Three Amazing Jr. Careers
Noah Laaouan still remembers where he was when he found out he was going to be a Charlottetown Islander.
His Cape Breton Screaming Eagles had just defeated the Saint John Sea Dogs 3-2 in Saint John, the final game prior to the QMJHL’s 2018 holiday break. Laaouan’s father, Ali, was at the game and the two were driving back to Halifax together to start their holiday.
“We were about ten minutes into the drive and he says ‘Listen, we have to talk about something’.” Laaouan said. “He had talked to my agent during the game and explained that there was a trade in place for me to go to Charlottetown.”
There was a familiarity with the major junior hockey scene on the Island. Ali, now a scout for the NHL’s Washington Capitals, served in the same position for the PEI Rocket. Right away, Noah knew this would be a great opportunity for him.
“Knowing what I’d heard about Jim Hulton as a coach and the organization, how when he took over as the head coach and GM you could see the culture and organization take a turn that had a lot of good praise, it was a no-brainer for me to be excited.”
“Looking back now, it was probably the best thing that could have happened to me.”
Noah started his QMJHL with some hype in Cape Breton, being selected in the first round, 14th overall, in the 2017 QMJHL Draft. He made the team out of camp and played the full year as a 16-year-old, earning an opportunity with Hockey Canada at the 2017 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge. Noah learned from some respected veterans in Cape Breton, including Drake Batherson, Leon Gawanke, Jordan Ty Fournier, and Ross MacDougall. Their example helped Laaouan develop as a player both on the ice and off it, teaching him how to carry himself and prepare for success.
During his sophomore season in the league, he was traded to the Islanders for Derek Gentile. From the outset, Isles head coach Jim Hulton made it clear that he was going to put Laaouan in the best position possible for his development, pairing him with a fellow highly-touted young defender – rookie sensation Lukas Cormier. The duo became fast partners and have achieved peak success over three and a half years as a pairing.
“We’ve done everything together on the ice and become really good friends off the ice,” Laaouan said of his relationship with Cormier. “Having that connection, someone who is a really good friend and then go on the ice and battle together every single night, is super special.”
It was the confidence from the coaching staff in a young pairing that helped propel Laaouan to new heights; He established himself as a hard-hitting defensive presence that could provide offensive impact as well. He established a career-high 30 points in his first full season as an Islander in 2019-2020, before exploding offensively in the abbreviated 2020-2021 season with 38 points in 39 games. Heading into his final regular season game, Laaouan has recorded a career high 11 goals and 57 points in 67 games. All of this has happened without sacrificing his menacing physical defensive play.
Despite his demanding style of play, Laaouan’s shown a display of durability. He sits third among all active QMJHL players with 283 games played and missed just nine games due to injury through his four years in Charlottetown.
When asked who held influence over his career trajectory, Laaouan was quick to name the men behind the Islanders bench for their help.
“The staff we have with Jim, Guy Girouard, Kevin Henderson, and before him Brad Mackenzie, are the best in the league. The trust they give their players, the atmosphere they create both at the rink and away from it, is like a family. When you’re able to create a close-knit environment like that, while also giving your players trust, it goes a long way for the team.”
Noah was quick to mention the support he’s received from his parents, Ali and Tara, and his sister, Gabi, and his extended family; his billet families, Karen and Bob Carmichael in Charlottetown and Mike and Susan Handrahan in Cape Breton; and his girlfriend, Alexys, and her family. He attributes this support system as the one that helped him be the best that he can be.
Gatineau, Quebec is a hotbed for major junior hockey. The Olympiques are one of the QMJHL’s most historic franchises that have played host to the likes of Claude Giroux. Just minutes away across the Quebec border, the Ottawa 67’s have left an equally historic legacy on the CHL. That’s not even considering it’s close proximity to both the Ottawa Senators and Montreal Canadiens
It’s an incredible environment for fostering a love of hockey; it’s exactly what happened to Xavier Simoneau.
“I was a huge fan of the Gatineau Olympiques growing up. Whenever I had practice in Gatineau, I’d ask my parents if we could stay in town to go to the Olympiques game. Whenever they had a community thing, I’d always ask my parents to go.” Said Simoneau on his love for his local team.
That love for his local team took a hard left turn as he was drafted by a local rival, the Drummondville Voltigeurs, with the 9th overall selection in the 2017 QMJHL Draft. It was the start of a storybook career with the Voltigeurs that saw him experience the often-mentioned junior hockey cycle first-hand.
“I arrive at 16 and then at 17 we go all in for a Memorial Cup. I’m named captain at 18 and we start to rebuild for two years. I played with older players and younger players which were both fun experiences.”
“I remember talking to Morgan Adams-Moisan at 16 and him telling me to take it all in. He said ‘you’re just 16 but time is going to go so fast so enjoy it now.’ It’s been five years, but it truly just feels like I came into the league yesterday.” Simoneau said.
The run to the Memorial Cup was a run that stands out incredibly for Simoneau. A strong team was made stronger with acquisitions like Maxime Comtois, Félix Lauzon, and Pierre-Olivier Joseph, further fostering an environment that helped Simoneau develop into a top-tier player.
“I was just 17 years old and I had the chance to play on a line with Nicolas Guay, one of the best captains I’ve ever played with, and Maxime Comtois, who had played a few games in the NHL that season and was the captain of Team Canada at the World Juniors. It was huge for me to be the centreman for those guys at just 17. On top of that, I shared a billet family with P-O Joseph, and he was a first-round NHL draft pick at the time and is now one of my best friends.” Simoneau said on his 2018-2019 season. “I learned a lot that season but I had so much fun sharing that time with all those professionals. It was a huge year for me and the rest of my career.”
All that experience alongside veteran players made it a no-brainer when Drummondville Voltigeurs coach Steve Hartley named Simoneau the captain of the Voltigeurs the following season. Leading a team that experienced substantial roster turnover that offseason was a big learning curve, but one that Simoneau says he cherished.
“All the experts and professionals said that we weren’t going to win 10 games that year. We were so young and all the big names left. We surprised everyone and finished about sixth overall that year. It was so much fun being able to be the leader of that group.” Simoneau said.
Simoneau would finish his incredible career with the Voltigeurs with 228 points, 13th in franchise history that also boasts the likes of Daniel Brière, Guillaume Latendresse, and Sean Couturier. He goes down as one of the team’s greats, and left a great legacy in the community.
This past summer, he received a bittersweet call that took his talents east, to the Charlottetown Islanders.
“It was hard; it had been a discussion since I was 18 and 19, but to actually get that call saying I was traded was crazy. I was absolutely happy to go to Charlottetown, but I was also sad to leave Drummondville. I had played four years there and create a great relationship with the community. But heading into my last year, I was able to go to a great organization and compete again for a championship, so that made me really happy.”
Joining an already veteran group in Charlottetown, Simoneau had less expectations than in the past to be a leader. He says his role changed when he arrived in Charlottetown and has had fun doing so.
“My role has been to bring energy; I get to come into the room, make jokes, put smiles on faces, and bring joy to my teammates on the bench. I’m an energy guy and I want to fire the boys up.” Said Simoneau. “That’s who I naturally am as a person and it helps me to be a great teammate.”
That affable personality, combined with his tremendous skill, finally led to getting the call that many young Quebec-born hockey players dream of; he was selected by the Montreal Canadiens in the 2021 NHL Draft, an experience he says goes unmatched.
“It was special for me, but also my family. We’re all fans of the Canadiens, and to be selected by my childhood teams was a dream come true.”
For his success, Simoneau attributed much of it to his first major junior coach and the family that supported him along the way.
“I was with Steve Hartley for four years. He’s not just a great coach, but a great human being with a great personality. We weren’t supposed to win nearly as much as we did, but he gave so much to the team and it helped us be the best players we could be. His door was always open if you had personal problems.”
“My mom and dad did so much for me growing up. I remember being young and growing up, we didn’t have a whole lot of money. We were a family with three hockey-playing brothers and they did so much to make sure we played. They put so much time and money into all of us playing and I wouldn’t be here without them.”
The most common path to major junior hockey typically runs through local minor hockey teams. A major junior prospect will hone their skills at the Major U-18 level to showcase what they can offer at the next level. For Brett Budgell, however, the road less traveled was the path he chose to follow instead.
Despite being one of Canada’s largest provinces, Newfoundland and Labrador is not typically known as a hockey hotbed. The days of Dan Cleary, Michael Ryder, Teddy Purcell, and Ryane Clowe have since past. So when a special crop of 2001-born Newfoundlanders came through the province, they all sought opportunities outside of the province. Those players included current New Jersey Devil Dawson Mercer and Colorado Avalanche forward Alex Newhook. While Mercer and Newhook attended prep school, Brett Budgell stayed with an aunt and uncle in London, Ontario and played with the London Jr. Knights, a team that featured NHL prospects Ryan Suzuki and Mason Millman.
“That was a great year for me; I got a good sense of what junior hockey would be like, moving away from home and playing in cities I’d never been before,” Budgell said on his experience in London. “It had it’s difficulties, for sure, but it was a great opportunity for me and I’m glad that I took that step.”
That step ultimately led to the next one, being selected by the Islanders 25th overall at the 2017 QMJHL Draft. Once again, however, the road less traveled called to Budgell; Despite the excitement of being selected to play major junior, he wanted to keep all his options open as a 16-year-old, and chose to play in the United States Hockey League (USHL) with the Chicago Steel in order to preserve his NCAA eligibility.
“As a 16-year-old kid, it’s really difficult to decide what you want to do with the next five years of your life. It’s a huge decision,” Budgell explained. “I don’t think every kid is fully set in stone with their decision as Q training camps roll around. It was something that I wanted to think through and take a look at all my opportunities.”
“I used that time to visit a few schools and play hockey in Chicago, where I met a lot of great people and learned a number of things there. When I went to the U-17 Hockey Challenge, every other player on my team was playing in the CHL; hearing their experiences kind of pushed me towards the Q even more. When I went home at Christmas time, my family and I decided to make the move to Charlottetown.”
Budgell immediately made an impact with the Islanders, scoring in his first game on January 4th against the Rimouski Oceanic. He’d finish his half-season with the Isles with 22 points in 32 games, along with 12 points in 18 games en route to the team’s improbable run to Game 7 of the President’s Cup semifinals against the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada.
In his sophomore season, Budgell took a major step forward into a leadership role; following the departure of key leaders Pierre-Olivier Joseph, Keith Getson, and Derek Gentile in trades at Christmas, Budgell was named an assistant captain. As a 17-year-old, it’s rare to be given that responsibility, but Budgell found himself an exception to the rule.
“It was a really great feeling to know that the staff and my teammates thought I had those leadership attributes at 17. It was a great opportunity for me to grow as a player and to continue to learn from the other leaders on the team,” Budgell explained. “With captains like Pierre-Olivier Joseph and Brendon Clavelle, those are both leaders that I’d learn things from every single day at the rink. I’m really glad to have had such great leaders before me.”
Budgell’s leadership combined with his consistent 200-foot play on the ice have made him a fan favorite, and one of the all-time great players to have plied his craft on Prince Edward Island. As his final regular-season draws to an end, he’ll finish 2nd in Islanders history with 268 games played and 237 points, and is just the second Islander along with Daniel Sprong to record more than 100 goals in the Black and Harvest Gold. In his final year, he’s posted career highs with 38 goals and 76 points. It’s something that he says he couldn’t have dreamed for himself.
“It’s a great feeling, but kind of bittersweet, to reminisce on the past five years and all the memories that were made. This community has been so great to me; Charlottetown will always be a second home to me. I’ve had great billet families, amazing teammates and coaches; my whole experience in Charlottetown has been second to none.” Budgell said on his time with the Islanders. “For this group to go on a long playoff run and hopefully win a championship would end it off in the best way possible.”
In addition to naming his billet families, Terri and Mike Tremblett, along with Liz and Tim Casey, Budgell named his parents, Todd and Gina, sister Maddie, grandmother Sue, Sophia Bell, and Tara Maclean as people who have been extremely influential to him during his time in Charlottetown. He also specifically shouted out three individuals who were crucial to his support system.
“Kevin Elliott, Spider MacNeill, and Devin Atkin do everything for this organization. They do so much for me and for every single guy in that dressing room.”
On behalf of the Charlottetown Islanders, we’d like to thank Brett, Xavier, and Noah for their contributions to this organization and congratulate them all on incredible five-year major junior careers!
