QMJHL set to open series with Russia
By Patrick King for the Canadian Hockey League
The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League will look to set the tempo and extend their winning streak against the Russian National Junior team when the SUBWAY Super Series begins next Monday night.
The team assembled from the QMJHL is the first to face the Russians when this event opens, which can be seen as an advantage or a disadvantage depending on the viewpoint. Benoît Groulx, Team QMJHL’s Head Coach and an Assistant Coach on Canada’s National Junior team, feels it’s mostly the former and not the latter since both countries historically play the same style no matter which players are playing.
“I don’t think it’s a big deal anymore,” Groulx says. “I think when the Russians are coming over, they know exactly what they will face. Obviously, at the end of their swing here in Canada, they’re probably more tired near the end of their trip, but it’s no big deal. It’s always a challenge. It’s always fun to have those two games here (in QMJHL territory) against a very strong team and it prepares us for the World Juniors.”
The Russians won the first meeting in last year’s event 6-2 over Team QMJHL, which was their fifth-straight victory over the league that has won the last three MasterCard Memorial Cups. The QMJHL all-stars ended the streak two nights later after a dominant performance from the trio of Jonathan Huberdeau, Nathan MacKinnon and Jonathan Drouin, who scored four of their team’s five goals in a 5-2 win.
Now that Team QMJHL is back in the win column, the goal now is to extend the streak and set up the remainder of the series for the other two teams representing the Canadian Hockey League.
“We’re obviously going to try to keep that streak going this year,” says Sherbrooke forward Daniel Audette, who will be playing in this event for the first time in his young career. “(We will try to) win two in a row against them and show that the ‘Q’ is a good league.”
Groulx believes his team can be successful if they play a traditional Canadian style.
“What we want to see from our team is playing with passion and emotion out there — the same style of hockey that we play at the World Juniors,” Groulx says.
Drouin will be the lone returning player from last year’s top line, but will be joined by a new group of star players. Gatineau sniper Émile Poirier (Calgary), Val-d’Or sharpshooter Anthony Mantha (Detroit) and the Rimouski duo of Frédérik Gauthier (Toronto) and Samuel Morin (Philadelphia) each joined Drouin (Tampa Bay) as first round picks in last year’s draft.
Poirier knows the competition will be fierce.
“I expect to see a lot of skill, a lot of speed from the Russians,” he says. “They have a great, skilled team.”
Like Hockey Canada, the Russians have recognized the importance the SUBWAY Super Series brings as an evaluation tool for their World Junior roster. The Russians captured the series in two of the last three years, and Team QMJHL assembled its roster in such a way where they hope to give the CHL teams the early stake in this year’s competition.
“Over the years, especially the last two, three years, they’re bringing over very good skills, physical, and speed,” Groulx indicates. “So I think we have to be ready to face a big, fast and strong team. That’s why we tried to put together a very good group of forwards and big defencemen to be able to compete against a strong Russian team.”
For players like Poirier, there’s added motivation in trying to leave a good impression on Hockey Canada and possibly earn an invitation to the selection camp in December.
“That’s one of my goals,” he says.
“It’s a great window for (players wishing to earn a camp invite) to show what they have, but winning is important and obviously we have in mind that we’re going in there to win the first game,” Groulx concludes.
In 10 years of this event the QMJHL holds a 10-7-3 record against Team Russia. Both QMJHL games November 18 in Gatineau and November 20 in Sherbrooke can be seen live on Sportsnet and TVA Sports.
2013 SUBWAY Super Series schedule (7pm local start times):
Game 1 – Monday, November 18, at Gatineau, QC
(Sportsnet East, Ontario, and Pacific, TVA Sports, Sportsnet 590 The FAN )
Game 2 – Wednesday, November 20, at Sherbrooke, QC
(Sportsnet East, Ontario, West, and Pacific, TVA Sports)
Game 3 – Thursday, November 21, at Oshawa, ON
(Sportsnet ONE, Sportsnet 590 The FAN)
Game 4 – Monday, November 25, at Sudbury, ON
(Sportsnet East, and ONE, Sportsnet 590 The FAN)
Game 5 – Wednesday, November 27, at Red Deer, AB
(Sportsnet East, Ontario, West, and Pacific)
Game 6 – Thursday, November 28, at Lethbridge, AB
(Sportsnet ONE, and Sportsnet 590 and 960 The FAN)
For information about rosters and tickets please visit www.subwaysuperseries.ca.