Under the Microscope | November’s QMJHL Prospects
During each month of the regular season, QMJHL scouts provide us with reports on some of the top prospects for the upcoming QMJHL Entry Draft presented by Fenplast.
Here is their analysis of the prospects for the month of November.
Madison Bouchard – Forward – Jonquière Élites
Madison Bouchard is a young, right-handed center who is known for being very responsible defensively. His team can also rely on him for important face-offs.
Offensively, he has good hands and a good reading of the game. His wingers must love playing alongside him, as he always finds the free space to distribute the puck to them with ease. Bouchard is also capable of winning his one-on-one battles.
- Daniel Noonan, CSR Scout
Antoine Chidiac – Goaltender – Laval-Montréal Rousseau Royal
Antoine Chidiac is an athletic goaltender who moves with good speed and agility around his crease. He plays with very high energy and comes ready to compete every game. The strong explosion in his legs gives him the ability to make big saves.
Chidiac plays a lot on instincts, however. That leads to him being over-aggressive in his positioning, at times leaving him out of his crease in rebound situations. Steadily on the rise, it will be interesting to follow his progress in the coming months.
- Maxime Ouellet, CSR Goaltending Specialist
Léo-Gabriel Gosselin – Forward – Séminaire St-François Blizzard
Léo-Gabriel Gosselin is a physically imposing forward with excellent offensive qualities. For a power forward like him, he has excellent hands and a good vision of the game.
Despite a good start to his season, Léo-Gabriel needs to improve his consistency and physical involvement from game to game. However, he has shown more than encouraging signs of late.
- Frédéric Lévesque, CSR Scout
Louis-Félix Guay – Defenseman – St-Hyacinthe Gaulois
Louis-Félix is a reliable left-handed defenseman with offensive talent. Skilled with the puck, he also has good vision of the game. As a result, he’s able to feed his teammates well and support the offense whenever he gets the chance.
Thanks to his mobility and good understanding of the game, he is able to win his battles defensively. He can get the puck out of his own zone quickly, even when under pressure.
- Jean-Pierre Belzil, CSR Scout
Austin Hoyt – Forward – Pictou County Weeks Majors
Austin is a very talented and smart hockey player, who plays a 200-foot game. At six feet tall, he has good reach, allowing him to protect the puck well by using his size to his advantage. He makes good decisions with the puck in the defensive zone and can be trusted in all situations.
He is an extremely cerebral player and makes very few poor decisions. He uses his skill, size and vision on the ice to generate offensive opportunities. He has the tools to be an all-around player at the next level.
- Taylor P. Burke, Nova Scotia CSR Scout
Jérémy Jasmin – Defenseman – St-Eustache Vikings
Jérémy has been an insurance policy for his team since the start of the season, as evidenced by his +7 differential, the highest on his team so far. This defenseman is always physically involved along the boards and doesn’t shy away when tempers flare. He’s always the first one there to defend his teammates.
Defensively, his stability on skates makes him difficult to skate past when the opposing team has him outnumbered. Offensively, if he can continue to improve his mobility, power and speed, he could become an all-around impact player. His sure hands seem to be an asset, as he knows how to make solid passes.
- Jérémie Bergeron, CSR Scout
Christopher Kelly – Forward – Lac St-Louis Lions
After a respectable season of nearly a point per game at the U15 Elite level, Christopher moved up to the U18 Lions. Although he didn’t start the season at the level he had hoped, his strengths, combined with an impeccable work ethic, have enabled him to make a positive transition over the past month.
His coach sees definite progress and encourages him to continue in this vein. He recommends using his strengths: his skating stride, his physical strength and his powerful, quick-released shot. Christopher possesses many qualities that are in demand in the QMJHL.
- Benoît Payment, CSR Scout
Max MacKenzie – Defenseman – Charlottetown Knights
Max is a six-foot tall mobile defender that plays with high energy. He has the potential to be an all-round defender because he likes to support the play offensively and will not hesitate to be the fourth man on the rush. Max also engages physically and has good anticipation of his opponent’s options.
He maintains good gap control in the neutral zone and trusts his skating ability to not give up the blue line. He uses his stick well, taking advantage of his reach. While Max needs to develop consistency and gain physical strength, he has the ability and skillset to develop into a solid QMJHL defenseman.
- Corrado Micalef, Prince Edward Island CSR Scout
Dominic Schnarr – Forward – Bishop’s College Varsity Team
Dominic is a powerful forward that possesses all the tools be a scoring threat on every shift. He’s very good with the puck on his stick, has good top speed and can skate around defenders with ease. His size and strength allow him to protect the puck well and to extend plays in the offensive zone. Some of his best assets are his vision and his hockey IQ.
Dominic seems to always find his teammates in scoring positions and can easily deliver creative passes. He moves well in the offensive zone to find open ice and has an elite shot to finish off his chances. He has all the tools to become a powerplay specialist, but his hockey IQ also allows him to be a strong defensive player. He’s very aware on the ice and has good defensive positioning. This allows him to limit scoring chances against his team. Overall, he’s a well-rounded player that can be used in all aspects of the game.
- David Landry, New Brunswick CSR Scout
Aaron Whitten – Forward – Pinnacle Growlers
Aaron is a big and strong right-handed winger that skates well for his size and plays a physical game. He always looks to finish his hits and takes on defenders with speed, all while using his size effectively.
Aaron also has good offensive instincts and a precise shot when he has the space to release it. He plays with a high compete level, will go to the dirty areas and plays strong along the walls. Aaron has a nice mix of size, skill, strength and skating ability that could allow him to be an effective power forward at the next level.
- Marcus Power, Newfoundland and Labrador CSR Scout
