Gagne Named League's Best Defenseman

Former Saint John Sea Dogs defenseman Kevin Gagne has been named the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League’s Defenseman of the Year for the 2012-13 season.

Gagne was named the Émile “Butch” Bouchard Trophy winner last night in Montreal at the league’s annual Golden Puck Awards ceremony. Former Sea Dogs defenseman Simon Despres won the award in 2011.

Gagne was also named a first team all-star.

It’s been an eventful few days for Gagne. The club Saint John traded him to in December, the Rimouski Oceanic, were upset in the first-round of the President’s Cup playoffs by the Gatineau Olympiques despite finishing fourth overall in the regular season. With his QMJHL career complete, Gagne signed an Amateur Tryout Contract with the American Hockey League’s Norfolk Admirals.

Gagne signed an entry-level contract with the Admirals’ parent team, the Anaheim Ducks, earlier this year.

It was quite an overage campaign for the Edmundston native. He had 11 goals and 23 assists in 31 games with Saint John before being dealt in December. In 31 games with the Oceanic he recorded six goals and 31 assists. He added another goal and an assist in six playoff games.

Gagne finished second in league scoring by defensemen with 71 points, third in goals with 17, and led the circuit in helpers with 54.

Originally drafted by Saint John in the second-round of the 2008 QMJHL Entry Draft, Gagne spent four-and-a-half seasons with the Sea Dogs, helping the club win three straight regular season titles, back-to-back President’s Cups, and a Memorial Cup.

Here are all the award winners:

Jacques-Plante Trophy – Goalie with the best goals-against-average

Étienne Marcoux, Blainville-Boisbriand Armada

RDS Cup – Rookie of the Year

Valentin Zykov, Baie-Comeau Drakkar

Ron-Lapointe Trophy – Coach of the Year

Dominique Ducharme, Halifax Mooseheads

Jean Béliveau Trophy – Top Scorer

Ben Duffy, Prince-Edouard-Island Rocket

Marcel-Robert Trophy –TELUS Scholastic Player of the Year

Charles-David Beaudoin, Drummondville Voltigeurs

Humanitarian and Community Involvement Trophy presented by NATIONAL Public Relations

Konrad Abeltshauser, Halifax Mooseheads

Emile-Bouchard Trophy – Defenseman of the Year

Kevin Gagné, Rimouski Océanic and Saint John Sea Dogs

Frank-J.-Selke – Most sportsmanlike player

Zach O’Brien, Acadie-Bathurst Titan

Michael-Bossy Trophy – Best professional prospect

Jonathan Drouin, Halifax Mooseheads

Maurice-Filion Trophy – General Manager of the Year

Philippe Boucher, Rimouski Oceanic

Paul-Dumont Trophy – Personality of the year

Jonathan Drouin, Halifax Mooseheads

Michel-Brière Trophy – Most Valuable Player

Jonathan Drouin, Halifax Mooseheads

All-Star Teams 

1st All-Star Team

G – Zachary Fucale (Halifax Mooseheads)

D – Kevin Gagné (Rimouski Océanic/Saint John Sea Dogs)

D – Xavier Ouellet (Blainville-Boisbriand Armada)

C – Josh Currie (Prince-Edouard-Island Rocket)

LW – Jonathan Drouin (Halifax Mooseheads)

RW – Dmitrij Jaskin (Moncton Wildcats)

2nd All-Star Team

G – Étienne Marcoux (Blainville-Boisbriand Armada)

D – Mathieu Brisebois (Rouyn-Noranda Huskies)

D – Konrad Abeltshauser (Halifax Mooseheads)

C – Nathan MacKinnon (Halifax Mooseheads)

LW – Peter Trainor (Rimouski Océanic)

RW – Anthony Mantha (Val-d’Or Foreurs)

Rookie All-Star Team

G – Philippe Desrosiers (Rimouski Océanic)

D – Jan Kostalek (Rimouski Océanic)

D – Mackenzie Weegar (Halifax Mooseheads)

C – Frédérik Gauthier (Rimouski Océanic)

LW – Ivan Barbashev (Moncton Wildcats)

RW – Valentin Zykov (Baie-Comeau Drakkar)

Photo: Marc Henwood/Station Nation