QMJHL Players of the Month | February 2024
- Forward of the Month
Maxim Massé – Chicoutimi Saguenéens – 10GP, 9G, 8A, 17Pts
The top QMJHL prospect eligible for selection at the 2024 NHL Entry Draft, Maxim Massé is giving scouts from all clubs something to talk about. The 17-year-old from Rimouski, Quebec attacked the opposition in bunches last month, recording three multi-goal games and five multi-point outings. On top of recording an even rating or better in the +/- department on nine occasions, Massé also delivered three game winning tallies for the up-and-coming Sags, a club that made winning a singular goal in February. With a perfect 10-0-0-0 record during the month, the club leapfrogged into a tie for fourth place in the Eastern Conference with 65 points.
Massé is on a tear in his sophomore campaign in the Q, leading the Saguenéens with 31 goals and 63 points, both of which are new career highs for the shifty winger.
Honorable Mention
Antonin Verreault – Rouyn-Noranda Huskies – 10GP, 4G, 15A, 19Pts
- Defenseman of the Month
Brady Schultz – Halifax Mooseheads – 13GP, 4G, 13A, 17Pts
With last year’s scoring champ Jordan Dumais on the shelf for the entire second half of the season so far, others on the Mooseheads – from all positions – have been tapped to fill the void. Brady Schultz has more than answered that call. The 19-year-old from Munroe, Connecticut posted nearly a third of his total points on the season over the previous 29 days. Included in those highlights was a three-assist performance in Drummondville on the 2nd and a five-game point streak towards the end of the month, including four multi-point games in a row. Kicking this spree off was a career high four-point effort, which included the overtime winner, in Moncton on the 19th.
A third-year veteran of the Mooseheads, Schultz sits second among all QMJHL blueliners with 52 points in 60 games while Halifax drives towards its second straight Maritimes Division crown.
Honorable Mention
Vsevolod Komarov – Drummondville Voltigeurs – 12GP, 2G, 10A, 12Pts
- Goaltender of the Month
Rémi Delafontaine – Chicoutimi Saguenéens – 8-0-0-0, 1.53 GAA, .945 SV%, 1 SO
If you’re having a hard time remembering the last time the Chicoutimi Saguenéens actually lost a game, you have, among others, Rémi Delafontaine to thank. The third-year veteran from Sherbrooke, Quebec has greatly rewarded the club that acquired him at the trade deadline in January. After starting the month with a 23-save shutout versus the Gatineau Olympiques, Delafontaine then allowed two goals or fewer in all but one of his February starts. The best of this run occurred in three consecutive outings. Following that aforementioned shutout, Delafontaine proceeded to turn aside 30 shots against his former Shawinigan Cataractes teammates on the 4th, then turned in a 44-save masterpiece against the Moncton Wildcats on the 9th.
Delafontaine enters the final month of the regular season with a 19-14-1-2 record. He is currently on pace to set new career bests in both GAA (2.64) and save percentage (.906%)
Honorable Mention
Charles-Édward Gravel – Baie-Comeau Drakkar – 7-1-0-1, 1.86 GAA, .923 SV%, 1 SO
- Rookie of the Month
Julius Sumpf – Moncton Wildcats – 13GP, 6G, 12A, 18Pts
As the Moncton Wildcats continue to build towards contender status in the Q, another key part of that future has emerged in the play of Julius Sumpf. The Munich, Germany native, who turned 19 on January 11th, took his game to another level in what was a very busy month for the Cats. Sumpf recorded multiple points on five occasions, including a career best four-point outing against the Saint John Sea Dogs on the 4th. He’s also been receiving time on the league’s top powerplay, sniping a pair of goals with the man advantage in February. With a 21.4% shooting percentage, he’s proving opportunistic when left with any amount of time and space.
Sumpf currently sits tied for second among all rookies with 49 points in 51 games. A member of Team Germany at the 2024 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship, Sumpf was a star with the Red Bull Hockey Academy before making his way to the Q.
Honorable Mention
Xavier Villeneuve – Blainville-Boisbriand Armada – 11GP, 1G, 12A, 13Pts