A TRIP AROUND THE 'Q'

By Bert Richardson
Station Nation Staff

With the QMJHL Entry Draft just a week away, let’s take a trip around the league to see what’s happening before the big weekend.

TRADING FRONT QUITE
Halifax Mooseheads general manager Cam Russell says that teams are struggling to find assets for any big trades.

"Right now, teams are trying to get something for nothing," said Russell to Metro Halifax, noting that many teams are trying to purge excess over-agers for whatever they can get.

“There are lots of rumors surrounding various trades throughout the QMJHL,” says the PEI Rocket newsletter.

The trade period opens this Friday at the draft in Drummondville.

WHAT ABOUT CORBEIL?
The Colorado Avalanche have told Halifax Mooseheads net minder Peter Delmas that he will not be signed by the club before the June 1 deadline for 2008 drafted players. The news means that Delmas will likely be back as an over-ager next season, creating a logjam in the Moose crease.

With Delmas back, Mathieu Corbeil could be on his way out of town. Corbeil played most of the year for the Moose last year and is expected to be picked in the NHL draft next month. With his age, you have to wonder if Saint John will not try and land the prized goalie.

A deal would make sense for the Sea Dogs, possibly allowing Corbeil to take over this year and then stay around as a 20-year old for the 2012 Memorial Cup run.

A deal with Saint John has been tossed around the rumor mill a bit, a transaction that could include Halifax native and Vancouver Canucks draft pick Steven Anthony.

SCHURMAN OFF TO LEWISTON?
The Maine Hockey Journal reports that there will likely be a press conference in the next few weeks regarding the future of the Lewiston MAINEiacs' front office.

“It’s been long rumored that current Moncton Wildcat General Manager Bill Schurman will be brought in some capacity, which may include team president,” says the Journal. “Schurman’s son Tim is the assistant general manager of the Maineiacs.”

Schruman, coming off a Presidents Cup win, really has nothing left to prove in Moncton. The Wildcats and Maineiacs meet twice in the pre-season.

The Lewiston Sun Journal has a run down of all the expected trades involving the Maineiacs.

KABANOV CAN’T DECIDE
With all the media attention that Kirill Kabanov received at the NHL Draft Combine yesterday, the once highly touted Russian finally cleared up several questions about his future in North America. But he still isn’t sure about his future with the Moncton Wildcats, the team that holds his CHL rights.

From Buzzing the Net:

Kabanov said he'll play anywhere next season -- "The NHL team (that drafts him) will tell me ... where they send me to play, I will do it" -- but isn't sure if that includes Moncton, which holds his Canadian Hockey League rights.

"We haven't spoke about that, not yet," he said.

In 22 games with Moncton this season, Kabanov had 10 goals and 13 assists.

FIRST OVERALL
The majority of scouts believe that Montreal area defenseman Michael Matheson is the best player available at this year's draft. But, like any good Quebec prospect in the past few seasons, he is playing the NCAA card.

His agent says, however, they will have a firm decision made prior to draft day.

“It’s difficult to decide, there are a lot of good options and a lot of different opinions to look at so I will get as much information as possible and make the best decision,” said Matheson to TheSuburban.com.

Matheson was selected by QMJHL central scouting as the best player available for this year’s player picking process. The Baie-Comeau Drakkar have the first overall pick.

JUNIOR ON THE MOVE?
The Montreal Junior could be on the move – to a new arena.

The city of Laval currently has plans to build a new $93 million entertainment complex which would include a 7,500 seat arena.

“So far, both the Hamilton Bulldogs, the Montreal Canadiens' American Hockey League affiliate, and the Montreal Juniors, the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League franchise currently playing out of the Verdun Auditorium, have expressed interest to Laval in becoming anchor tenant,” reports the Montreal Gazette.

THIS IS YOUR WAKEUP CALL
Speaking of the Junior, the team may be replacing their Gatorade bottles with coffee cups four times this season.

Montreal has scheduled four games to be played at 10:35 am local time in an effort to allow schools to pay a visit to Verdun Auditorium.

The Junior will play Cape Breton on November 11, Rouyn-Noranda on December 12, Lewiston on February 8, and Bathurst on February 23.

TWO YEARS AGO
It was two years ago today that Shippagan native and Vancouver Canucks draft pick Luc Bourdon was killed in a tragic motorcycle accident.

"Luc was a winner, he was a competitor," said Kent Hughes, his agent to TSN on the fateful day. "There was no quit in him. He persevered through a lot. He was a great guy and a great teammate."

He was only 21.

Editors Note: Bert Richardson has been following the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League and the Saint John Sea Dogs for the past five seasons. He has been writing for Station Nation over the past year. He can be contacted at stationnation@yahoo.ca and follow him on twitter @SNBert.