Our 20s: Val-d’Or Foreurs
William Blackburn, Charles-Antoine Pilote and Xavier Sarrasin would have loved to have led the Foreurs de Val-d’Or to a berth in the 2024 playoffs, but the Abitibi troupe came up short and so ended their junior career.
The Foreurs’ third-round pick in 2019 (42nd), Blackburn did not enjoy the career he had anticipated in Val-d’Or, largely due to injuries.
Dominating in front of the Jonquière Élites net in the LM18AAAQ in 2019-2020, with an efficiency of .921 in 23 games, Blackburn seconded the excellent Jonathan Lemieux (1.96 and .920) in Val-d’Or the following season.
Then, at 18 in 2021-2022, he was tipped to take on the role as number one, but injuries limited him to 17 appearances. Then to 30 in 2022-2023 and 25 in 2023-2024.
Despite these numerous absences, Blackburn completes his junior career eighth in Foreurs history in terms of games played by a goalkeeper, with 85.
Will he play with the Jonquière Marquis in the North American Hockey League (NAHL) next season, having just been drafted 45th overall? It remains to be seen.
Pilote will continue his career with the Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières (UQTR) Patriotes, after 206 games (62 points) in the QMJHL.
The big 6’3”, 190 lb. defenseman was drafted in the seventh round by the Moncton Wildcats in 2019. After another season with the Collège Charles-Lemoyne Riverains, he joined the Wildcats in 2020-2021 and stayed until the summer of 2022, when he was traded to Gatineau.
After the Olympiques were eliminated in the semi-finals of the 2023 playoffs against Québec, Pilote was traded to Val-d’Or, where he was named captain in 2023-2024.
Sarrasin also played for three clubs in our league. Never drafted, he first had a four-game audition with the Sherbrooke Phoenix in 2020-2021.
Then, in 2021-2022, he alternated between Saint-Jérôme (29 games), in junior AAA, and Blainville-Boisbriand (41).
Sarrasin made his full-time debut with the Armada in 2022-2023, amassing 52 points (18-34) in 67 games. Then, midway through the 2023-2024 calendar, he was shipped off to Abitibi, where he collected 19 points (5-14) in 32 games.
Sarrasin has decided to try his luck with the pros next year, in France’s second division, with Courchevel-Méribel-Pralognan.
Good luck guys, and thanks for your time in the QMJHL!
