CHL on TSN | 5 Players to Watch – Cataractes vs. Tigres
The CHL on TSN schedule resumes Friday, returning to Quebec for a showdown between the nationally ranked Shawinigan Cataractes and the defending President Cup champion Victoriaville Tigres.
Here are five players to keep an eye on following puck drop at 7 p.m. Eastern on TSN and RDS:
Cataractes centre Mavrik Bourque
The most productive player in the circuit based on the points-per-game column, Cataractes centre Mavrik Bourque has amassed 41 points counting 13 goals and 28 assists in just 20 appearances this season. Recording at least one point in all but a single game this season, Bourque is coming off a dominant February that saw him register 19 points across nine contests, a stretch that included his third four-point effort on the season coming in an 8-2 road victory versus Val-d’Or. Bourque has also been a force against the Tigres this season, notching three points in a pair of appearances, including one goal and one assist coming in Wednesday’s 4-1 victory. A 2020 first-round selection of the Dallas Stars, Bourque sits third in Cataractes scoring behind fellow forwards and NHL draftees in Olivier Nadeau (Buffalo Sabres) and Xavier Bourgault (Edmonton Oilers).
Mavrik Bourque a fait 3-1 ⚡️ pic.twitter.com/HpxbKmA8aq
— Cataractes de Shawinigan (@Cataractes_Shaw) February 11, 2022
Tigres right-wing Maxime Pellerin
Headlining the Tigres with north of point-per-game production that counts 22 goals and 23 assists through 42 appearances, hometown native Maxime Pellerin brings an industrious playing style that despite his smaller frame allows him to find the scoring areas of the ice. Following two seasons with Victoriaville in which he combined for 19 points over 82 contests, Pellerin has had a major breakout this season and enters Friday’s showdown following three-straight games where he has found the scoresheet, a stretch which includes his team’s lone goal in its most recent meet-up against Shawinigan.
Un bel échange à trois complété par Maxime Pellerin! 🤩#GoTigresGo pic.twitter.com/IORQk2TW8M
— Tigres de Victoriaville (@TigresVicto) March 10, 2022
Cataractes right-wing Olivier Nadeau
Leading the offensive ranks for the nationally ranked Cataractes, Buffalo Sabres 2021 fourth-round selection Olivier Nadeau brings a well-rounded game that allows him to excel in all areas of the ice. A noted playmaker, this season sees Nadeau push the pace in Shawinigan with a team-leading 62 points counting 28 goals and 34 assists coming in 45 appearances, already surpassing his previous career high-water mark of 45 points coming during the 2020-21 campaign. Bringing an ability to score in bunches, the current season has also seen Nadeau put up multiple points on 14 different nights, including a dominant seven-point showing coming against Blainville-Boisbriand in late October in which onlookers witnessed him put up four goals and three assists en route to a 8-5 triumph. Originally chosen fifth overall by the Cataractes in the 2019 QMJHL Entry Draft, Nadeau’s three seasons with the club have seen him amass 56 goals and 74 assists for 130 points across 137 career contests.
Olivier Nadeau living rent free in the blue-paint today.
No Mavrik Bourque, no problem for Nadeau putting up 4🚨 + 3🍎 @BuffaloSabres | @Cataractes_Shaw pic.twitter.com/qbBJMfEsqN
— Canadian Hockey League (@CHLHockey) October 30, 2021
Tigres defenceman Samuel Desgroseilliers
Bringing savvy veteran experience from the back end, Tigres overage rearguard Samuel Desgroseilliers is closing out his junior career on a high note as this season has seen him reach a new career high in points with 24 after registering four goals and 20 assists through 37 appearances. Joining Victoriaville in mid-December after beginning the year in Moncton, Desgroseilliers has been a productive force in his new home as through 14 games with the Tigres he has tallied two goals and eight assists, including a season-high three-point showing coming against Rouyn-Noranda earlier this week. Originally chosen by Blainville-Boisbriand in the 2017 QMJHL Entry Draft, Desgroseilliers’ time in the junior circuit has counted 195 games in which he has recorded 15 goals and 58 assists for 73 points.
Premier but avec les Tigres pour Samuel Desgroseilliers ! #GoTigresGo pic.twitter.com/p0tvfMAWAm
— Tigres de Victoriaville (@TigresVicto) February 6, 2022
Cataractes defenceman Isaac Menard
Skating in his second season with the Cataractes, 2004-born blue-liner Isaac Menard who while undersized brings a modern game from the back end built on transitions and solid puck-moving abilities. On the season, the native of nearby Trois-Rivieres, Que., has collected four goals and 29 assists for 33 points in 46 games, putting him tops in scoring among all Shawinigan rearguards and ninth-best league wide. Entering Friday’s contest riding a three-game point streak, that stretch includes a helper coming in Wednesday’s 4-1 win over Victoriaville that saw Menard draw a secondary assist on a tally by talented forward Mavrik Bourque early into the opening frame. A third-round choice by the Cataractes in the 2020 QMJHL Entry Draft, Menard is once again under the spotlight of the scouting community this season as he is eligible for the 2022 NHL Draft.
Voici notre plus récente Équipe de la semaine @Videotron! 👇#LHJMQ | #EnfinRéunis
— LHJMQ (@LHJMQ) February 21, 2022
