Category: Memorial Cup

Puck 77 NHL Draft Scouting Reports

by Tony Ferrari, posted in Anaheim Ducks, Buffalo Sabres, Canada, Chicago Blackhawks, Colorado Avalanche, Detroit Red Wings, Draft, Edmonton Oilers, Florida Panthers, KHL, Liiga, Los Angeles Kings, Memorial Cup, Minnesota Wild, New Jersey Devils, New York Rangers, NHL, Ottawa Senators, Philadelphia Flyers, Prospects, QMJHL, Russia, St. Louis Blues, United States, USHL, USNTDP, Vancouver Canucks, WHL, World Juniors

We’ve compiled all of the scouting reports done by the various members of the Puck77 team for the NHL Draft here in one easy location so you can jump right to the player you want!

Our Top-12

1. 🇺🇸 Jack Hughes, C, USNTDP: Deep Dive Scouting Report on Jack Hughes by Tony Ferrari

2. 🇫🇮 Kaapo Kakko, RW, TPS (Liiga): Deep Dive Scouting Report of Kaapo Kakko by Tony Ferrari

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3. 🇺🇸 Alex Turcotte, C, USNTDP: Deep Dive Scouting Report on Alex Turcotte by Tony Ferrari

4. 🇨🇦 Bowen Byram, LHD, Vancouver Giants (WHL): Deep Dive Scouting Report on Bowen Byram by Tony Ferrari

5. 🇺🇸 Trevor Zegras, C/LW, USNTDP: Deep Dive Scouting Report on Trevor Zegras by Tony Ferrari

6. 🇨🇦 Dylan Cozens, C, Lethbridge Hurricanes (WHL): Deep Dive Scouting Report on Dylan Cozens by Tony Ferrari

7. 🇺🇸 Cole Caufield, LW, USNTDP: Deep Dive Scouting Report on Cole Caufield by Tony Ferrari

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8. 🇨🇦 Kirby Dach, C, Saskatoon Blades (WHL): Deep Dive Scouting Report on Kirby Dach by Tony Ferrari

9. 🇨🇦 Alex Newhook, C, Vancouver Grizzlies (BCHL): Deep Dive Scouting Report on Alex Newhook by Tony Ferrari

10. 🇨🇦 Peyton Krebs, C, Kootenay/Winnipeg Ice (WHL): Deep Dive Scouting Report on Peyton Krebs by Tony Ferrari

11. 🇺🇸 Matthew Boldy, RW, USNTDP: Deep Dive Scouting Report on Matthew Boldy by Tony Ferrari

12. 🇷🇺 Vasili Podkolzin, RW, SKA St. Petersburg (KHL): Deep Dive Scouting Report on Vasili Podkolzin by Tony Ferrari

Other Intriguing Prospects

2019 NHL Draft: What makes Philip Tomasino such an intriguing prospect? by Spencer Loane

2019 NHL Draft Deep Dive: Arthur Kaliyev by Spencer Teixeira

NHL Draft Profile: Nolan Foote by Spencer Teixeira

Come back for more profiles as they are updated and added! Thanks for stopping by!

New York Rangers

New York Rangers: Who Should They Select At Pick #20?

by Kyle Kloiber, posted in AHL, Draft, Halifax Mooseheads, Memorial Cup, NCAA, New York Rangers, NHL, OHL, Prospects, QMJHL, USNTDP

The New York Rangers have two first-round picks in the 2019 National Hockey League Entry Draft, the second overall pick and pick #20.

 

The second overall selection will be obvious, as everybody knows. They will take whomever the Devils don’t between Jack Hughes and Kappo Kakko. As for Pick #20, they could go in a multitude of different directions, obviously based on who falls to them.

My personal preference is for them to target defense or center help, because their defense is still an issue and their center depth could be better, with Vladislav Namestikov and Ryan Strome not being long-term options. In terms of wingers, I think they have enough young wingers, especially with them likely getting Kakko at #2, so I wouldn’t pursue a winger unless somebody who was supposed to go top-10 falls. Here are some options at those two positions that I think could be realistic to fall to #20.

Moritz Seider, Defenseman, Mannheim Adler Mannheim

With the Rangers needing defense and needing some size on this team in general, I think a perfect guy to fit that mold is German defenseman Moritz Seider. At 6’3″ and 208 pounds, he has the size and physicality that is needed on this team and in the league, even with it shifting to a speed and skill game. Seider has the strength, physicality, and instincts to be a good defensive defenseman.

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His offensive game won’t wow anybody at this level, but he did have 11 assists in 12 games at the most recent international junior competition, showing some potential there. His goal-scoring ability will likely be small, as his highest goal total at any level was six in 2017-18 in the Deutsche Nachwuchs Liga. However, I think an improvement in his offensive game would come if being drafted and developed by the Rangers, who have always done well with making guys that weren’t previously offensively-minded or two-way defensemen more productive offensively.

However, if he is drafted by the Rangers, I still would want Seider to prioritize being a stay-at-home defenseman first, because I think the Rangers do lack that right now, especially one that is physical and one with defense-first instincts.

Raphael Lavoie, Center, Halifax Mooseheads

If the Rangers target any more offense in this draft, I think it should be at the center position. One guy that could realistically be there is the Quebec Junior League’s Raphael Lavoie. Lavoie is a guy that could have risen into the Top 10 if he took a major leap, but is still a dominant offensive player.

He scored 32 goals and 41 assists during the regular season for Halifax, and added 20 goals and 32 assists in their playoff run leading the Mooseheads to the Memorial Cup finals.

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Skill wise, he is a very good, straight forward skater that is tough to get off the puck and is good in terms of creating chances for teammates. Today’s game has evolved into young centers having this high end speed, and while I don’t think Lavoie has that, he still has good speed for his size (6’4″ and 200 pounds). His side-to-side speed and agility are one of his major issues he has to work on, especially in the defensive end of the ice. However, that is something that can be developed with good coaching.

His stick skills, vision, and speed for his size make him a good mold to be an NHL center, if he can improve the other aspects of his game. If the Rangers were to draft him, I think he would stay in Hartford for two or three years. But down the road, when guys like Namestikov and Strome probably will be gone, a player like Lavoie could be a decent second or third line center if developed properly, and with his size and skill I wouldn’t mind them taking a chance on him at 20 if he’s there.

Cam York, Defenseman, USNTDP Juniors

From a big-bodied defenseman in Seider to a smaller but quicker defenseman in Cam York, the Rangers could also take a chance on a guy who is more of the modern mold of the NHL, defensemen that can skate and join the rush on offense. At 5’11” and 172 pounds, I would imagine he’d have to bulk up a little bit to compete at the NHL level, but at 18 years old, he still has time to grow into his body more.

However, for that type of defenseman, he can be very good. Offensively his numbers have proven that, with 14 goals and 51 assists on the U.S. National U18 team. In 2015-16, he also had a season with 18 goals and 51 assists for Shattuck St. Mary’s Bantam.

Defensively, he skates well both straight forward and side to side, which is important against more athletic forwards in today’s NHL. He will need to work on his stick skills as a defender as well as his physicality due to not having a lot of size, but those are instincts that can be developed in the American Hockey League and in college hockey.

Whoever drafts York will have him as more of a project anyway. Like I said, he still has to grow into his body, plus he has already committed to the University of Michigan for this season. So between that, growing into his body ,and proving himself in the AHL, he will have a long way to go. However, his speed and offensive ability certainly make him similar to a lot of the new mold of NHL defensemen, and I would not mind if the Rangers decided to put a Cam York in New York.

Alex Newhook, Center, Victoria Grizzlies

One of the faster centers in this draft, Alex Newhook makes the final spot on this list. The Rangers have always loved faster centers, so Newhook could be a perfect fit. He has very good straight forward speed but even better side-to-side speed that would help out wingers that like to spread the ice and switch a lot in head coach David Quinn’s system.

Skill wise, his stick handling and moves are good in front and around the net too, and help for both passing and shooting. Statistically, Newhook had a great year in the British Columbia Hockey League with Victoria, totaling 38 goals and 64 assists in 53 games, proving those skills.

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The question surrounding Newhook is whether he can do it at tougher levels, as the BCHL isn’t thought of to be as strong of competition as other development leagues, so he would likely need more time to develop. He is committed to Boston College next year, where I would imagine he would stay for more than one year unless he makes a huge leap, and then I think he would transition to the AHL level.

Not to mention, at 5’10” and 190 pounds, he may need time to grow into his body too. Therefore, I think between that and him needing to improve his defense and his decision-making both with and without the puck, he will need time.

However, his speed and skill level show that he could fit as a sophisticated offensive center if he proves he can do it against tougher competition throughout college and the AHL. This pick would be a gamble if the Rangers make it, but he can be an ultimate boom if he can handle that higher competition with that kind of speed both straight forward and side-to-side.

Statistics provided by Eliteprospects

Featured Image Photo Credit: Nikos Michals

 

 

NHL Draft Profile: Bowen Byram

by Tony Ferrari, posted in Anaheim Ducks, Buffalo Sabres, Canada, Chicago Blackhawks, Colorado Avalanche, Detroit Red Wings, Draft, Edmonton Oilers, Florida Panthers, Los Angeles Kings, Memorial Cup, Minnesota Wild, New Jersey Devils, New York Rangers, NHL, Ottawa Senators, Philadelphia Flyers, Prospects, Vancouver Canucks, Vancouver Giants, WHL, World Juniors

The top defender in the draft, Byram is a silky smooth skater. The WHL leading scorer, as a defenceman, has taken hold of the rankings and pulled himself ahead at every turn. The offensive skillset and defensive potential is what is separating Byram from the rest of the blue-line group.

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Name: Bowen Byram

Date of Birth: June 13, 2001

Nationality (Place of Birth): Canadian (Cranbrook, BC, Canada)

Hieght: 6’0″

Weight: 183lbs

Shoots: Left

Position: D

Scouting Report

The above spider graph, courtesy of Kyle Pereira of Puck77, displays the available data from Will Scouch. As shown in the graph, Byram excels in all areas. The CAT% (both offensive and defensive) are a product of even strength goals for percentage relative to their team. Will Scouch broke it down into offensive and defensive areas and renamed them catalyst percentage. For a more in-depth explanation from the man himself, you can watch the video here. As you can see, the NHL eScore is the highest among defenders in this draft making him most likely to make an NHL impact. 

As the only defenceman in this draft that projects as a true top-pairing defender, Byram excels or shows promise in every part of the game. In his own zone, Byram is able to use his excellent skating to close the gap on opposing players and isn’t afraid to close out along the boards. His ability to lay the body without losing sight of the puck and make a play without missing a step is the key to his defensive game. He doesn’t panic under pressure and confidently handles the puck. Makes the smart play in his own zone, often waiting the extra second as a play develops while a forecheck is barring down on him.

Byram is more than capable of winning battles both in the corners and in front of the net. He is strong on the puck and doesn’t get pushed off the puck against bigger forwards. The smooth skating defender is often able to take away passing lanes and prevent defenders in front of the net from making a difference. His strength will need to improve and mature over the next 18 months in order to truly have a chance make an impact on an NHL roster but the foundation of a smart, physical defensive game is there.

His skating is elite. He has the ability to go in any direction at a high rate of speed with efficiency. Able to transition from forward to backward, he is able to keep an opponent to the outside and has an active stick that forces the opposition to keep the puck in an ineffective position, often leading to a loose puck or poke check from Byram. He is able to transition from defence to offence is outstanding, displaying his high-end offensive awareness. With his NHL-ready first few strides and acceleration to his top-speed, Byram is able to change the pace of play and push the puck up the ice as a one-man wrecking machine through the neutral zone. In the video below, Bryam shows off his skating and edge work by changing directions to brush off a defending forward at the blue line before venturing deep into the zone. This draws in defenders and opens a passing lane which Byram takes advantage of without skipping a beat. 

Tweet courtesy of @Hockey_Robinson

In the offensive zone Byram uses his best tool, his skating, to his advantage. With the ability to run a power play as the quarterback, he is truly able to make a difference on special teams. Constantly gliding up and down the boards and across the blue-line to create an open look for a pass to a high danger area. His slap shot is good but his snap shot is the weapon that generates the best scoring chances. Whether it’s used as he pinches down to the circles or off the rush, he is able to put an heavy, accurate shot on net. He possesses outstanding vision and is able to pass to any area of the ice with efficiency. He is one of the true two-way defenders in this draft class and is high-level at both ends of the ice but his transitional play is what separates Byram from every other defender in this draft. In the video below, Byram shows an ability to read the play as it develops and gets to open ice to receive a pass that he was able to immediately fire into the back of the net. 

Tweet courtest of @TheDraftAnalyst 

Preseason Outlook

Preparing to take a leadership role on the Vancouver Giants of the WHL this season, the young blue-liner had a good summer prior to his draft-eligible season. He came into the Gretzky-Hlinka tournament in the summer as one of Canada’s best defenders. He provided Canada with a good two-way game with four points (1G, 3A) in five games on route to the gold medal. He showed all of his abilities in the tournament that made him the rookie of the year in the WHL as a 16-year-old in 2017-18. The promise that was flashed a ton in his rookie season was affirmed against the best of the best in his age group, setting the stage for an outstanding draft year.

Video courtesy of Hockey Prospect Center Youtube channel

Tearing up the WHL

The reigning rookie of the year began the season looking to build on a solid freshman year in 2017-18 where he had 27 points in 60 games. The silky skater began the season strong as he put up 14 points in the first 18 games, looking like a true number-one defenceman early into his sophomore campaign. His creativity offensively began to flourish and his confidence grew throughout the season.

The maturity of his game began to show as he learned to adapt his habits on both ends of the ice. Defensively he began to engage physically, showing his strength after a good summer of growth. Offensively he began to use his shot much more both on the rush and at the point. He used his lateral quickness to open shooting lanes and his phenomenal edge work allows him to pivot deeper into the zone at a moments notice or transition to defence and cut the angle off to the puck carrier.

Video courtesy of Hockey Prospect Center Youtube channel

His regular season was outstanding as he was named a first-team Western Conference All-star for the 2018-19 season. His impressive 71 points in 67 games was good for third in the WHL among all defenders and his 26 goals outpaced every blue-liner in the league. The only two rear guards to put up higher offensive totals were 19-year-old Josh Brook and 20-year-old Dawson Davidson, both with 75 points. As a 17-year-old, he was more than able to play an effective defensive game, engaging physically without taking himself out of plays like many young defenders do.

Leading the WHL playoffs in scoring

Whatever we thought of Byram’s game before the playoffs, the young D-man was an absolute stud for the Vancouver Giants run to the WHL final. Leading the entire playoffs in scoring from the backend with 26 points. Byram lead all players in scoring by edging Prince Albert Raiders over-ager Brett Leason by one point. The next closest defenceman was 10 points back, 20-year-old teammate Dylan Plouffe.

Bowen Byram was an absolute workhorse for Vancouver. He was a monster on both ends of the ice, making plays defensively and offensively. His game took a step that drove the Cranbrook, British Columbia native straight up draft boards. His play during the postseason inspired his top-pair defender projections, something no other defender in this class has.

What the Detractors Say

The most prominent complaints in Byram’s game are the excess minute that the Giants played him and the fact that he has sometimes been caught out of position. The later happened because he trusts himself to take risks due to his ability to get back into position with his elite skating ability. He will have to develop a better sense for when to jump into the rush at the next level but mistakes like this tend to work themselves out as a young defender matures. As for being overplayed and looking worn out once in a while, he took on the large role from the Giants coaching staff and developed into a leader during the season. He may have been playing a few too many minutes during the season but the point totals and skillset allowed him to do so while not looking too far out of his depth.

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Bowen Byram will be taken…

In the top-five. The last time a defender wasn’t selected in the top-five was the 2003 NHL Entry Draft. The first blue-liner selected that year was Ryan Suter at 7th overall by the Nashville Predators. The likelyhood that a team such as the Los Angeles Kings pass up on Byram is slim unless they fall in love with a forward. If for some reason Byram isn’t selected by the Kings, the Detroit Red Wings will be salivating as they run over other teams draft tables to get to the podium. Byram has the highest ceiling of all the defenders in this draft and he’s completely separated himself from all other rearguards in the class.

Clearing the Puck! Your Weekly Look at the World of Hockey

by Tony Ferrari, posted in AHL, Boston Bruins, Chicago Blackhawks, Draft, Free Agency, KHL, Los Angeles Kings, Memorial Cup, NHL, Playoffs, Prospects, QMJHL, Rouyn-Noranda Huskies, St. Louis Blues, Toronto Maple Leafs, USNTDP

Welcome back to Clearing the Puck for the week of May 24th to 31st! This week we take a look at the Stanley Cup Finals, a Washington Captials legend hangs up the skates and how the Hurricanes season will impact the community for years to come!

Incase this is your first time, here is the rundown. What we’re going to be doing at Puck77 is putting out a weekly recap. There are going to be observations, summaries and some cool things that we noticed around the web from the NHL and the world of hockey from the last week. There will be 10 points every Saturday morning. Included will be links to articles from our website as well as many others to help fill you in on some of the best hockey and NHL content from around the web. Without further ado, let’s dive into the week!

“The Jerks” Make a Lasting Impact

There is no doubt that the Carolina Hurricanes had a season that will be remembered by hockey fans for years. Whether its the Eastern Conference Finals run or the “Storm Surge”, the Hurricanes were a blast to watch this season. How long will the impact last? Will the ‘Canes fever persist? How much has the organization benefited from the outstanding run? How much has the community grown into becoming a “hockey market”? Sara Civian of the Athletic did an excellent job taking a look both behind the curtain and into the community for the tangible benefits of the Hurricanes season. Will the Storm Warning continue into next season? Check it out below.  

Tweet courtesy of @SaraCivian

Capitals Legend Erat Calls it Quits

Martin Erat is finally hanging up the skates. He’s been playing his last three years in Czech Extraliga for HC Kometa Brno. While Erat was a really good NHL player, what he’s most known for is the most one-sided trade in NHL history. Then Washington Capitals GM George McPhee traded blue-chip prospect Filip Forsberg for Martin Erat and Michael Latta. This was the day where Erat became a Washington Capitals legend. All jokes aside, his time with the Capitals was a bit of a disaster. So much so that Forsberg has six goals against the Capitals in his career whereas Erat and Latta scored six total in their 175 games with Washington. Forsberg is a legitimate top-six winger and has two 30-goal seasons and five with at least 25. For a better look at the entire Caps career of Erat, check out our friends over at Russian Machine Never Breaks below!  


Tweet courtesy of @RussianMachine

Quebec goes Back-to-Back!

The QMJHL has back-to-back Memorial Cup Champions. After last season when Acadie-Bathurst Titan captured the CHL’s title, the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies took the title back to the beautiful province of Quebec. The Huskies were the best team in the entire CHL during the regular season and they did what the Tampa Bay Lightning couldn’t, they won the whole damn thing. Led by Noah Dobson and Joel Teasdale, the Huskies fought through adversity in the tournament losing to the Guelph Storm and then having to go through them again in the semi-finals before facing the host Halifax Mooseheads again. Tyler Kuehl at Puck77 did an outstanding job covering the Memorial Cup and you can read his piece on the Huskies first championship here.

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NWHL Sends NHL a Message

The landscape of women’s hockey is at a tipping point. This season, or lack there of, could be the reason that women are paid fairly for their all-world skill, at least earning enough to make a living. The NWHL is the only currently active professional league in North America and they released a statement this week that seems to have put the ball in the NHL’s court (or rink?)

Tweet courtesy of @NWHL

The full statement from the NWHL can be found in the tweet above. The interesting part of the statement came in the quote below where the NWHL seems to insinuate that they are hoping the NHL decides to step up, 

If any individuals or groups come forward and declare they are ready to start and invest in a new league where women can receive a substantial full-time salary and medical insurance, we would be ecstatic to have a conversation about a partnership or passing the torch. 

 

Zaitsev asks out of Toronto

Toronto Maple Leafs defenceman Nikita Zaitsev has requested a trade for personal reasons. We don’t know exactly what those are but its probably safe to assume that the criticism of his play and the pressure that comes with playing in Toronto may have understandably gotten to Nikita or his family. There have been some absolutely vicious comments made on twitter and social media in general that could have contributed to the request. While this could help Toronto out in the long-run with their salary cap situation, its unfortunate that its come to a head because of the anger of people who claim to be fans. While no one is suggesting that fans can’t be critical, attacking a player on their personal social media or their families social media is disgusting and unacceptable. Even if this has nothing to do with Zaitsev asking out of Toronto, its a good time to remind everyone that the players are people. You wouldn’t say an athletes face, so don’t hide behind your monitor or phone. Be kinder to people, we all need more kindness in the world. 

As for the hockey side of things, this could be a complicated deal and its been expressed that Toronto is unlikely to retain much, if at all. Zaitsev has term and a decent sized dollar  figure attached to him so any team acquiring him will likely need to be looking for exactly the type of defensive, penalty killing game that Zaitsev brings. Toronto isn’t in position to take back a contract of significance so where we go from here will be interesting. I encourage you to read the thread of tweets below from the king of hockey insiders, TSN’s Bob McKenzie, where he goes through the entire situation. 

Tweet courtesy of @TSNBobMcKenszie

Oilers tab Tippett to be their Bench Boss

The Edmonton Oilers finally hired their new head coach to hopefully lead them back into championship contention. Dave Tippet, former coach of the Arizona Coyotes, takes the mantle of man on the bench for the Connor McDavid led team. The hiring seems like another step in the right direction for the Oilers. Since Ken Holland became the GM, they have started to clear out the “old boys” group of the ’80’s Oilers and they’ve begun to bring in off-ice talent, not the least of which was Tippett. Firing most of their coaching staff, only retaining Glen Gulutzan, the Oilers are beginning to take the necessary steps back to respectability after years of being the laughing stock of the NHL for years despite having the best player in the world.  

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Puck77 Final Draft Rankings!

Jack Hughes vs. Kaapo Kakko! Who’s the top ranked player on the board? Who is on the rise? Who dropped? The team here collaborated and put together NHL Draft rankings together. Submitting our lists, we combined all the rankings, averaged the numbers out and figured out exactly how the draft is going to go! No? We didn’t do that? Okay, well we at least did our homework and worked our way from 1-31 for you to consume! You can check that out here!

https://twitter.com/ThePuck77/status/1134795135982682112

Tweet courtesy of @thePuck77

Finland wins Gold!

0 NHL goals. The Finnish national team featured 0 NHL goals. The Fins were led by draft eligible Kaapo Kakko and a scrappy group of Liiga players all the way to the gold medal. Defeating Canada in the finals, the Finnish team was a great story in the IIHF World Hockey Championship. Timely goals from their captain Marko Anttila, outstanding performances in net by Chicago Blackhawks prospect Kevin Lankinen and capping of the tournament the same way that they started, beating Canada when most people expected them to win. 

Video courtesy of the IIHF Youtube account

The tournament did an excellent job putting the Finnish program among the top programs in the world. To be able to take players from Liiga and win a tournament filled with NHL players was outstanding fro the Fins. The job done by the management team, the coaching staff and the players can’t be talked about enough. Team Finland are the World Champions!

NHL Players cheering on the Raptors

The Toronto Raptors are in the NBA Finals! I know, not hockey. There were NHL players at the games though, including the former Oilers duo of Taylor Hall and Jordan Eberle and a group of current Toronto Maple Leafs. So congratulations to the Toronto Raptors on winning game one of the NBA finals over the heavily favored Golden State Warriors and here is some NHL players at the game to justify talking about the Raptors in a hockey blog!

Tweet courtesy of @TSN_sports

Tweet courtesy of @MapleLeafs

A trip to the john predicts the OT Game Winner

When the third period of game two of the Stanley Cup finals came to an end, a couple of the St. Louis Blues decided to hit the washroom which is likely not a rare situation. At this point, one of the biggest bathroom rules were broken. Carl Gunnarsson decided to talk to his head coach Craig Berube at the urinal. Gross… What he said to him though was the interesting part. He told his bench boss that he just needed “one more chance”. He rang the puck off the post in the third and he felt like he missed his chance. Could he have known what was to come next? Could he have known that he would score his first playoff goal since he was a 13-year-old playing minor hockey? The veteran Swede put the game away, tying the series at a game a piece. Carl Gunnarsson could be a Stanley Cup hero if the Blues pull off the series win. 

Tweet courtesy of @StLouisBlues

Thank you as always for joining me this week to clear the puck and find the news for the week! Tune in next week when we finally have some more Stanley Cup games and we could even have a champion! Until next week, have fun with the draft coverage coming up, enjoy the hockey in the Cup final and GO RAPTORS!

Stats and information courtesy of Hockey Reference, Elite Prospects, the IIHF, the NHL and the CHL

Rouyn-Noranda Huskies Win Their First Memorial Cup

by Tyler Kuehl, posted in Memorial Cup, QMJHL, Rouyn-Noranda Huskies

Just three years ago…

the Huskies were just minutes away from winning the franchise’s first Memorial Cup. However, the London Knights tied it up, then Matthew Tkachuk’s goal in overtime ending the Huskies’ dream.

This year, the Huskies came together and became the best team in not just the QMJHL, but the CHL. With stars such as Peter Abbandonato and Joel Teasdale leading the offence, Samuel Harvey being a brick wall in net, and the addition of Noah Dobson at the deadline made the Huskies a favourite to make a run at the Memorial Cup, winning 59 wins during the regular season, a QMJHL record. Rouyn-Noranda worked their way through the playoffs before winning their second President’s Cup, winning a six-game series over the Halifax Mooseheads.

Stumbling Out of the Gate

The Huskies returned to Halifax a week later to begin their run towards the Memorial Cup, and took on the upstart OHL Champion Guelph Storm on the second night of the tournament. The Huskies were caught completely off guard by the offence-laden Storm. Guelph outshot, and outplayed the Huskies, eventually winning the first game for the two teams 5-2 thanks to Alexey Toropchenko’s first period hat trick.

Bouncing Back

In a tournament where going down 0-2 could be detrimental, the Huskies needed a better game against the WHL Champion Prince Albert Raiders. The two teams traded goals in the first two periods, as Cole Harbour-native Tyler Hinam, Teasdale and Felix Bibeau scored for the Huskies, but were tied at three with Prince Albert heading into the final 20 minutes. 

It was crunch time for the Huskies. Both defences limited the scoring chances, but with just under five minutes left, Dobson set up Hinam for his second of the game to give Rouyn-Noranda the lead. Less than 90 seconds later, Abbandonato potted an insurance marker to give the Huskies enough breathing room, and after Dobson’s empty-netter, Rouyn-Noranda picked up their first win of the Memorial Cup by a score of 6-3.

Not Winning Enough

Guelph lost their second game of the tournament to Halifax, that set up an opportunity for the Huskies to win their way straight to the Memorial Cup Final. The catch? They had to win by four or more goals against the Mooseheads in the finale of the round-robin. Things were looking good as the Huskies went up 2-0 in the first period with goals from Bibeau and Teasdale just 72 seconds apart. Halifax came back inspired to punch their ticket to the final, scoring three unanswered in the second period to take a lead into the third period. 

Rouyn-Noranda was able to come back in the final frame with goals from William Rouleau and Jakub Lauko to win the game, but they did not win by enough, and Halifax would get the bye to final.

Redemption

The Huskies would have to take on Storm in the semifinal. Rouyn-Noranda did not take them lightly, but the Storm did not back down either. The teams traded goals in the first period, and were knotted up at two after 20 minutes. After Cedric Ralph scored to give Guelph the lead early in the second, Hinam scored his third of the tournament to tie the game at three.

Heading into the third period, the Huskies needed a hero if they wanted to meet Halifax in the final. They found that in Felix Bibeau. Bibeau, who played a big part during the QMJHL playoffs, came up big with back-to-back goals in the third. Isaac Ratcliffe scored to make it a one-goal game late in regulation, but with Guelph looking for the equalizer, Rafael Harvey-Pinard came up with a huge block, and after the captain’s empty-net goal, the Huskies were on their way to the Memorial Cup Final.

Championship Time

Going up against a rested Halifax team, the Huskies were still the arguable favourite heading into the final, as Rouyn-Noranda had won seven of the eight meetings dating back to the regular season. Yet, the Mooseheads jumped out in front with a goal from Samuel Asselin. A goal from Raphael Lavoie in the second period made it seem like Halifax had control of the game.

However, the Huskies would not buckle under the pressure. Bibeau put Rouyn-Noranda on the board with his tournament-leading fifth goal of the Memorial Cup. Then, Teasdale tied the game just minutes later, and it was anyone’s game heading into the third period.

Forecheck pressure by the Huskies started to get to the Halifax defencemen. After a turnover by the Mooseheads, Abbandonato was able to fire shot passed the Mooseheads’ Alexis Gravel while falling to put Rouyn-Noranda out in front. Vincent Marleau picked up his second of the Memorial Cup just two minutes later to open the Huskies’ lead up to two. 

The Mooseheads started to press, desperately looking to get back in the game, but the Huskies’ defence proved stagnant, and Harvey made a few key saves to hold off Halifax. The seconds ticked off the clock, and the Huskies beat the Mooseheads once again by a final score of 4-2, winning their first ever Memorial Cup.

MVP

Joel Teasdale won the Stafford Smyth Memorial Trophy for Memorial Cup MVP. The Montreal prospect scored four goals with an assist for five points in the tournament.

Twice is Nice

This win also marked the second Memorial Cup for Noah Dobson, after the Islanders’ prospect won last year with the Acade-Bathurst Titan. He becomes just the fifth player ever to win two Memorial Cup with two different teams.

Head Coach Mario Pouliot, who was behind the bench for Titan’s win last year, becomes only the third coach to ever win two Memorial Cups with two different teams.

#1 Finishes #1

The Huskies were the best team during the regular season. Their 119 points in the regular season were more than any other team in the CHL, and were ranked number one in the CHL rankings in the latter of the season. They proved why they were the best team during the regular season in the playoffs on their road to clinching a spot in the Memorial Cup with winning the President’s Cup. The stars stepped up when they needed to, and the role players made big plays when called upon. Samuel Harvey had an incredible year in net, and ended his junior career on quite the high note. Not many teams have had such successful regular seasons as the Huskies had, and be able to end it with the Memorial Cup. Yet, Rouyn-Noranda fought through when faced with adversity, and made it to the finish line. 

The #1 team in the CHL finishes as the best team in junior hockey, Memorial Cup Champions.

All statistics and records from the, CHL, QMJHL and Elite Prospects.

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