Xavier Villeneuve wins the Raymond-Lagacé Trophy
The QMJHL is proud to announce that Xavier Villeneuve, of the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada, is the 2023-2024 Defensive Rookie of the Year. He takes home the Raymond-Lagacé Trophy.
Tenth in league rookie scoring, Villeneuve led all first-year defensemen with 8 goals (tied with Alex Huang), 35 assists and 43 points. This despite playing in only 54 of 68 games. All positions combined, he finished third among rookies with 35 assists and 18 power-play assists (tied with Caleb Desnoyers). The seventh pick in the most recent QMJHL Draft also averaged 0.80 points per game. Only four rookies did better.
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The finalists were:
Alex Huang, defenseman, Chicoutimi Saguenéens
Drafted fifth overall by the Saguenéens last June, Huang had an excellent rookie season with 36 points (8-28) in 61 games. Only Xavier Villeneuve had more assists and points than him among rookie defensemen, and the two finished tied with 8 goals. Huang also led all first-year players with 19 power-play assists (tied with Foreurs’ Philippe Veilleux) and was one of Yanick Jean’s most trusted men on the blue line, even though he was only 16.
Jakub Milota, goaltender, Cape Breton Eagles
Milota led all QMJHL rookie goaltenders with 18 wins (18-11-1-0), 3 shutouts, a 2.82 GAA and a .905 save percentage. In fact, only nine goaltenders now have a save percentage of at least .905 this season, and he’s one of them. Selected 23rd overall in the most recent CHL European Draft, the 17-year-old Czech formed one of the best goaltending duos in the league with veteran Nicolas Ruccia.
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- Émile Guité of the Chicoutimi Saguenéens, named Offensive Rookie of the Year on Tuesday, and Xavier Villeneuve of the Armada, named Defensive Rookie of the Year today, are also in the running for the title of Rookie of the Year. The winner will be announced tomorrow.
