Inside the Numbers – Weekend #4
Today’s Inside the Numbers edition will take a look at the booming start of three of the QMJHL’s 16-year-old rookies. We will compare them to the all-time best following their first ten games played.
In Moncton, Jakob Pelletier has already matched Steve Bernier’s exploits, while Drummondville’s Xavier Simoneau is flirting with a team record established by Ian Laperrière and Kevin Mailhiot. Over in Rimouski, Alexis Lafrenière is impressing by following in Vincent Lecavalier and Sidney Crosby’s footsteps.
16-year-old ROOKIES | QMJHL
Most points – after their first 10 games
SEASON | Rookie player – 16 yr old | Team | GP | G | A | PTS | PGA |
2005.06 | * Angelo Esposito | Québec | 10 | 10 | 13 | 23 | 2,30 |
2003.04 | * Sidney Crosby | Rimouski | 10 | 12 | 10 | 22 | 2,20 |
1973.74 | * Michel Bossy | Laval | 10 | 11 | 11 | 22 | 2,20 |
2000.01 | * Pierre-Marc Bouchard | Chicoutimi | 10 | 5 | 14 | 19 | 1,90 |
1987.88 | * Denis Chalifoux | Laval | 10 | 8 | 10 | 18 | 1,80 |
1973.74 | * Normand Dupont | Montréal | 10 | 8 | 9 | 17 | 1,70 |
1984.85 | * Jimmy Carson | Verdun | 10 | 7 | 10 | 17 | 1,70 |
1974.75 | * Denis Pomerleau | Hull | 10 | 6 | 8 | 14 | 1,40 |
1996.97 | * Vincent Lecavalier | Rimouski | 10 | 6 | 7 | 13 | 1,30 |
………….. | |||||||
2017.18 | * Jakob Pelletier | Moncton | 9 | 4 | 7 | 11 | 1,22 |
2017.18 | * Xavier Simoneau | Drummondville | 7 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 1,14 |
2017.18 | * Alexis Lafrenière | Rimouski | 7 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 1,14 |
- Angelo Esposito (Québec | 2005-06) – In the QMJHL’s history, no other 16-year-old rookie has done better in his first steps in Quebec major junior hockey than Esposito. The Remparts’ centreman was brilliant in 2005 after racking up 23 points in his first ten games, and rapidly taking over first place of the QMJHL’s top scorer’s race.
- Jakob Pelletier (Moncton | 2017-18) – Having cumulated 11 points in 9 games, Pelletier is already among the top scoring 16-year-old rookies following their first 10 QMJHL games played. On top of that, as of October 12, 2017, his +14 differential is the best in the QMJHL, placing him ahead of Yvan Mongo (Drummondville | +11).
- The record for most points cumulated in a single season by a 16-year-old rookie belongs to none other than Sidney Crosby (Rimouski | 2003-04). He had registered 135 points, in only 59 games played.
16-year-old ROOKIES | MONCTON WILDCATS
Most points – after their first 10 games
SEASON | Rookie player – 16 yr old | Position | GP | G | A | PTS | PGA |
2001.02 | * Steve Bernier | RW | 10 | 5 | 6 | 11 | 1,10 |
2017.18 | * Jakob Pelletier | C | 9 | 4 | 7 | 11 | 1,22 |
1996.97 | * Simon Laliberté | C | 10 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 0,70 |
- Steve Bernier (11 points in 10 games | Moncton) – For the Wildcats, Jakob Pelletier has already matched Bernier’s exploits thanks to his 4 goals and 7 assists, for 11 points…in only 9 games played!
16-year-old ROOKIES | DRUMMONDVILLE VOLTIGEURS
Most points – after their first 10 games
SEASON | Rookie player – 16 yr old | Position | GP | G | A | PTS | PGA |
2002.03 | * Kevin Mailhiot | LW | 10 | 9 | 2 | 11 | 1,10 |
1990.91 | * Ian Laperrière | C | 10 | 5 | 6 | 11 | 1,10 |
1995.96 | * Jasmin Gélinas | D | 10 | 1 | 9 | 10 | 1,00 |
2003.04 | * Guillaume Latendresse | RW | 10 | 4 | 5 | 9 | 0,90 |
1982.83 | * Sylvain Falardeau | C | 10 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 0,80 |
2017.18 | * Xavier Simoneau | C | 7 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 1,14 |
- Kevin Mailhiot and Ian Laperrière (11 points in 10 games | Drummondville) – For the Voltigeurs, Xavier Simoneau is only 3 points away from the team record and still has 3 games left to play before reaching his 10th! Up to this point, his 3 goals and 5 helpers would give him the all-time best point-per-game average, after 10 games played.
16-year-old ROOKIES | RIMOUSKI OCÉANIC
Most points – after their first 10 games
SEASON | Rookie player – 16 yr old | Position | GP | G | A | PTS | PGA |
2003.04 | * Sidney Crosby | C | 10 | 12 | 10 | 22 | 2,20 |
1996.97 | * Vincent Lecavalier | C | 10 | 6 | 7 | 13 | 1,30 |
2006.07 | * Jordan Caron | C | 10 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 0,90 |
2017.18 | * Alexis Lafrenière | LW | 7 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 1,14 |
- Sidney Crosby (22 points in 10 games | Rimouski) – Alexis Lafrenière has already put his name 8 times on the scoresheet after 7 games played for the Océanic. While his chances of catching up to the 22 points registered by number « 87 » are slim, he should be able to top Jordan Caron’s 9 points (2006-07 | 3rd rank), and possibly even the 13 points put up by Vincent Lecavalier (1996-97 | 2nd rank).