Bert’s Bananas – My Thoughts on Draft Day

By Bert Richardson

Station Nation Staff

With one of the holiest days of the calendar year now complete, it is time to look back at just what went down on QMJHL draft day.

WELL DONE
First off, I want to state that I love the Q draft more Barbeque flavored Pringles. The time, effort, and money that the league spends to make the draft top notch is really superb. By making it a miniature version of the NHL’s draft, it is much more enjoyable for fans to watch and follow compared to the WHL and OHL selection processes.

But, finally, the draft went much more “smooth” than in years past. For once, at least in the first round, players that were chosen were the ones that wanted to be chosen. There were no Angelo Esposito’s or Jonathan Huberdeau’s – just legitimate picks that didn’t appear to involve previous meetings in some dark ally about NCAA asperations.

“The matter had become such an embarrassment and headache for a public relations-conscious league — players who stated they weren’t available in the draft naturally also didn’t attend the top prospects luncheon or the draft itself — that something had to be done,” says Chris Cochrane of the Chronicle Herald.

New rules were put into place this past December to try and stop the “I haven’t decided on whether or not I will play junior or NCAA next year” shenanigans. Whether the rules worked or not is a question that may never be answered, but they certainly did not hurt the process.

Whatever stopped the trend, it certainly made for a more enjoyable draft day.

MATHESON SLIDES
The top ranked skater available in the draft – Michael Matheson – slid all the way to the second round because of his believed intentions of continuing his journey to the NCAA ranks.

Matheson was picked up by the Shawinigan Cataractes with the 27th pick of the draft. With all the hype surrounding the new drafting guidelines, Commissioner Gilles Courteau no doubt would have been a bit suspicious if a team wasted a first round draft pick on Matheson. Instead, the Cataractes picked him up in the early part of the second round with their third pick of the day.

It is still unclear if Matheson will join the hockey club, but, as someone pointed out on Twitter, you have to wonder if the 16-year old is not intrigue about playing for a Memorial Cup contending team next season.

UPDATE: Steve Turcott says that the Cataractes have reportedly spoken with the Matheson family.

TWITTER SAVED CHRISTMAS
As we stated in our guide to surviving draft day, the QMJHL website would, without question, blow up at some point. Right on cue in the early parts of the first round, the website broke, throwing fans and media into their usual tailspin.

But, thanks to an amazing invention called Twitter, the annual entry draft was saved. With a number of reporters tweeting live from Marcel Dionne Centre (mostly from Halifax), everyone was kept in the loop with up-to-the-minute news.

You have to wonder, though, why the league doesn’t come up with a better way to broadcast this event. The website crashes every single season – but they don’t change or try to update the site. Just look at Harbour Station, their ticketing website collapsed every five minutes a few years back, but after some updates, the entire process has changed for the better.

Brought up by someone on Twitter was the wondering of why the league didn’t just tweet the entire draft like the USHL did. Yes, it would be time consuming for a particular individual, but I’d image they could easily hook up a feed to the drafting page.

I FEEL BAD FOR… WILDCAT FANS
Here are some words I never thought I’d say: “I feel bad for Moncton Wildcat fans.”

The team easily had the worst coverage of any of the maritime squads on Saturday. They had no Twitter updates, no Facebook updates, no website updates, and no live coverage from any media source. All of this while the Q site failed like my final history project last year.

They did, however, put up some solid videos following the draft. But, I mean, when we are asked by ‘Cat fans who their team drafted, you now there is a problem.

DRAFT DAY NOTES

MAINEIACS TRADE UP
A report out of Lewiston says that the MAINEiacs have acquired the first overall selection in this year’s draft.

Lewiston general manger Roger Shannon confirmed the deal on The Big Jab morning radio program.

From the Central Maine Sports Blog:

Justin Pelletier from the Sun Journal broke it on our airwaves this morning. The Lewiston Maineiacs have acquired the #1 overall pick in the #QMJHL draft in a 3 team deal. Details to come.

Baie-Comeau was to select first overall but was rumoured to be trading the pick if they could not guarantee that top prospect Michael Matheson would play junior next season.

TOP OF HIS CLASS
Defenseman Justin Hache could be the first New Brunswicker drafted today, and he isn’t concerned about which team drafts him.

"I just need to play,'' Hache said Friday after the Top Prospects presentation to the Telegraph-Journal. "My first objective is to play at 16 years old. I don't care where I play or for who I play.''

ROY COULD STILL GO
The reported deal that Olivier Roy was headed to the Lewiston Maineiacs from the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles did go down yesterday. But what didn’t go down was the rumoured deal of Roy then heading to Bathurst.

"Hopefully something will come up,'' Titan general manager Sylvain Couturier said to the Telegraph-Journal. "Obviously, it takes two to tango.''

“Not really, I knew long ago,” said Roy to the Cape Breton Post, when asked if Friday’s announcement was a shock. He said he knew for about two or three months he was being moved to the Maineiacs. “It’s part of hockey, so I wasn’t really afraid.”

“I talked to (Lewiston) a few months ago, I didn’t talk to them in the last month. I’m going to wait and see what they do with me or before I contact them. If I get traded, then I’ll contact my new team.”

HEADING TO HALIFAX
Top prospects Luca Ciampini and Dominic Poulin didn’t appear to be draft dodgers when asked about the possibility of playing with the Halifax Mooseheads.

“I’d love to play in Halifax," said Ciampini to the Chronicle Herald. “I visited the city and it’s a beautiful place, a beautiful arena. I went down about a month ago and it was great there. I’d love it if they picked me."

“It’s really exciting but I’m not waiting for anything specif¬ic to happen," said Poulin, a bilingual francophone. “But it would be really good to go to Halifax. It would be fun to go to an English environment and I know the schools are great there. It would be a nice thing for me if they picked me."

The Mooseheads have the second overall pick in the draft.

TOP PROSPECTS
PRESS RELEASE
DRUMMONDVILLE- The 2010 TELUS Top Prospects were presented Friday to the public and members of the media assembled at the Cegep in Drummondville.

In Alphabetical order: Taylor Burke, Luca Ciampini, Dillon Fournier, Jérémie Fraser, Frédérick Gamelin, Justin Haché, Charles Hudon, Julien Leduc, Louick Marcotte, Liam O'Brien, Dominic Poulin, Victor Provencher, Andrew Ryan, François Tremblay and Brent Turnbull.

LEAGUE ADDRESS
PRESS RELEASE
DRUMMONDVILLE – Commissioner Gilles Courteau held his annual Press Conference in Drummondville on Friday.

Among the topics covered, M. Courteau paid tribute to hockey legend Charles Henry and talked about the excellent hockey and academic programs at the QMJHL.


WHAT TO LOOF FOR
Neate Sager of Buzzing the Net asks five burning questions going into today’s draft:

1. Who goes first? Actually, who picks first?
2. Now, who goes first?
3. How early will someone draft Matheson?
4. Chicoutimi is gonna do something, and you know it's gonna be good:
5. Who grabs Matteau?

SCREW OFF, MONCTON
At the league’s annual press conference on Friday afternoon in Drummondville, QMJHL commissioner Gilles Courteau voiced his displeasure about the Moncton Coliseum.

“Moncton is the No. 1 worst building in our league for ice availability and this is something we have to get (corrected),” said the league commissioner to Metro Halifax.

Courteau said that having the league final at an alternative venue other than the Coliseum or Harbour Station “would have been a disaster.”

HEADS OR TAILS
In his press conference, Courteau also stated that the coin toss for the first overall selection in the entry draft is here to stay. Currently, the coin toss features the two worst teams in the regular season having an equal shot at grabbing the top pick.

Courteau said the coin toss is better alternative than the NHL style draft lottery.

“Maybe this is something we should think of doing in the future but right now the system we have in place has been working pretty well for the last couple of years and right now we don’t plan to make any changes,” said Courteau to Metro Halifax. “But we are always open to new ideas to improve the quality (of our league)."

TRADE RUMORS CONTINUE TO FLY

By Bert Richardson
Station Nation Staff

Several new trade rumors have popped up over the past 24 hours with the window set to open this Friday at 9:00 am ADT. The exchange period ends just prior to the QMJHL Draft in Drummondville, Que. on Saturday at 11:00 am.

If you missed it yesterday, our friend Rick Springhetti of McKeen’s Hockey left us several juicy tidbits to examine.

Montreal will trade the two first round picks they got for Jake Allen back to Drummondville for Philippe Lefebvre and Charles Landry.

Nicholas Deslauriers is rumored to be headed to Gatineau.

Francis Meuilleur is probably headed to Montreal to complete the Pier-Antoine Dion trade.

Lefebvre finished fourth in team scoring with the high octane Drummondville Voltigeurs last season, registering 26 goals and 29 assists in 66 games played. Charles Landry, a defenseman, scored six goals and added 24 helpers while playing in all 68 games.

The Volts acquired Jake Allen from the Montreal Junior during the holiday trading period for a first round pick in 2010 and 2011.

The squad, which featured former Sea Dog Chris DiDomenico, was ousted in five games against Moncton in the league semi-final.

Deslauriers has spent his entire career with the Rouyn-Noranda, recording 22 goals and 62 assists over three seasons with the Huskies. The defenseman was drafted by the Florida Panthers in the third round of the 2009 NHL Entry Draft.

Finally, Meuilleur is rumored to be heading to the Montreal Junior to complete a deal that saw Pier-Luc Dion arrive in Cape Breton.

The Chronicle Herald’s Willy Palov reported several trade rumors on Twitter as well.

Players supposedly on the move: Nestrasil/McIsaac (to PEI), Malka (Lewiston), Lambke (Gatineau), Houde-Caron (Lewiston)

The Nestrasil/McIsaac deal was discussed by Station Nation yesterday.

Bathurst defenseman Olivier-Dame Malka scored nine goals and added 21 assists in 64 games with the Titan. Taylor Lambke played in 67 games with the Titan last year, getting 22 goals and 29 assists while adding three goals in five playoff games. Antoine Houde-Caron played 65 regular season games with the Shawinigan Cataractes last season, recording 20 goals and 11 assists.

The Screaming Eagles mystery man in goal also appears to have been solved. A report by Palov and L’Hebdo de St. Maurice in Shawinigan say that Bathurst net minder Francois Lacerte will be moved to Cape Breton in exchange for a 2011 fifth round pick.

Lacerte went 11-13 last year while splitting the season between the Cataractes and Titan. He had a goals against average of 3.92 and save percentage of 0.884. It will be Lacerte’s fifth Q team in the past three years.

One trade that has been tossed around since Christmas is about Wildcats defenseman Simon Jodoin. Jodoin will likely be heading to Chicoutimi to complete the Nicolas Deschamps trade that took place over the holiday's. In return, Moncton will receive their first round draft pick back.

Although not a trade, one of the post dramatic rumors going around the past week has been about Montreal Canadiens 2009 first round pick Louis Leblanc. Reports say that Leblanc may not attend Havard University next season, possibly opting to go to the American Hockey League or QMJHL.

Reports say that Leblanc has been in contact with the Chicoutimi Sagueneens, the team that owns his junior rights.

"As of now, I'm signed to go to Harvard and that's what I'm getting ready for and I'm excited," Leblanc said to the Montreal Gazette. "But if I find something better, then I'll do it. Harvard's the better fit right now. I get to do my schooling at the best university in the world. My coach (Ted Donato, Harvard Class of 1991) played 13 years in the NHL and I think it's the best combination."

Editors Note: Bert Richardson is Station Nation’s QMJHL Draft reporter. He will be reporting on the league’s happenings over the next week.

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.

CHL MOVES INTO THE PRESENT

The Canadian Hockey League made major strides today by announcing new technological initiatives.

The biggest news from the CHL’s press conference today, being held in Brandon, Man. at the MasterCard Memorial Cup, was the announcement that the league will be completely revamping all 60 team’s websites.

"On behalf of the Canadian Hockey League we are very excited to launch the CHL’s new online network next season," said CHL President David Branch. "This initiative will enable us to expand our network to reach new fans, while creating new and exciting content across the entire CHL."

Along with every team in the Western, Ontario, and Quebec league getting new websites, each league’s homepage will also be updated.

According to several tweets, the new pages will be similar to the NHL’s and MLB’s, where every team has the same layout but with different features.

The news is much needed for several sites across the CHL. Many teams’ websites are lacking important information or have a horrid layout.

"We are thrilled to be working with the CHL to build the largest online sports network in Canada," said David Watkins, MRX’s Vice President of Business Development. "We have already started working with the leagues and teams to ensure that the website features they want are provided, with the mutual goal of generating traffic while encouraging fans to explore the entire network on a regular basis."

The news that the CHL was generating new websites was leaked this past week by the PEI Rocket’s newsletter.

“The redesign will provide a more streamlined set of websites with improved navigation, consistent advertising opportunities with national and league sponsor recognition, standard schedule and ticket locations on every site, along with the ability for leagues and teams to easily share news and video features for fans across the entire CHL to enjoy,” read a CHL press release.

With the Rocket leaking the news of the plans and creating a YouTube page in the past few weeks, there very well could be a video channel setup for every team in the league for next season.

In other CHL news, the league finally made it official that they will indeed be featured in EA Sports’ NHL ‘11 next season.

“The CHL is very excited to partner with an industry leader like EA SPORTS to create a brand new way for CHL fans to associate with their favorite CHL teams and players while playing one of the best sports games in the world,” said Branch. “This opportunity also provides EA SPORTS fans around the world the ability to learn more about the next wave of NHL stars as they compete in the best development league in the world.”

“It’s exciting to have the CHL integrated into our game for the first time,” said Jordan Edelstein, VP of Marketing, EA SPORTS. “Their inclusion will make NHL 11 the most definitive and complete hockey experience available.”

The licensing agreement between EA SPORTS and the CHL allows the following to be included in NHL 11:

• Ability to play with all 60 teams that make up the CHL
• Names and Likenesses of players that are on the rosters of a CHL team
• MasterCard Memorial Cup
• CHL new RBK Edge Jersey design in NHL 11
• WHL, OHL and QMJHL logos and league structures

The CHL integration in NHL 11 will tie to several modes in the game, including Be A Pro, Be A GM, Tournament Mode, Season Mode and Playoff Mode.

NHL 11 will be available for the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system with an MSRP of $59.99. It is developed by EA Canada in Burnaby, B.C. The game has not yet been rated by the ESRB or PEGI.

Many league officials and players chimed in over the exciting news.

“Me personally? Never,” said Taylor Hall to the Toronto Sun when asked how many times he’s played as ‘Hall’ on an NHL video game

“But throughout the Memorial Cup, I’ve got a really good record against my teammates in NHL10,” he added.

“It’s going to be an extra opportunity for our fans across the CHL to know more about our players through the new video game with EA Sports,” QMJHL commissioner Gilles Courteau said.

-With files from the Canadian Hockey League

GATINEAU COACH RESIGNS

Being 1-9-0-0 in your last 10 games as head coach of the Gatineau Olympiques just isn’t good enough. The franchise is one of the best in the history of the QMJHL and is in danger of finishing below .500 for the first time in years.

The head coach of the Olympiques, Jérôme Dupont, announced his resignation Saturday. The Ottawa native will remain with the organization as a consultant until further notice. Guy Lalonde will assume the coaching duties until a successor is found.

The move comes just three days after losing 7-5 to the Saint John Sea Dogs on home ice. It was a game where the Sea Dogs lead 6-1 after two periods. Since that game, the Piques finally found the win column thanks to a shootout win over Montreal. Yesterday they lost 7-0 to the surging Drummondville Voltigeurs.

One of the Olympiques’ worst loss of the season came when they lost 8-0 to the Dogs on January 24.

Dupont had a 59-49 record as the Olympiques’ bench boss in just under two seasons with the club.

LEAGUE ANNOUNCES NEW DIVISIONAL FORMAT

PRESS RELEASE

The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League today announced important changes to its divisions and to its playoffs format for the 2010-11 season following resolutions passed by the Board of Governors at the Semi-Annual Assembly of the Board of Governors and General Managers which was held at the Wyndham Hotel in Montreal.

Starting next season, the eighteen teams will be divided into three divisons: The TELUS West Division, the TELUS East Division and the Maritimes Division.

DIVISIONS BREAKDOWN
TELUS West
Drummondville
Gatineau
Montreal
Rouyn-Noranda
Shawinigan
Val-d’Or

TELUS East
Baie-Comeau
Chicoutimi
Lewiston
Quebec
Rimouski
Victoriaville

Maritimes
Acadie-Bathurst
Cape Breton
Halifax
Moncton
P.E.I.
Saint John

MATCH-UP DETAILS
TELUS West
6 games against each opponent within the division: 30 games
4 games against each opponent in the TELUS East division: 24 games
2 games against each opponent in the Maritimes division: 12 games
1 game, in rotation, against two opponents in the Maritimes division: 2 games
Exception: Val-d’Or and Rouyn-Noranda will play each other eight times.

TELUS East
6 games against each opponent within the division: 30 games
4 games against each opponent in the TELUS West division: 24 games
2 games against each opponent in the Maritimes division: 12 games
1 game, in rotation, against two opponents in the Maritimes division: 2 games
Exception: Baie-Comeau and Chicoutimi will play each other eight times.

Maritimes
8 games against each opponent within the division: 40 games
2 games against each opponent in the TELUS East division: 12 games
2 games against each opponent in the TELUS West division: 12 games
1 game against four opponents of the TELUS East and TELUS West divisions, in rotation over a six-year period: 4 games.

PLAYOFFS FORMAT
Starting next year, the sixteen teams eligible for the Playoffs will be ranked according to the following principles:

• The first three positions will be held by the top teams in each division in order of points cumulated in the standings during the regular season.


• The two teams with the least number of points during the regular season will be eliminated from playoff contention.


• Beginning with the fourth place, teams will be positioned according to the number of points cumulated during the regular season.

Once the teams have been seeded, the first round will oppose: the first seed versus the sixteenth seed, the second playing the fifteenth, the third playing the fourteenth, the fourth playing the thirteenth, the fifth playing the twelfth, the sixth playing the eleventh, the seventh playing the tenth, and the eighth playing the ninth.

The quarter-finals will oppose the winners of the first round: the first playing the eighth, the second playing the seventh, the third playing the sixth, and the fourth playing the fifth. The semi-finals will feature the winners of the quarter-finals: the first playing the fourth, and the second playing the third.

The Championship Final will oppose the winners of the semi-finals.

CORMIER IN HOT WATER - AGAIN

The following video may disturb some viewers. Viewer discretion is advised


HOCKEYWEBCAST
Team Canada's world junior captain Patrice Cormier was ejected from a QMJHL game in overtime when he delivered a head shot to Quebec Remparts defenceman Mikael Tam.

Cormier, a forward for the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies, came off the bench for a line change and cut through the faceoff circle at centre ice, laying what appeared to be an elbow on Tam in open ice.

Following the hit, Tam was convulsing on the ice before being taken off on a stretcher. Tam suffered trauma to the skull and brain and lost many teeth. He is now in stable condition in hospital and will remain under observation for at least two days.

Cormier, a native of Cap-Pele, New Brunswick, was traded to the Huskies on January 7th. The 19-year-old was playing in just his third game with the team.

Following the game, Remparts head coach Patrick Roy filed a complaint with the Quebec Provincial Police. They collected several testimonies, and it appears that Cormier will face discipline from the QMJHL.

On Monday, TSN's Hockey Insider Bob McKenzie said "This Cormier elbow is sickening on so many levels. I have never been so discouraged about the game of hockey as now."

WEEKEND TRADE WRAP-UP

Two days into the annual Quebec Major Junior Hockey League trading period and there has been a flurry of movement by several teams. The most noticeable is the Baie-Comeau Drakkar, who held a fire sale over the weekend.

The biggest deal on Saturday saw the Drakkar trade captain Gabriel Bourque to the Moncton Wildcats in exchange for Raphael Bussieres and a first round draft pick in the 2010 QMJHL entry draft. The deal had been rumored for some time now but the timing came as a bit of a surprise with Bourque currently with Team Canada at the World Juniors. Most clubs do not trade world junior participating players until the tournament is over.

Baie-Comeau traded another star in Guillaume Goulet to the Victoriaville Tigres in exchange for 16-year-old Maxim Lamarche and a second rounder in 2010. Finally, the Drakkar dealt Ryan Labrie to Shawinigan for Kevin Fiset.

The Val-d’Or Foreurs were also busy on Saturday. First, they traded Christian Morin to Saint John for Benjamin Lecomte (see below for more information on the transaction). They also traded a 2010 eighth round draft pick (originally Bathurst's)to the Remaprts for Julien Corriveau.

The Halifax Mooseheads traded the rights of Alex McDonald to the Wildcats in exchange for a 2010 twelfth round draft choice.

The PEI Rocket traded disgruntled forward Brandon Street to Victoriaville in an expected move. The Tigres gave Bradley MacDonald to the Rocket in exchange.

Marc-Andre Carre and Michal Hlinka were sent to Lewiston by the Chicoutimi Sagueneens. The Maineiacs sent Julien Houle and Alexis Piette to the Sags in return.

The trade deadline is January 7, 2010 at 1:00 pm AST.

RIOPEL'S RETURN AGAINST SAINT JOHN

PRESS RELEASE
Moncton, NB - The Moncton Wildcats announced today the return of goaltender Nicola Riopel to the team following the Christmas break. Riopel, an outstanding member of the Cats both on and off the ice, brings a number of QMJHL and Wildcats records with him.

He was named the Most Valuable Player in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League last season after leading the Wildcats to a league record of 149 goals against in 68 regular season games. Riopel played 59 games, had an outstanding 2.05 goals against average and a save percentage of.930. He also established the Wildcats goaltending record of 43 wins for a single season.

Fans will have the opportunity to welcome Riopel back to the Coliseum when the Cats host the Saint John Sea Dogs in round four of the Rivalry Cup scheduled for New Year's Eve at 7 pm.

The 20 year-old was drafted in the fifth round of last June's NHL draft by the Philadelphia Flyers and has appeared in 10 games with the Flyers American League farm team the Adirondack Phantoms.

DOGS RANKED SECOND AGAIN

Here is this weeks edition of "Sea Dogs ranked second in Canada." For the fifth straight week, Saint John's major junior team is the second best team in the BMO CHL Mastercard Top 10 Rankings.

The Sea Dogs' epic 22 game winning streak came to an end on Sunday afternoon as they fell 7-3 in Moncton. Lost in the disappointment was the fact that the Dogs won two games prior to that over PEI and Acadie-Bathurst.

The full BMO CHL MasterCard Top Ten Rankings can be found below:

1 – Windsor Spitfires, OHL (27-4-0-4)
2 – Saint John Sea Dogs, QMJHL (30-5-1-0)
3 – Barrie Colts, OHL (27-4-0-1)
4 – Calgary Hitmen, WHL (25-8-1-1)
5 – Saskatoon Blades, WHL (23-6-1-3)
6 – Drummondville Voltigeurs, QMJHL (24-9-0-2)
7 – Mississauga St. Michael’s Majors, OHL (22-6-3-1)
8 – Tri-City Americans, WHL (21-8-0-0)
9 – Victoriaville Tigres, QMJHL (23-10-1-1)
10 – Brandon Wheat Kings, WHL (23-11-0-2)

Despite the number one ranking, not all is well in Spitfire land. The Spits should be celebrating as Ryan Ellis, Taylor Hall, Adam Henrique, and Greg Nemisz were all named to the World Junior team. But the team is recovering this week from a bizarre incident.

Windsor players Dale Mitchell and Mark Cundari were sent home after 40 minutes of hockey in the Spitfires 5-2 loss to Kitchener on Sunday. Sent home means they were actually sent home. Spits coach Bob Boughner ordered the players to remove their uniforms and leave the WFCU Centre.

“I’d just had enough of watching them,” an angry Boughner said to the Windsor Star. “I was disgusted in both of their efforts."

The players reportedly went to a drinking establishment after that. Either way, they missed the team's curfew. They have since apologized.

CHL DAILY: Russians Fall to OHL Stars

OHL TAKES GAME THREE
Canwest News Service
BARRIE, Ont. – The Ontario Hockey League all-stars capitalized on a host of Team Russia penalties in a 5-2 win in the Subway Super Series at the Molson Centre on Thursday night.

Jeff Skinner from the Kitchener Rangers in the first and third periods and Taylor Beck from the Guelph Storm in the second, scored with the man advantage as the OHL team connected on three of their 13 power-play chances.

Greg Nemisz of the Windsor Spitfires scored the game winner at even strength in the middle frame. Ottawa 67 Tyler Toffoli rounded out the scoring in the third.

Spitfire Taylor Hall, a top prospect for the 2010 NHL draft was held pointless. Plymouth Whalers forward Tyler Seguin, who is battling Hall for the top ranking heading into the draft, was not on the OHL's roster for Thursday's game.

Maxim Kitsyn and Maxim Karpov scored second-period goals for Russia, who went 0-for-4 on the power play.

Peter Di Salvo from Barrie Colts made 12 saves on 14 shots in the first half of the game for the OHL team. Michael Hutchinson of London Knights stopped all seven shots he faced. Ramis Sadikov went the distance between the pipes for Russia, blocking 45 pucks.

The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League all-stars won the first two games, defeating the touring Russian squad 3-1 in Drummondville, Que., on Monday and 8- 3 in Shawinigan, Que., on Wednesday.

Game 4 is Monday in Windsor, Ont. The Western Hockey League finishes the series Nov. 25 in Victoria and Nov. 26 in Kelowna, B.C.

SCHEDULE CHANGES ANNOUNCED
PRESS RELEASE
BOUCHERVILLE – The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League today announced the new dates for seven of the eight games which were postponed earlier this month as a result of preventive measures adopted by the Commissioner, Gilles Courteau, following isolated cases of the H1N1 virus.

Game #182 Val-d’Or vs. Moncton – January 5, 2010 at 7 pm
Game #187 Rouyn-Noranda vs. Moncton – February 2, 2010 at 7 pm
Game #203 Shawinigan vs. Halifax – January 19, 2010 at 7 pm
Game #209 Shawinigan vs. P.E.I. – January 20, 2010 at 7 pm
Game #213 Baie-Comeau vs. P.E.I. – January 19, 2010 at 7 pm
Game #215 Shawinigan vs. Acadie-Bathurst – January 21, 2010 at 7:30 pm
Game #432 Shawinigan vs. Drummondville – December 20, 2009 at 4 pm*

Game #176 between the Montreal Juniors and the Moncton Wildcats remains to be determined.

*Of note, the game between Shawinigan and Drummondville (#432), which was scheduled for January 22, 2010, will be played December 20, 2009 at 4 pm. The Commissioner would like to thank the Voltigeurs organization for their cooperation.

CHL DAILY: Pink In The Rink a Huge Success

PRESS RELEASE
BOUCHERVILLE – The Commissioner of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, Gilles Courteau, today unveiled the total amount raised by the eighteen QMJHL clubs during special promotional night activities organized throughout the month of October to help in the fight against breast cancer.

"Over the past several months, the QMJHL and its teams worked extremely hard to develop eighteen prototype pink jerseys in order to help raise awareness as well as funds for the fight against breast cancer," said the Commissioner. "More than 400 pink jerseys were worn during designated home games and then auctioned off or sold with the proceeds distributed to local, regional or national organizations dedicated to the fight against breast cancer. Furthermore, teams created other great fundraising initiatives to generate additional dollars for the cause and the end result is truly extraordinary. Today, we are proud to announce that as a result of our clubs’ efforts that just over $120,000 have been generated. I would like to congratulate all of our clubs and thank them for their valued contribution. Also, I would like to thank our fans for their incredible support and generosity in this endeavour."

Abeltshauser named to German National Junior Team
PRESS RELEASE
Mooseheads defenseman Konrad Abeltshauser got word today this week he has been named to the German National Junior team, which will compete at the 2010 World Junior Hockey Championships Division B in France next month from December 14-20.

"When they called me I was freaked out, I was so excited" stated Abeltshauser, who sits 4th in QMJHL scoring for rookie defensemen with 10 points in 16 games.

"He's been playing very well for us" stated Mooseheads Assistant Coach Jeff MacLeod. "It's all a part of developing our players. It's a great opportunity for Konrad to go play for his country, the entire organization is very happy for him".

CHL DAILY: MORE GAMES CANCELLED

PRESS RELEASE
BOUCHERVILLE – The Commissioner of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, Gilles Courteau, today announced that three additional games have been postponed due to the H1N1 virus.

The following games have been postponed: Shawinigan at Acadie-Bathurst (Friday), Baie-Comeau at P.E.I. (Friday) and Shawinigan at P.E.I. (Saturday). An announcement will be forthcoming as to when the games will be replayed.

"Since a few players from both the Shawinigan Cataractes and P.E.I. Rocket organizations have contracted the virus, we have decided to postpone three games as per outlined in our prevention protocol. These steps have been taken after consulting with our chief physician, Dr. Sylvain Boutet, and both team doctors. Thankfully, none of the players need to be hospitalized. Our goal is to remain proactive in regards to the health and security of our players. We will not take any unnecessary risks. I would like to thank both organizations for their cooperation in this matter," said the Commissioner.

FANELLI RELEASED FROM HOSPITAL

CANADIAN PRESS

Kitchener Rangers defenceman Ben Fanelli is continuing his recovery from a frightening bodycheck at home following his release from Hamilton General Hospital over the weekend.

The 16-year-old suffered skull and facial fractures when his helmet flew off and he fell unconscious to the ice after a heavy hit into the boards from Erie Otters forward Michael Liambas during an Oct. 30 contest.

Fanelli had been in hospital since, starting off in critical condition in intensive care before steadily improving. He was released late Friday night.

“This is obviously an emotional day for the Fanelli family, our organization and community and really for the entire Ontario Hockey League’s players and fans,” Steve Bienkowski, COO of the Rangers, said in a statement on the team’s website. “It is still very early in Ben’s recovery that will include out-patient treatments at the hospital along with additional supporting treatments at home.”

Fanelli’s mother, Susan, added in the statement: “The support from the Kitchener Rangers organization has been wonderful. We are so appreciative it is hard to express.”

The Ontario Hockey League came down hard on Liambas, suspending him for the entire season and effectively ending the 20-year-old’s junior hockey career.

Liambas was assessed a match penalty for boarding after the hit.

HONORARY CAPTAINS ANNOUNCED
TELEGRAPH-JOURNAL
Guy Carbonneau and Guy Lafleur are stepping back behind the bench as honorary Quebec Major Junior Hockey League captains for the 2009 Super Series.

Carbonneau, a retired NHL star and former coach of the Montreal Canadiens, will take part in the opening game of the series in Drummondville, Que., on Nov. 16. Lafleur, a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame, will be in attendance for Game 2 in Shawinigan on Nov. 18. The Super Series pits regional teams of CHL all-stars against a team of Russians and is part of the identification process for Canada's national junior team final selection camp. Three Sea Dogs - Michael Kirkpatrick, Yann Sauve and Simon Despres - will suit up for Team QMJHL.

STATION NATION CHL RANKINGS

Station Nation is starting something new this week. Each week (hopefully) we will rank the best, and the worst, of the Canadian Hockey League. No scouts or mind games will be involved as the rankings will be made purely on statistics.

Station Nation CHL Rankings

The Top 10*
1. Tri-City Americans: 15-3-0-0
2. Kitchener Rangers: 14-2-1-2
3. Drummondville Voltigeurs: 17-3-0-1
4. Windsor Spitfires: 16-3-0-3
5. Saskatoon Blades: 16-3-0-3
6. Saint John Sea Dogs: 19-4-1-0
7. Barrie Colts: 14-4-0-1
8. Mississauga St. Michael’s Majors: 14-4-1-0
9. Calgary Hitmen: 16-5-0-0
10. Saginaw Spirit: 13-4-2-0
*The top 10 is based on winning percentage. If tied the team with the most points leads. If still tied than it is whoever has the most wins leads, followed by fewest loses, followed by most goals for, followed by fewest goals against.

The Bottom Three*
1. Halifax Mooseheads: 3-18-0-1
2. Prince George Cougars: 3-13-1-1
3. Baie-Comeau Drakkar: 5-14-1-1
*Ranked lowest to highest based on winning percentage.

The Hottest Team*
Saint John Sea Dogs: 10-0-0-0
*Based on last 10 games only.

The Coldest Team*
Prince George Cougars: 1-7-1-1
*Based on last 10 games only.

CH DAILY: Wildtown in Lock Down

17 members of the Moncton Wildcats have been placed in quarantine with symptoms of the H1N1 virus. Two of the players have been diagnosed with H1N1.

The team has been involved in controversy of late as the entire team was given the H1N1 vaccine last Friday ahead of priority groups. Acadie-Bathurst, Cape Breton, and PEI have all been reported of getting the shot along with the NHL's Calgary Flames.

"We received confirmation from the Moncton Wildcats organization yesterday that the two infected players and the others who have shown symptoms have been removed and isolated as recommended by public health officials," said QMJHL commissioner Gilles Courteau in a release. "QMJHL head physician Dr. Sylvain Boutet and team Doctor Martin Robichaud have advised us that there have been no further complications regarding the health of the afflicted players and that none necessitate hospitalizing. Nevertheless, the players and certain members of the team’s staff will be quarantined for the next seven days. As such, the Moncton Wildcats’ games this week are cancelled. We will keep monitoring the situation closely and, in the near future, we will look at different scenarios to reschedule the games. In closing, the Wildcats organization was very proactive and their management team deserves a lot of credit."

The Wildcats game on Thursday against Val-d'Or and Friday versus Rouyn-Noranda have been cancelled and will be postponed along with last weeks game versus Montreal. The Huskies were to travel to Saint John for a pair of duels after the Friday game but will now come in fresh.

Although this has not been confirmed in any way, Wildcats beat report Neil Hodge has been missing from his keyboard for the last few days.

The QMJHL has told all teams to take the proper precautions and get the vaccine when it becomes available.

CHL DAILY: PROSPECTS IN WINDSOR; CHL TOP 10

TOP PROSPECTS WILL PLAY IN WINDSOR

As announced last week on Station Nation, the Windsor Spitfires will host the 2010 Home Hardware CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game.

"The Windsor Spitfires are proud to have been selected as the host destination for the 2010 Home Hardware CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game in Windsor at the state-of-art, world class WFCU Centre," said Spitfires President and Head Coach Bob Boughner. "We are excited to provide our fans with the opportunity to enjoy some of the world’s best junior aged hockey talent here in the great City of Windsor and the Spitfire organization looks forward to hosting yet another major CHL event."

It was reported that last season the event would be held in Atlantic Canada. This is the second year in a row the OHL will host the event.

To view the press release click HERE.

CHL TOP 10

PRESS RELEASE

TORONTO – The Canadian Hockey League today announced its most recent CHL BMO MasterCard Top 10 rankings for the 2009-10 season.

Three Quebec Major Junior Hockey League teams managed to crack the upper echelon of the CHL: The Drummondville Voltigeurs, the Gatineau Olympiques and the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies.

The weekly rankings of the Canadian Hockey League's top 10 teams are selected by a panel of National Hockey League scouts.

CHL BMO MasterCard Top 10 Rankings

1. Calgary Hitmen (7-2-0-0)

2. Drummondville Voltigeurs (9-1-0-1)

3. Windsor Spitfires (7-3-0-1)

4. Gatineau Olympiques (9-3-0-0)

5. Kamloops Blazers (7-2-2-0)

6. London Knights (7-2-0-0)

7. Kitchener Rangers (6-0-0-1)

8. Vancouver Giants (7-2-0-2)

9. Barrie Colts (7-3-0-0)

10. Rouyn-Noranda Huskies (8-4-2-0)

THIS WEEK ON 'INSIDE THE Q'

PRESS RELEASE

BOUCHERVILLE – This week, Inside the Q chats with the P.E.I. Rocket’s scoring leader, Jordan Escott, who gives fans his take on the impact of new head coach Éric Lavigne and the recent performances of all-star goaltender Marco Cousineau.

Also, Lewiston MAINEiacs backstop Adrien Lemay tells us what motivated him to pursue his career even though he went undrafted.

Finally, “Q” expert and radio play-by-play voice of the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles Ken MacNeil talks about the recent performances of the club and the start of the QMJHL season.

Fans are invited to send their comments and questions via podcast or e-mail at studio@lhjmq.qc.ca.

LOCAL CALLED UP TO HERD

The Halifax Mooseheads have recalled St. Stephen native 16-year-old defenceman Jamie Bishop for a three-game road trip to Quebec.

The Mooseheads are shorthanded on the blue line after injuries to rookies Konrad Abeltshauser (broken wrist) and Steve Gillard (hip flexor). Bishop was selected 19th overall in June's QMJHL draft but was unable to make the team out of training camp.

The 6-foot, 170-pounder played three games with the Saint John Vitos major midget club. He had no points and 12 penalty minutes.

CHL DAILY: Gelinas Considered; Outdoor Game?

QMJHL Players of the Week
PRESS RELEASE
BOUCHERVILLE – Moncton Wildcats forward Randy Cameron and Chicoutimi Saguenéens goaltender Christopher Gibson today were named the TELUS offensive and defensive players of the week for the period extending from October 5 to 11.

Cameron registered four goals and three helpers while posting a +4 rating in four games, helping the Wildcats win three out of the four contests. In each game, he recorded at least one point. The Wildcats are at the top of the Atlantic Division standings.

Alexandre Quesnel (Olympiques), Kirill Kabanov (Wildcats) and Guillaume Goulet (Drakkar) were also considered.

On defence, Christopher Gibson merits the award. In two starts, Gibson helped the Saguenéens defeat the Wildcats by pushing away 44 shots and the Juniors by stopping 26 shots. He also recorded a shutout. He finished the week with a 1.00 goals-against-average and .972 save percentage.

Marc-Antoine Gélinas (Sea Dogs), Louis Domingue (Wildcats) and Adam Janosik (Olympiques) were also strong candidates.

Olympiques Going Outside?
An article in Le Droit on October 7 stated that Gatineau Olympiques officials have contacted the QMJHL about hosting an outdoor game next season in Gatineau.

"There are still many things to worry about before coming here, but we survey the field. Already, there is an interest towards the Casino du Lac-Leamy (which would hold up to 15,000 spectators). We must ensure we have adequate infrastructure and the QMJHL must also give its approval, "Gatineau team president Alain Sear claimed this week.

The game would be the highlight of the 2010-11 season, a season in which the Pics will be celebrating their 40th anniversary.

To view the entire article in English translation click HERE.

Last year, Neil Hodge of the Times & Transcript had a story about Moncton hosting an outdoor game at the new track and field stadium on New Years Eve. Saint John and Moncton have a scheduling deal that has the two facing each other on December 31 every season.

Bizarre Incident Put To Rest
PRESS RELEASE
BOUCHERVILLE – The Commissioner of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, Gilles Courteau, today rejected the Rimouski Océanic’s complaint regarding the penalty shot which was awarded to the Moncton Wildcats at the end of the third period of last Friday’s game in virtue of article 31 i) of the QMJHL Rule Book.

Article 31 i):If the foul upon which the penalty shot is based occurs during the actual playing time, the penalty shot shall be awarded and taken immediately in the usual manner notwithstanding any delay occasioned by a slow whistle by the Referee to permit the play to be completed, which delay results in the expiry of the regular playing time in any period. The time required for the taking of the penalty shot shall not be included in the regular playing time or overtime.

"The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League recognizes that a mistake was made by the official regarding the interpretation of the rule, which was to award a penalty shot on the play at the end of the game," stated the Commissioner. "Nevertheless, since the call of the infraction occurred before the end of the third period, in virtue of article 31 i) of the Rule Book, the goal remains valid. The final score of 4-3 in favour of the Moncton Wildcats remains official and Rimouski will not be credited with any additional points in the standings. Furthermore, the QMJHL will study the possibility of offering more tools to League officials to avoid that these types of mistakes reoccur."

Pouliot Suspended
PRESS RELEASE
BOUCHERVILLE – The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League Disciplinary Prefect today announced that forward Raphaël Pouliot of the Shawinigan Cataractes has been suspended for three games for an illegal hit to the head which occurred during last Thursday's game between the Cataractes and the Drakkar.

The decision was rendered after reviewing the videotape of the incident and after consulting all concerned parties.

CHL DAILY: Kabanov Cleared To Play

The Moncton Wildcats received good news today as Russian superstar Kirill Kabanov has been cleared to play for the club. This ends a lengthy stand out between the Wildcats and Kabanov's KHL club Salavat Yulayev Ufa.

The International Ice Hockey federation ruled in the Wildcats, and Kabanov's, favour. He is expected to be immediately inserted into Moncton's line-up in time for Saturday's game against Lewiston.

This decision may be appealed to the IIHF Executive Committee within 7 days after receipt of the letter. This decision shall remain in effect and shall not be stayed pending the outcome of an appeal.

To view the official IIHF press release click HERE.

Kabanov has been in Moncton for around one month awaiting an announcement from the IIHF. It was believed the ruling would come this Wednesday, October 14.

The forward is considered by some to be the first overall selection in this years NHL draft. Other publications have him ranked second behind Windsor Spitfire Taylor Hall.

Kabanov was selected by the Wildcats with the seventh overall pick in the 2009 CHL Import draft in July. Saint John not only skipped over him once, but twice with the first and fourth overall picks in the draft. It will be interesting follow Stanislav Galiev and Tomas Jurco this season to see who truly won the draft.

Moncton plays Saint John next weekend on October 17 at 7:00 pm at Harbour Station. This has the potential to be one of the most anticipated games of the year with three of the top 2010 draft prospects playing on the same sheet of ice for the first time.

CHL DAILY: CHL Top 10; New Rocket Bench Boss

CHL BMO MASTERCARD TOP 10 RANKINGS
PRESS RELEASE
Toronto, ONT. - The Saint John Sea Dogs ended thier two week run in the CHL top 10 this week. The Sea Dogs fell out of the rankings after a 1-1-1-0 week. Below are this week's rankings:

1. Calgary Hitmen (5-1-0-0)
2. Windsor Spitfires (5-2-0-1)
3. Gatineau Olympiques (8-2-0-0)
4. Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds (7-0-0-0)
5. Drummondville Voltigeurs (7-1-0-0)
6. Brandon Wheat Kings (4-2-0-0)
7. Kamloops Blazers (5-1-0-2)
8. Barrie Colts (5-2-0-0)
9. Quebec Remparts (6-2-1-1)
10. London Knights (5-1-0-0)

ROCKET HIRE LAVIGNE
PRESS RELEASE
Charlottetown, P.E.I. - The P.E.I. Rocket today announced the hiring of Éric Lavigne as the team's head coach.

"Éric is a well respected coach who has substantial experience in coaching at the Major Junior Level," said President and Governor Serge Savard Jr. "We are very much looking forward to having him join our organization and lead us into the future."

Lavigne had been the General Manager and Head Coach of the Val-d'Or Foreurs from 2005 to 2009. In 2007, Lavigne led the Foreurs to the President Cup final.

Over the past 17 years, Lavigne has built a very successful coaching resume that includes the following:
- 2005-2009 - Head Coach and General Manager - Val-d'Or Foreurs (QMJHL)
- 2002-2005 - Head Coach and Assistant GM - Quebec Remparts (QMJHL)
- 2000-2002 - Head Coach - Quebec Citadelles (AHL)
- 1999-2000 - Assistant Coach - Quebec Citadelles (AHL)
- 1996-1999 - Head Coach and General Manager - University of Trois-Rivieres Patriots (CIS)
- 1992-1995 - Assistant Coach - Beauport Harfangs (QMJHL)