OUR 18 – Tigres set to claw up the standings

It’s always exciting to watch teams find their way out of rebuilding stages and enter windows of contention. With that in mind, the explosive offering in Victoriaville should be climbing the standings in plenty of style this year.

Of the top ten scorers in the QMJHL last year, only three are back in the league this year. Two of them spent much of last season on the same line in Victoriaville. 2026 Colorado Avalanche second rounder Egor Shlov and fellow Russian Alexey Vlasov are back to do more damage on opposing nets around the league. Arriving to lend a hand in that regard is off-season acquisition Thomas Desruisseaux, fresh off a Gilles-Courteau Trophy title with Chicoutimi. Third-year winger Enzo Lottin will be looking to build off a breakout season in 2025-26. Another potential breakout player up front is 2025 QMJHL first rounder Loïk Gariépy. Providing a strong secondary option up front is Xavier Lebel, picked up on draft weekend from Québec. Jakob Royer, son of former Tigres star Rémi Royer, begins his own ‘Q’ journey after being selected fifth overall at the 2026 QMJHL Draft. Zack Miller, picked up from Baie-Comeau, has built some hype after an impressive training camp.

Defensively, last season’s Tigres were very much learning on the fly with a number of first-year talents frequently inserted in the lineup. Everyone is a year older now, including the veteran, two-way leader of this group, Mathéo Lepage. Nathan Nadeau, a pickup from Gatineau last season, prepares to step into a larger role, as do sophomores Dominik Necak and Maxime Dodier. Vincent Boutet, selected second overall at last June’s draft, is ready for his first taste of major junior action. The pair between the pipes is expected to come up big – literally. 6’4” Andrei Nikolayev, a 2026 CHL Import Draft selection fresh from the USHL ranks, combines size with remarkable athleticism. Back for another season is 6’7” Anthony Catanzariti, who, needless to say, covers a lot of net. Just ask all 14 skaters who faced him in shootout action last year; all were denied.

Simply put, as the Tigres embark on their 40^th anniversary season, there are plenty of reasons to celebrate. Exciting players from all positions and of all ages should add up to a memorable time this winter and, perhaps, well into the spring.

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2025-2026 Stats: