2023 QMJHL Playoffs | Sherbrooke and Halifax have their eyes on the big prize
This Saturday, April 29, the number two seeded Halifax Mooseheads and the third-ranked Sherbrooke Phoenix embark on a seven-game series that will determine who will get to compete for the very first Gilles-Courteau Trophy. Game one is scheduled for 7 p.m. AT at Halifax’s Scotiabank Centre.
The Mooseheads started their playoff push by sweeping the Cape Breton Eagles in four games. The Nova Scotia based team then dispelled of its second-round opponent almost as quickly, needing just five games to move past the Moncton Wildcats.
Halifax’s high-flying offense has not let up since the beginning of the postseason. The roster features five point-per-game players, which includes the trio of Jordan Dumais, a Columbus Blue Jackets prospect, and mid-season acquisitions Josh Lawrence and Alexandre Doucet, the latter who recently inked a three-year entry level deal with the Detroit Red Wings. Dumais, Lawrence and Doucet respectively ranked first, second and third overall in league scoring by the end of the regular season. Among the aforementioned point-per-game players is sophomore Brady Schultz, whose nine points (3G, 6A) rank third among all defensemen in this year’s playoffs. Goaltending has also been a strong spot for the Mooseheads due to Mathis Rousseau’s stellar play. The second year netminder has started all nine of Halifax’s games in the postseason, winning all but one while sporting a 1.97 GAA, a .916 SV% and one shutout.
Head Coach Sylvain Favreau looks to continue a strong second-year showing in the playoffs as he continues to build off last year’s first round exit against the Acadie-Bathurst Titan. As for the Mooseheads, they’re looking to make their fifth finals appearance – and first since a 2019 defeat to the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies – in the hopes of adding a second QMJHL title to their resume.
The Sherbrooke Phoenix has gone undefeated in this year’s playoffs. The club’s first-round matchup against the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada and second-round series against the Drummondville Voltigeurs both ended in convincing fashion, with four-game sweeps.
Sherbrooke’s offensive heartbeat, Montreal Canadiens prospect Joshua Roy, is leading the postseason with a solid 2.6 point-per-game average thanks to his 10 goals and 11 helpers in just eight games. His 21 points are ten more than the team’s next highest scorer, Seattle Kraken draft pick Jacob Melanson. However, through eight playoff games so far, the Phoenix’s depth has come through in a big way with 14 players registering at least four points. St-Louis Blues prospect Marc-André Gaudet and Minnesota Wild draft pick David Spacek lead the team’s blueliners with two goals and five helpers each. Netminder Olivier Adam has done more than enough to get the job done between the pipes as he owns a perfect 8-0 record, a 1.75 GAA, a .909 SV% and one shutout.
General Manager and Head Coach Stéphane Julien, who has spent his entire eight-year QMJHL tenure with Sherbrooke, is looking to advance past the third round of the playoffs for the first time in his career. The Phoenix earned a spot in the final four last season, but was ousted by the Charlottetown Islanders in a three-to-one series defeat. The Phoenix, founded in 2011 after the relocation of the Lewiston MaineIacs, has not had a finals appearance to date.
This will be the first playoff matchup between the two franchises. They met on two occasions in the regular season however, splitting those encounters at one apiece. While special teams are sure to be a critical factor in this series, neither team managed to score a powerplay goal during their regular season outings.
The Mooseheads are now looking to make their second appearance in the finals in four years, while the Phoenix seeks to claim its first shot at a title. Both these squads have proven that they have what it takes to advance, it only remains to be seen which organization does!
