The 2018 Golden Puck Awards: a night to remember!
BOUCHERVILLE, April 4, 2018 – The Golden Puck Awards, presented annually by the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, were held this evening at L’Étoile Banque Nationale in Brossard. Twelve prestigious trophies were awarded to the most deserving players and personalities of the 2017-2018 season. Furthermore, five junior hockey legends were inducted into the prestigious QMJHL Hockey Hall of Fame.
Hosted by Sébastien Goulet and Louis Jean, the evening was a resounding success.
New Hall of Famers Danny Groulx, Stéphane Quintal, Marc Denis and Vincent Lecavalier as well as Raymond Taylor, the son of inductee Eric Taylor (posthumous), all jumped back down memory lane and shared great stories form their lives and careers. They inspired the players in attendance, who might one day make their way into the prestigious institution.
Here is the official list of winners:
Jacques-Plante Trophy – Goaltender with the best goals-against-average
Samuel Harvey, Rouyn-Noranda Huskies
Harvey finished his season with the best save percentage (0.930) as well as the best goals-against-average (2.10). He also won 30 out of a possible 45 games.
Rookie of the Year
Alexis Lafrenière, Rimouski Océanic
At only 16 years of age, Lafrenière finished second among rookies in goals (42), assists (38) and points (80) as well as finished first in plus/minus differential among rookies with a +35 rating.
Ron-Lapointe Trophy – Coach of the Year
Joël Bouchard, Blainville-Boisbriand Armada
The former QMJHL and NHL player led his team to the top of the league standings, all the while breaking franchise records for wins in a season (44). Moreover, the Armada tied the franchise record for points in a season with 95.
Marcel-Robert Trophy – Scholastic player of the Year
Alexandre Alain, Blainville-Boisbriand Armada
The captain of the Armada is also a leader on the ice and in school, excelling in Natural Sciences at Cégep St-Jérôme.
Émile-Bouchard Trophy – Defenseman of the Year
Olivier Galipeau, Acadie-Bathurst Titan
Galipeau recorded 25 goals and 74 points, first in both categories among defensemen. However, it was not to the detriment of his defensive play as he maintained a plus/minus differential of + 39.
Frank-J.-Selke Trophy – Most sportsmanlike and efficient player
Joël Teasdale, Blainville-Boisbriand Armada
The 19-year-old forward put up impressive numbers for the Armada, registering 32 goals and 33 assists while finishing the season with only 14 penalty minutes in 65 games.
Humanitarian Trophy
Vincent Tremblay-Lapalme, Chicoutimi Saguenéens
The Laval native has consistently shown that he can have an impact on and off the ice. Whether it be through fundraising, blood drives or just spending time with fans; if there’s something going on in the community, you can bet that you’ll find Tremblay-Lapalme there to support it.
Maurice-Filion Trophy – General Manager of the Year
Serge Beausoleil, Rimouski Océanic
The Océanic GM and Head Coach had a very productive season, adding several key pieces to an already solid roster. He traded for Colten Ellis, a young goaltending phenom, as well as drafted future pillars in Alexis Lafrenière, Christopher Inniss, and Mathieu Bizier.
Jean-Beliveau Trophy – Top scorer
Alex Barré-Boulet, Blainville-Boisbriand Armada
It was a record-breaking season for the Montmagny native as he finished the season with 116 points (53 goals and 63 assists), tops in both categories this year.
Michael Bossy Trophy – Top professional prospect
Filip Zadina, Halifax Mooseheads
Zadina finished first among rookies in scoring (44 goals) and points (82). He is ranked second among North American skaters in the midterm rankings for the 2018 NHL Draft.
Paul-Dumont Trophy – Personality of the Year
Dominique Ducharme, Drummondville Voltigeurs
Ducharme was just about everywhere this season, leading team Canada to gold at the World Junior Championship and coaching in the CIBC Canada Russia Series. He also took part in the 2018 QMJHL Winter Classic and helped the Voltigeurs finish 5th in the overall standings.
Michel-Brière Trophy – Most valuable player
Alex Barré-Boulet, Blainville-Boisbriand Armada
The 20-year-old forward surpassed himself in every possible way this season, setting career highs in points and breaking numerous franchise records including: goals, points and consecutive games with at least one point. He was a key factor in the Armada’s securing the league’s top spot in the overall standings.
All-Star Teams
1st All-Star Team
G Samuel Harvey (Rouyn-Noranda Huskies)
D Noah Dobson (Acadie-Bathurst Titan)
D Olivier Galipeau (Acadie-Bathurst Titan)
LW Alexis Lafrenière (Rimouski Océanic)
C Alex Barré-Boulet (Blainville-Boisbriand Armada)
RW Filip Zadina (Halifax Mooseheads)
2nd All-Star Team
G Colten Ellis (Rimouski Océanic)
D Nicolas Beaudin (Drummondville Voltigeurs)
D Charle-Édouard D’Astous (Rimouski Océanic)
LW Maxime Comtois (Victoriaville Tigres)
C Vitalii Abramov (Victoriaville Tigres)
RW Alexandre Alain (Blainville-Boisbriand Armada)
Rookie All-Star Team
G Colten Ellis (Rimouski Océanic)
D Justin Barron (Halifax Mooseheads)
D Radim Salda (Saint John Sea Dogs)
LW Alexis Lafrenière (Rimouski Océanic)
C Jakob Pelletier (Moncton Wildcats)
RW Filip Zadina (Halifax Mooseheads)