Our 18 | THREE QUESTIONS ON THE SHERBROOKE PHOENIX

 

• Can this group build off a surprising season?

The Phoenix was expected to slide considerably last season following back-to-back QMJHL Semi-Final appearances. Though it wasn’t the dangerous group of seasons gone by, the Phoenix held its own, nonetheless. Timely goals from key personnel, valiant work on special teams and lights out goaltending all conspired to produce a .500 season in Sherbrooke. Though the top two scorers from last season, Israël Mianscum and Andrew Belchamber, have graduated out of the league, a quartet of 20-goal scorers in Mavrick Lachance, Hugo Primeau, Olivier Dubois and Lewis Gendron, are back and ready to carry a greater offensive load. This group should continue to play defense by committee, led by blueliners Louis-Alex Tremblay and Hugo Marcil. And, perhaps most importantly, the man who worked the magic behind the bench, Gilles Bouchard, is back for another campaign as the Phoenix attempts to prove last year was no fluke.

 

• Where will a lack of roster movement leave this squad?

When the Phoenix made four deals involving depth players and mid-range draft picks on August 25^th, it represented the first moves made by the organization in over eight months. The Draft in Moncton last June was all about exactly that; drafting. Backfilling the departure of graduated players are either returning players expected to progress into more prominent roles or previously drafted talent that will be weaved into a lineup that will be largely familiar with one another. That includes 2024 first-rounder Thomas Rousseau, noted at the U-18 level for his smart, two-way play and leadership capabilities, as well as Swiss defender Elia Pedrotti, who proved to be a reliable presence in his own zone while showing some offensive touch at an elite level with Lugano in recent years. They are among a handful of players entering a dressing room that should feature as much stability as anything else.

 

• How will the new-look netminders pan out?

Much of the Phoenix’s success last season ran through the crease, where Samuel St-Hilaire parlayed a rock-solid style into a spot on Team Canada at the 2024 World Juniors. But with St-Hilaire now off to Rimouski, it’ll be up to his understudy and a new face from across the Atlantic to shoulder the load. Jacob Brochu turned in eight wins, a shutout and three postseason triumphs when unexpectedly pressed into action last year as an 18-year-old rookie. He’ll team up with Latvian-born Linards Feldbergs, who turned in strong performances with Riga while also suiting up for his home country at last year’s World Juniors. The two will benefit from the tutelage of Olivier Gervais, who has preached an approach to netminding not previously embraced by Quebec netminders, where reading the play is just as important as positioning and measured movement. If last year is any indication, the new duo between the pipes is in good hands.

 

 

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2023-2024 Stats:

Team Record	32-30-1-5 — 70 Pts
Division Ranking	3rd Central
Overall Ranking	10th
Goals For	215 (11th)
Goals Against	239 (12th)
PP (Overall)	24.2% (9th)
PK (Overall)	78.1% (10th)
Leading Rookie (PTS)	Lachance (27-22-49)
Leading Scorers (PTS)	Mianscum (35-52-87)
	Belchamber (23-34-57)
	Lachance (27-22-49)
	Primeau (22-25-47)
	Dubois (21-26-47)