1	10	11	27
L Spencer Morrow, Shattuck St. Mary's Prep	2006	6'2"-185 lbs.	57	5	13	18	14
R William O'Brien, Saint-Laurent QCHL	2005	5'11"-174 lbs.	36	0	8	8	10
L Norwin Panocha, Germany U18/20	2005	6'1"-185 lbs.	56	8	22	30	16
L Merlin Offman, Bourget College	2006	6'3"-163 lbs.	22	1	7	8	16
R Quinlan Parry, OHA Academy Prep	2007	6'2"-179 lbs.	47	7	26	33	24
L Raphael Pineau, Quebec A's QM17AAA	2007	6'0"-157 lbs.	32	4	8	12	40
L Jonathan Prud'homme, Chateauguay U18	2007	5'9"-168 lbs.	41	7	17	24	52
L Colby Train, Saint John Vitos U18	2006	6'3"-196 lbs.	31	6	19	25	16
L Loic Usereau, Shawinigan / Chicoutimi	2004	6'0"-179 lbs.	53	3	8	11	28
LEFT WING
L Marek Beaudoin, Chicoutimi Sagueneens	2006	5'11"-189 lbs.	59	7	5	12	24
L Christophe Berthelot, Saint-Eustache U18	2006	6'2"-165 lbs.	41	12	22	34	18
L Philippe Cote, Sag-Lac QM17AAA	2007	5'10"-154 lbs.	35	18	25	43	6
L Thomas Desruisseaux, CBE / Chicoutimi	2006	5'11"-155 lbs.	57	11	25	36	26
L Fabrice Fortin, Chicoutimi Sagueneens	2003	5'9"-186 lbs.	67	21	37	58	24
L Sacha Gillieron, Chateauguay Grenadiers U18	2006	6'2"-160 lbs.	40	5	5	10	56
L Elliot Goudreau, Jonquiere Elites U18	2006	5'10"-161 lbs.	40	11	8	19	16
L Chris McKelvey, Jonquiere Elites U18	2006	5'9"-152 lbs.	37	9	15	24	42
L Xavier Roy, Chicoutimi Sagueneens	2004	6'0"-149 lbs.	29	2	4	6	14
L Emmanuel Vermette, Chicoutimi Sagu'eens	2005	6'0"-193 lbs.	58	17	22	39	45
CENTER
R Thomas Begin, Chicoutimi Sagueneens	2004	5'9"-155 lbs.	56	7	21	28	14
L Brady Berard, Providence College NCAA	2004	6'1"-198 lbs.	34	1	2	3	8
R Zach Boulianne, Cote-du-Sud QJHL	2005	5'7"-133 lbs.	44	9	14	23	17
R Zakary Coutu, Joliette U18  / Palm Beach	2005	5'10"-155 lbs.	49	7	13	20	12
L Emile Duquet, Chicoutimi Sagueneens	2005	5'9"-157 lbs.	58	7	14	21	10
L Emile Guite, Saint-Hyacinthe Gaulois U18	2007	6'1"-163 lbs.	41	26	22	48	16
L Jacob Lafontaine, Shawinigan Cataractes	2004	6'0"-172 lbs.	65	8	6	14	18
R Nathan Lecompte, Chateauguay U18	2007	5'9"-155 lbs.	41	32	28	60	12
R Will McDonough, Sioux Falls USHL	2005	6'2"-194 lbs.	59	12	13	25	53
L Alexis Morin, Drummondville / Sagueneens	2003	5'10"-176 lbs.	68	17	25	42	40
L Eliott Robert, Chicoutimi Sagueneens	2005	5'11"-171 lbs.	44	1	4	5	27
L Samuel Vachon, Drummondville / Sag'eens	2005	5'10"-169 lbs.	28	5	1	6	4
RIGHT WING
R Samuel Beaulieu, Saint-Hyacinthe U18	2006	5'11"-175 lbs.	42	8	14	22	20
R Jake Bongo, Surrey Eagles Junior A	2003	5'10"-151 lbs.	53	22	34	56	10
L Jacob Gomez, Sag-Lac QM17AAA	2007	5'10"-150 lbs.	33	16	15	31	16
L Xavier Larouche, Jonquiere Elites U18	2006	5'9"-155 lbs.	34	9	7	16	8
R Sam Ledrew, Kimball Union Prep	2005	6'0"-161 lbs.	30	18	20	38	-
R Jeremy Leroux, Chicoutimi Sagueneens	2006	5'9"-178 lbs.	52	6	10	16	10
R Maxim Masse, Chicoutimi Sagueneens	2006	6'1"-180 lbs.	65	29	33	62	8

GOALTENDERS

Mathys Fernandez GOALTENDERS 05 Mathys Fernandez 06 Luciano Ruggiero    06 Raphael Precourt      GOALTENDING:    Mathys Fernandez appears to have the number 1 job heading into training camp barring any  further roster moves, with Luciano Ruggiero and Raphael Precourt battling for the backup  role.  Notes:  2005 G Mathys Fernandez was acquired in a trade from Val d'Or and appears to be the go to     number 1 this season.  2006 G Raphael Precourt was bypassed in last year's draft and had an outstanding season  with the Saint-Francois Blizzard. He was picked by the Sags in the 6th round this season.  2006 G Luciano Ruggiero got into 5 games (0-4; 7.04 GAA; .801 Sv%) last season with the      Sags.  2005 G Ryan Sanborn is scheduled to play in the BCHL with Prince George next season and  is NCAA commited to RPI for the 2024-25 season.

DEFENCEMEN

Jonathan Desrosiers LEFT DEFENCE RIGHT DEFENCE 03 Jonathan Desrosiers    04 Lucas Boivert      05 Peteris Bulans    07 Alex Huang 04 Loic Usereau 05 Norwin Panocha 06 Colby Train 07 Jonathan Prud'homme  DEFENCE:    The Sagueneens return a very strong and experienced group of defencemen. Highly touted  Alex Huang should make the team as a 16 year-old. Defence appears to be their strongest  position heading into training camp.  Notes:  2003 D Jacob Guevin is already playing NCAA hockey with the University of Nebraska.  2007 D Alex Huang led all QM18AAA defencemen in scoring last season. He should step right   in and play top four minutes.  Update: 2004 D Matteo Mann is reportedly not returning and is expected to be traded.  Update: Mann was traded to Saint John on August 24th.  The Sags used their 1st round pick in the CHL Import draft to take 2005 D Norwin Panocha of  Germany 32nd overall. Panocha was drafted in the 7th round of the 2023 NHL draft by the  Buffalo Sabres. Update: Panocha has confirmed that he will attend the Sags training camp.

FORWARDS

Maxim Masse LEFT WING CENTER RIGHT WING 03 Fabrice Fortin 03 Alexis Morin  06 Maxim Masse    05 Emmanuel Vermette 05 Emile Duquet 06 Jeremy Leroux    06 Thomas Desruisseaux 07 Emile Guite 06 Marek Beaudoin 06 Christophe Berthelot 04 Jacob Lafontaine    07 Nathan Lecompte 05 Eliott Robert 05 Samuel Vachon  FORWARDS:   The Sagueneens are loaded with top young prospects up front. They have arguably the best   group of promising forwards of any team in the league with Maxim Masse, Jeremy Leroux,  Thomas Desruisseaux, Emile Guite, Nathan Lecompte and Marek Beaudoin.  Notes:  2006 LW Christophe Berthelot got into 4 games with the Sags last year and scored his 1st  QMJHL goal.  2006 LW Sacha Gillieron is listed as a defenceman on Elite Prospects.  2004 C Thomas Begin has been loaned to the Cape Breton Eagles for training camp. Update:  Begin was officially traded to the Eagles on August 27th.  2004 C Brady Berard is already playing NCAA hockey with Providence College.  2004 C Jacob Lafontaine was added in a trade from Shawinigan on August 25th.  2005 C Will McDonough is NCAA commited to Harvard for the 2024-25 season.  2003 RW Jake Bongo is NCAA commited for this coming season at Sacred Heart.  2006 RW Maxim Masse led all rookies in goals (29) and points (62) and won the QMJHL  Rookie of the Year award.

* These offseason looks at QMJHL teams will be updated as often as required leading up to training camps in August.

[JPA]

IN THE SYSTEM - CHICOUTIMI SAGUENEENS

Drafted QMJHL: Chicoutimi (2023-1-2)   Me 4   CSR 2   HP 2 2007 EMILE GUITE, St-Hyacinthe Gaulois 6'1" - 165 lbs. Left Wing: Shoots L SEASON TEAM / LEAGUE GP G A PTS. PIM 2021-22 Ecole Fadette QM15AAA  29   28   18    46   22 2021-22 Richelieu QM17E    6     2     2     4     2 2022-23 Saint-Hyacinthe QM18AAA  41  26  22   48   16    “He has an undeniable attacking flair. He likes to have the puck at the end of his blade. His  one-timer is exceptional for a guy his age. He was, in my opinion, the best forward from  Quebec at the last Canada Games. His progress is impressive. He corrected small balance  glitches at the start of the season and since then he has been climbing the ladder. He will  score some goals in junior. If he is serious in his training, if he continues to be hungry,  indeed he is a player who has the tools to climb to the pros afterwards.” - Pierre Cholette,  CSR Director of Scouting   "Émile Guité has stood out since the beginning of the season with the St-Hyacinthe Gaulois.    He has shown good offensive flair, he likes to shoot pucks and has a very heavy shot. He has  good skills with the puck on his stick and is defensively responsible. Guité is used in many  situations by his coach, including on the penalty kill. He is hard working and has good size,  which allows him to win most of his battles along the boards. However, Émile must continue  to work on his vision and acceleration if he hopes to be successful at the next level."  - Katerine Aubry-Hébert, CSR Scout   Emile Guite is a goal scorer. He is a better than average skater and a good stickhandler. He  has a really good shot and plays with some jam. Already 6'1" and 155 lbs., he has a very  high compete level. He has a smooth release and finds a way to get open for one-timers. He  should project to become a goal scorer at the QMJHL level, but needs to work on his outside  speed.   He finished third in QU15 scoring last year, just a point out of 2nd. His 28 goals were the 3rd  best in the league. This season, he teamed up with Caleb Desnoyers to form a solid 1-2  punch with the Gaulois and finished 4th in goals. He came on strong down the stretch and  climbed up in the rankings on many lists. A QMJHL team with a couple of top picks in the  draft might try to reunite them.    Emile had a very strong showing with Team Quebec at the Canada Winter Games with 6  goals in 6 games (6-6-5-11-2).

Drafted QMJHL: Chicoutimi (2023-1-4)   Me 2   CSR 6   HP 3 2007 NATHAN LECOMPTE, Chateauguay Grenadiers 5'9" - 155 lbs. Centre: Shoots R SEASON TEAM / LEAGUE GP G A PTS. PIM 2019-20 Lac St-Louis QBAAA    4     0     0      0     2 2020-21 Lac St-Louis QBAAA    0     0     0     0     0 2021-22 Chateauguay QM18AAA   38  15  30   45   16 2022-23 Chateauguay QM18AAA a; b; c   41  32*  28   60*   12    a - Led QM18AAA in goals (32).      b - Led QM18AAA in points (60).                                                 c - Won Sylvain Turgeon Trophy as scoring leader.                     "In his second season at the U18 level, expectations were high for Lecompte after he  finished ninth in league in scoring at age 14. With many challenges ahead of him, he passed  the test with flying colors. Playing alongside new line mates, the start to his season was  different than the last one. Despite this, he elevated his game to become an effective player  in all three zones. A hard worker, he competed against the best opposing lines night after  night. His offensive game improved throughout the campaign and he ended up winning the  scoring title. There’s no doubt we will hear his name quickly at the next draft in Sherbrooke."  - Benoit Payment, CSR Scout    The only thing to detract from Nathan Lecompte as a top prospect is his size. The average      U18 player is 5'10" and about 160 lbs., so he falls just a bit under the average size. Every-  thing else points to a proven scorer against much older competition.    Having not played during the 2020-21 season, Nathan exploded for a 45 point season as an  underaged 14 year-old teaming up with linemate Justin Poirier with Chateauguay. His 45  points were more than double the number of the next two league 14 year-olds combined (Ben  Amyot and Zachary Morin).    He has pull-away speed and can thread passes on the tape at full speed. He's very quick  and elusive and can run the PP. He has a quick release and can create scoring chances in  traffic. He's arguably the best goal scorer in the draft.    After a bit of a slow start (for him) this season with 10-7-17 totals in his first 17 games, he  had a really strong second half to pull away with the scoring title. He almost doubled the point  total of the next highest scorer on his team, Gerry Watson (9-24-33), and he finished with an  amazing +11 on a team that finished with a -34. He became the first Chateauguay player in  team history to lead the league in scoring, and he did it as a 15 year-old. He carried his team  on his back offensively.

Drafted QMJHL: Chicoutimi (2023-1-5)   Me 3   CSR 5   HP 4 2007 ALEX HUANG, Saint-Eustache Vikings 6'0" - 150 lbs. Defence: Shoots R SEASON TEAM / LEAGUE GP G A PTS. PIM 2020-21 Mille Iles QBAAA    0     0     0      0     0 2021-22 Mille Iles QM15AAA  27  13  15   28     6 2022-23 Saint-Eustache QM18AAA a   42    6  34   40   10 a - Led QM18AAA defencemen in scoring.    “Alex has been the quarterback of the St-Eustache Vikings this season. He is a defenseman  blessed with an excellent skating stride, who loves to get involved in all game situations. His  above-average vision allows him to be a threat in the offensive zone. He plays with confidence  and distributes the puck well to his teammates. Huang will need to continue to gain strength  and improve his physical game, but he will definitely be a defenseman to watch in the up-  coming draft.” - Katerine Aubry-Hebert, CSR Scout    In a player evaluation in The Scouting News, Alex Huang is referred to as "one of the best      young defenders in all of Eastern Canada."    Watching his game action, he looks solid and bigger than his listed size. His passes are crisp  and on the tape. While he's a bit on the light side, he's already 6 feet tall and appears to be  wiry strong. He has a really good shot and is defensively sound. His upside is huge, and he's  one of the very few players who could be described as a "can't miss" prospect heading toward  the draft. Alex is regarded as possibly being the best skater in the draft.    Alex led all QM18AAA defencemen in scoring this season. He can get running around some-  times, but when you have this much talent, the rest is coaching. Reading the various forums,  some scouts have him going 2nd - or even 1st overall in the draft.

Drafted QMJHL: Chicoutimi (2023-1-8)   Me 24   CSR 15   HP 26 2007 JONATHAN PRUD'HOMME, Chateauguay Grenadiers 5'9" - 170 lbs. Defence: Shoots L SEASON TEAM / LEAGUE GP G A PTS. PIM 2021-22 Lac Saint-Louis QM15AAA  24     8   14    22   56* 2021-22 Lac Saint-Louis QM17E    7    0    3      3   10 2022-23 Chateauguay QM18AAA  41    7  17   24   52        "Since being selected to Team Quebec’s U16 team, Jonathan has progressed at a rapid      pace. He regularly faces the opponent’s top lines and does well for himself thanks to his  mobility and speed. Prud’homme plays a simple game with good breakouts. He also supports  the attack well and has a strong wrist shot. His toughness serves him well in the constant  progression of the defensive side of his game." - Benoit Payment, CSR scout    Jonathan Prud'homme isn't that big for a defenceman at 5'8" and 160 lbs., but he is very    sturdy and compact and loves to play a physical style. He led the QU15 league in PIM last  year and has added an offensive side to his game this season from the blueline. He's very  mobile and is quickly climbing the scouting lists. If he gets a bit taller, he could jump up  into the early 2nd round. He plays a similar style to Brady Schultz of the Halifax Moose-  heads.

[JPA]

FROM NOUS LES FANS:
INVITATIONS / Here are the players who have received an invitation to the 2023 Saguenéens main training camp:

LW-Christophe Berthelot
C-Zach Boulianne
LW-Philippe Côté
LW-Sasha Gilliéron
D-Alonso Gosselin
G-Mathias Hernandez
D-Alex Huang
D-Nathan Lebrasseur
C-Nathan Lecompte
G-Raphaël Précourt
D-Jonathan Prud'homme
G-Luciano Ruggiero
D-Colby Train

[JPA]

FROM NOUS LES FANS:

Mateo Mann (Waiting for a trade)

Emile Guité and Samuel Vachon (Mononucleosis - 1 month minimum)

Fabrice Fortin (Upper body injury - 10 days)

[JPA]