Road to the QMJHL Entry Draft | January 2021
The latest crop of QMJHL prospects has already caught the eye of scouts across Quebec and Atlantic Canada. The following players possess all the intangibles needed to be key contributors at the next level.
As it was the case last month, January’s prospects are listed in alphabetical order:
_
- Nathan Baril – LW – Saint-Hyacinthe Gaulois
“Many scouts will keep an eye on this forward who can play all three positions on offense. Top scorer in Bantam AAA last year, the brief sample we saw of him in the Quebec Midget AAA League’s preseason schedule showed us his potential. His skills, his shiftiness and his solid stick handling allow him to protect the puck in tight zones. He knows how to find the opening because he has a very good vision. He is a player who competes in all three zones and plays responsibly. Despite his size, he is not afraid to pay the price along the boards and in front of the net.” – Benoit Payment, CSR Scout, Quebec Region
- Olivier Beaulieu – LHD – Collège Esther-Blondin Phénix
“Olivier is a left-handed defenseman who already has the skills required to play in the QMJHL. He can evolve in all situations. He likes to be in the action and is always available in transition games. Overall, he reads and anticipates the play with ease. He takes fast shots and has quick hands. He makes very good decisions when he is in possession of the puck but can also use his stick very well defensively. He has good skating speed in both frontward and backward. The potential is there, just let the experience join the talent.” – Claude Gosselin, CSR Scout, Quebec Region
- Jude Campbell – RW – Charlottetown Knights
“Jude is a tall and physically solid right shooting winger. He has very good puck handling skills, matched with a terrific vision and hockey sense. He is a good skater that likes to carry the puck and use his speed to challenge defensemen one-on-one. His positional play is excellent and he seems to always get open to receive passes in high scoring areas. He uses his quick release to generate scoring opportunities. He has good anticipation and fore-checks aggressively, but he is also dependable defensively. He plays with energy and gives 100% every shift.” – Corrado Micalef, CSR Scout, Atlantic Division
- Mathieu Cataford – RW – Collège Charles-Lemoyne Riverains
“Mathieu is a dynamic and very talented player. He is a hard-working and committed player, both offensively and defensively. He pays attention to detail. Among the dominant qualities of his game is his excellent offensive sense, his hockey IQ, his very good shot and his work ethic, which is exemplary both on and off the ice. Mathieu had an excellent tournament at the Quebec Games in Quebec City last season where most of his opponents were older than him.” – Frédéric Simard, CSR Scout, Quebec Region.
- Frédéric Cousineau – G – Amos Forestiers
“Frédéric is a goaltender who knows how to take advantage of his size. He works well with his hands, that are always well positioned in front of his body. He moves well in his crease and still shows surprising speed. He must work on his rebound control, which places him in a vulnerable situation for secondary shots. He shows good potential and goaltending coaches like to work with this type of goaltender who has a very solid base.” – Maxime Ouellet, CSR Goaltender Scout, Quebec Region
- Dylan MacKinnon – RHD – Moncton Flyers
“Less is more for many young defenders and Dylan is starting to figure that out. He has a great shot from the point and is constantly finding ways to get it on net. All signs point to him being a shutdown two-way guy rather than a full three-zone defender, but he’s definitely QMJHL material. Dylan skates well and is a physical force. He has a good first pass and he reads the ice very well, but he needs to work on choosing the appropriate time to jump into the rush.” – Craig Eagles, CSR Scout, New Brunswick Region
- Luke McPhee – LW – Cole Harbour Wolfpack
“Luke is a big forward with excellent skating ability. He uses his size, body and skating to his advantage. He is not scared to go to the dirty areas and play with physicality. He protects the puck well. He has shown the ability to shoot the puck well in stride and create offence using his body. As a first year forward, Luke has played in all situations, and showed that he can be a reliable 200-foot player. He will be someone to watch for the upcoming draft, as he has the upside and tools to be a QMJHL player.” – Taylor Burke, CSR Scout, Nova Scotia Region
- Émile Perron – LHD – Gatineau Intrépide
“Emile is part of a fine crop of defencemen this season in the Midget AAA. He is a very good skater, very mobile with a nice explosion. It allows him to keep a good amount of space in one-on-one situations. He is part of the new generation of defencemen; he positions himself well and has a very good stick in the defensive zone. Emile has a vision of the game that allows him to make a good first pass. He is not inclined to get rid of the puck on the opponent’s forecheck. Sometimes, he allows himself to support the offence. In addition, he finds good options on the power play. He has the qualities required to make a good power player.” – Daniel Noonan, CSR Scout, Quebec Region
- Michael Strapp – RW – St-John’s Growlers
“Two words : pro-release! The 6′1’’, 186-pound right winger from Harbour Main can rip the puck and doesn’t take long to do so. When he’s not shooting the puck accurately, Michael is reliable without it and is above average along the wall in his own end. He has a great attitude and has the tools to be a middle six right winger at the next level with improved quickness and mean streak development.” – Andrew Pearcey, CSR Scout, Newfoundland & Labrador Region
- Jordan Tourigny – RHD – Trois-Rivières Estacades
“Jordan is an offensive defenceman with a good vision. He controls the puck very well and distributes it quickly. He likes to support the offence and executes all of his plays at high speed.” – Steve Gosselin, CSR Scout, Quebec Region