2023 QMJHL Draft | Under the Microscope: William Lacelle

Off the ice, William Lacelle is approachable, focused, studies hard and quietly goes about his business. On the ice, he’s a talented goaltender with lots of potential, which has made him an intriguing prospect to watch ahead of the 2023 QMJHL Draft.

The 15-year-old put up impressive numbers during the regular season with the Lac St-Louis Lions in Quebec’s U18 AAA League. The netminder maintained a 18-2-1-1 record, a 1.55 goals against average and a stellar .947% save percentage. His efforts helped backstop the Lions to a division title.

“Lacelle is an ultra-fast goalie who has excellent athleticism. Despite moving around his net with so much speed, he has shown great precision in his positioning. His puck-tracking is good, but he’s shown some difficulty in tracking it behind screens,” explained Maxime Ouellet, CSR Goaltending Specialist. “His glove hand works well out in front of his body, while his blocker side could use a little more fine-tuning. Lacelle’s reaction time is above average and should continue to place him among the best netminders of his draft class.”

In addition to being focused, Lacelle is also very competitive. Even in practice he never wants any of his teammates to score on him. He’s a great athlete with enviable core strength, which shows in his lateral movement. He also has a great understanding of the game, not only as far as what he needs to do as a goalie, but also by understanding what every player’s responsibility is in all situations. It’s an important asset for him, since he’s also able to predict what his opponents want to do offensively. That takes his anticipation skills to another level.

While school remains a priority for Lacelle, he also wants to be a full-time hockey player and is always looking for ways to improve. Lions head coach Ron Choules, who is also an experienced QMJHL bench boss, knows first-hand what it takes to succeed at the next level and believes that his netminder has the tools to become an impact player.

“I think it’s his composure. By that I mean he doesn’t get rattled by any situation, he’s very competitive,” Choules said. “He’s a perfect eventual number one goaltender as far as his ability to handle pressure situations and being a good teammate. He has all the attributes to move forward for sure.”

There’s no doubt that Lacelle has a full toolbox of skills at his disposal, but it’s his work ethic that will help him make the most of them as his career continues to progress.

_

William Lacelle
Height: 6’0″ | Weight: 159 lbs
Date of Birth: December 26, 2007
Birthplace: Baie d’Urfée, Quebec
Catches: Left