Quebec Midget AAA players rule Round 1 at 2017 QMJHL Draft

Saint John, NB – The 2017 QMJHL Draft proved to be a banner day for the province of Quebec with the top seven picks and 15 of the 19 players selected in the opening round coming from the Quebec Midget AAA League.

Leading the way at No. 1 was consensus top prospect Alexis Lafreniere of St. Eustache Vikings who was selected by the Rimouski Oceanic first overall. This marked only the second time the Oceanic have ever picked first with the only other occasion coming in 2003 when they selected Sidney Crosby.

“To be perfectly honest, I expected it a little bit but to hear my name called was a dream come true for me,” said Lafreniere. “Crosby is a big name that’s for sure, but I’m not going to worry about that as I try to follow my own path.”

A product of Quebec Midget AAA League, Lafreniere arrives with impeccable credentials including a monster 2016-17 season that saw the talented forward rack up 30 goals and 83 points in only 36 games. The 2016 Player of Year in the Quebec Midget AAA League, Lafreniere has drawn comparisons to the likes of QMJHL graduates like Jonathan Drouin and Nathan MacKinnon.

At No. 2, the Sherbrooke Phoenix kept their selection in the family to say the least by selecting forward Samuel Poulin out of the College Esther-Blondin of the Quebec Midget AAA League. Samuel’s older brother Nicolas is already a member of the Phoenix and his godfather is none other than team owner Jocelyn Thibault. Poulin’s father is also former NHLer and Canadiens’ forward Patrick Poulin. Standing at 6-feet and 195 pounds, Poulin is a power forward in the making who posted 30 goals and 68 points in 39 games this season.

“I’m going to remember this day for a long time. No that this pressure will die down a bit I can concentrate on my training this summer,” explained Poulin. “I will also be joining Team Canada and take part in a hockey camp in California.”

Next up were the Moncton Wildcats at No. 3 who tumbled to that spot after losing out in the Draft lottery despite finishing at the bottom of the League standings this season. They nabbed forward Jakob Pelletier from the Séminaire Saint-François Blizzard. The speedy 5-foot-8 forward is coming off a campaign that saw him notch 25 and 57 points in 40 games. He also led his club to the Quebec Midget AAA title, piling up 15 goals and 29 points in 17 playoff games.

“I won’t take anything for granted when I arrive in Moncton. I can’t wait to get to start camp so I can prove what kind of winner I am,” said Pelletier.

The offensive bonanza continued at No. 4 as the Halifax Mooseheads grabbed a forward of their own in Xavier Parent of the College Esther-Blondin. Another 5-foot-8 speed demon, he had 24 goals and 55 points in 34 games for the Phenix his season. A native of Blainville, QC, the skilled playmaker should be a perfect fit with a young and talented Mooseheads club on the rise.

Val-d’Or was the next team to step up to the podium with the Foreurs selecting the first defenceman of the day: Maxence Guenette of the Pointe-Levy Corsaires. A 5-foot-11 blueliner who plays a well-rounded game, Guenette is accustomed to matching up with opposing teams’ top line. He also had 16 points in 40 games this season.

The Baie-Comeau Drakkar held the No. 6 pick, selecting power forward Nathan Legare from the St. Eustache Vikings. A talented and physical player who has drawn comparisons to Milan Lucic of the Oilers, Legare put up 20 goals and 51 points in 40 games this season while playing on a line with top pick Lafreniere.

A trade then shuffled the deck at No. 7 as Drummondville dealt their pick to Baie Comeau in exchange for the Drakkar’s No. 9 pick and the their first round pick in 2018.

Always known for his wheeling and dealing, Drakkar GM Steve Ahern made his way back to the stage to select defenceman Christopher Ortiz also from St. Eustache Vikings. A 5-foot-10 rearguard with offensive upside and great vision, he posted 26 points in 38 games this season.

Drummondville then prepared to make their consecutive picks at No. 8 and No. 9. After a string of seven consecutive selections from the Quebec Midget AAA ranks, the Voltigeurs turned to Newfoundland to grab high-touted forward Dawson Mercer out of Bishop’s College.

A native of Bay Roberts, Newfoundland, the 6-foot forward put up eight goals and 22 points in 18 games this past season playing in a league with older players. The proud Maritimer was ranked at No. 12 on the prospects list.

With their pick at No. 9, the Voltigeurs then turned their sights the Quebec Midget AAA League, turning some heads my selecting the 20th ranked prospect according to the QMJHL’s list: forward Xavier Simoneau. Standing at a stout 5-foot-6, the speedy Simoneau put up 10 goals and 18 points in 32 games for the Gatineau Intrepide.

For a second straight year, the first round included 19 picks instead of the usual 18 due to a unique rule. Since Blainville-Boisbriand was unable to come to an agreement with their first-rounder from a year ago and were compensated for that with a pick in this year’s draft, this time only five spots lower than where they selected in 2016. That translated into a No. 19 pick that was dealt by the Armada to the Drummondville Voltigeurs.

Other picks:

10) Christopher Innis, forward, College Charles-Lemoyne (QMAAA) – Rimouski Oceanic

11) Bailey Peach, forward, Cole Harbour (NS), Sherbrooke Phoenix

12) Mathieu Bizier, forward, Levis (QMAAA), Rimouski Oceanic

13) Justin Barron, defenceman, Halifax (NS), Halifax Mooseheads (acquired from Moncton)

14) Noah Laaouan, defenceman, Dartmouth Steele Subaru (NS), Cape Breton Screaming Eagles

15) Brooklyn Kalmikov, forward, Esther-Blondin (QMAAA), Cape Breton Screaming Eagles

16) Jaxon Bellamy, defenceman, St. John (NB), Moncton Wildcats

17) Jeremy Michel, forward, Levis (QMAAA), Val-d’Or Foreurs

18) Pier-Rick Dube, forward, Seminaire St-François (QMAAA), Quebec Remparts

19) Thomas Pelletier, defenceman, Seminaire St-François (QMAAA), Drummondville Voltigeurs