Kia CHL Top-10 Spotlight: Voltigeurs bring no shortage of determination
Winners of four of their past five, the Drummondville Voltigeurs have climbed to second place in the QMJHL’s West Division, now sporting 18 wins and 41 points through 32 games this season.
Headlined by 19-year-old captain Xavier Simoneau, the fourth-year forward pushes the pace in Drummondville as he currently leads the team with 36 points counting 10 goals and 26 assists through 25 appearances. That performance comes on the heels of a dominant breakout campaign that saw him collect a chart-topping 89 points across 61 appearances to finish fifth in league-wide scoring and as a finalist for Most Valuable Player honours.
Twice passed over in the NHL Draft, the undersized scorer remains committed to his pro dream and is doing what he can to draw the attention of talent evaluators.
“He was disappointed, but he didn’t sit in the corner and pout,” Voltigeurs head coach Steve Hartley told Jason La Rose of Hockey Canada earlier this season. “He came back to the rink the next day, he went about his business, and I think it showed that he was the best player on the ice.”
Turning the page to this season, with all QMJHL teams limited to division-only games, those contests have become even more important in the playoff race, and Simoneau’s on-ice success has undoubtedly played a key role in his club’s climb up the standings.
Xavier Simoneau saute sur la patinoire et dispute officiellement son 200e match en carrière dans la @LHJMQ et dans l'uniforme des Voltigeurs.
Félicitations capitaine et bon match! @simyy2001 pic.twitter.com/qP7LDw5BD5— Voltigeurs de Drummondville (@VoltigeursDRU) March 19, 2021
“Right now, we are playing playoff hockey,” Hartley told Jonathan Habashi of the Drummondville Journal Express. “All of the matches in this bubble had a direct impact on the standings. Our goal is to ensure that we rank as high as possible.
“For me, it started with the first bubble in Quebec, where we played without Simoneau and without Campbell. This is where we started to show resilience. We faced adversity, but we chose not to feel sorry for ourselves. No matter who is in the lineup, the guys believe in their own game. Our young group could have been affected to see the heart and soul of our team hurt yesterday. Instead, they put on their work boots. I am extremely proud of them. The credit goes to them.”
With Simoneau currently sidelined, the Voltigeurs have had to turn to their other offensive weapons, a group which includes the likes of fellow forward and New York Islanders draftee William Dufour who sits second in team scoring with 29 points in 23 games followed by 16-year-old freshman centre Justin Cote who has made an immediate impression to the tune of 24 points counting 17 goals to sit tied with Dufour for the team lead, and good for a five-goal margin among all QMJHL rookies.
“It took me a while to adjust to the league, but playing on a line with Simoneau and (Luke) Woodworth helps me a lot,” Cote told Habashi. “They are two excellent game makers that are also very intense.
“Even if we are a young team, we are able to compete with anyone. We proved it in that bubble. Now we want to end the season strong. I think we are hard enough and dedicated enough to have a good (run) in the playoffs.”
While a hampered lineup has seen Cote realize increased ice team in recent weeks, such added responsibility was inevitable this season given his offensive creativity and his bountiful confidence.
If there’s a reason the @Voltigeurs_DRU are now sitting in 2nd position in the Western Division, it's because their players brought their A game in the latest protected environment event. Justin Côté is one of them with his five goals and one assist.
— QMJHL (@QMJHL) March 29, 2021
“We believed in his scoring skills,” Hartley added per Habashi. “He was getting a lot of chances, so we knew it would only take one goal for it to kick in. Since he scored for the first time, he has taken off. He deserves everything that happens to him.
“From Day 1, you can see his aggressiveness and (compete) level. He is involved in the game. He is always around the puck. That is why he is so successful.”
On the back end, the Voltigeurs are equally as adept, led by 19-year-old rearguard Jacob Dion who has continued his torrent offensive pace from last season. Skating in 63 games in 2019-20, Dion closed out the year with an impressive 51 points – good for fifth in scoring among defencemen league-wide, while this season he has continued to flash his offensive flair in tallying three goals and 20 assists through 32 contests.
Meanwhile, the biggest change in Drummondville came between the pipes following the graduation of goaltender Anthony Morrone, who carried much of the starting duties last season. This year, that role belongs to his former understudy Francesco Lapenna, who has impressed in coming up with all but two of the team’s victories while sporting a .913 save percentage that ranks tops among netminders who have made as many appearances this season.
With no shortage of talent throughout their lineup, the Voltigeurs will now look to continue their winning ways when the team returns to the ice Thursday against Rouyn-Noranda.