Second round playoff predictions

Mike Bernard/Quebec Remparts

If the first round is any indication, we could be in for a very entertaining playoffs in the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League.

Three series went to Game 7. There was a major upset with the Val-d'Or Foreurs eliminating the Drummondville Voltigeurs in five games and there was nearly another with the Gatineau Olympiques coming up one win short of pulling off a reverse sweep of the heavily favoured Rouyn-Noranda Huskies.

Will the entertainment continue into round two?

Here are my picks.

1. Moncton vs 13. Val-d'Or - Wildcats in 4

The Wildcats will need to respect the Foreurs given what they did to the Voltigeurs. Moncton likely learned some lessons from their Game 2 scare against Saint John, winning the final two matches easily. The Foreurs should have some confidence coming into this – but they are not playing the Voltigeurs here. This will be a massive challenge for them. I expect Val-d'Or to push Moncton at times, but not enough to win the series.

2. Chicoutimi vs 9. Quebec - Sagueneens in 4

I don't feel good about this prediction given how long some of the first round series went. But I do feel good about Chicoutimi, who outscored Halifax 24-4 in the opening round. We could see some tight games here, but the Sagueneens have too much firepower and depth for the Remparts to handle. Always fun to get this matchup in the playoffs.

3. Rouyn-Noranda vs 7. Shawinigan - Huskies in 6

Both are coming off Game 7 victories. Both had their problems in the opening round and I'm not overly confident in either – which makes this a fun series to keep an eye on. I'll take the Huskies.

4. Blainville-Boisbriand vs 6. Newfoundland - Armada in 6

The Armada swept the Victoriaville Tigres in the opening round but there were a couple of close games. They had an up-and-down season, but completing a sweep shows they're on the right track so far in these playoffs. The Cape Breton Eagles gave the Regiment some problems in the first round. Newfoundland will need to keep their cool and stay out of the box, which is what we've been saying about them all season.

I picked five of the eight first round series winners correctly. I had Drummondville, Charlottetown and Sherbrooke all advancing.

First round playoff predictions

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

The opening round of the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League playoffs begin Thursday night in St. John's – so let's get to some predictions.

Now, if you've read this site long enough, you'll know that I am a first round hater. I have six of the eight series being sweeps. I hope I am pleasantly surprised and we get more drama than I expect.

Eastern Conference

1. Moncton vs. 8. Saint John - Wildcats in 4

Sorry. The Sea Dogs are going to have to play the best defense they've played all year and get outstanding goaltending to have any chance against a Wildcats team that is rolling right now. 

2. Chicoutimi vs. 7. Halifax - Sagueneens in 4

Halifax pulled off a big first round upset in last year's playoffs but they don't have their star (goaltender Jacob Steinman) from that series anymore. Like Moncton, the Sags have been rolling down the stretch and I don't expect them to have much trouble with the Mooseheads.

3. Newfoundland vs. 6. Cape Breton - Regiment in 4

Cape Breton has just two wins since Valentine's Day and are not entering the playoffs fully healthy. They can't score. I don't think the Regiment will have a lot of trouble here, but the wildcard with Newfoundland remains their discipline, which will be interesting to follow in these playoffs.

4. Charlottetown vs. 5. Québec - Islanders in 5

Only three points separated these two in the standings but it really feels like Charlottetown could take off in these playoffs. All eyes are on Ivan Ryabkin who could legitimately carry the Isles on a deep run.

Notebook: Groulx named Dogs captain

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

SAINT JOHN - Olivier Groulx has been named captain of the Saint John Sea Dogs, the team announced Thursday.

Veteran forward Jacob Beaulieu along with overagers Angelo Fullerton and Natan Éthier have all been named alternate captains.

“We are delighted to name Olivier, Angelo, Natan and Jacob as our captains for the upcoming season,” Sea Dogs head coach and general manager Travis Crickard said in a news release. “Olivier has earned the captaincy because he fully embodies our team’s values of humble, hunger and honour every day.”

Groulx is the 24th captain in franchise history and will play his third season with the Sea Dogs. The 18-year-old wore an 'A' last season.

HALIFAX TO HOST

The QMJHL Entry Draft is coming east.

During the league's season opening press conference on Tuesday, it was confirmed that Halifax will host the 2026 QMJHL Entry Draft, which is scheduled for June 5-6.

“The QMJHL is very pleased and excited to hold its 2026 draft presented by Fenplast in the beautiful city of Halifax, a very important market in our league,"said QMJHL commissioner Mario Cecchini in a statement. "The players, families and teams present at the draft will be able to fully enjoy the beautiful attractions of the city.”

It's the first time the event will be held in Halifax.

Quebec City hosted the draft this past June. Moncton hosted in 2024.

Also, it sounds like the OHL may have an in-person draft in the near future as well.

2025 QMJHL playoffs second round predictions

Embed from Getty Images 

The second round of the QMJHL playoffs have arrived which means it's time for another round of predictions.

It was a tough first round for me. I had Moncton, Rimouski and Chicoutimi correctly advancing in the Eastern Conference. My one error was picking the Cape Breton Eagles over the Baie-Comeau Drakkar in six games. That series made it to six games, at least.

In the Western Conference I correctly picked Rouyn-Noranda and Shawinigan to move on. Like everyone, I had Drummondville beating Halifax easily, which of course did not happen. I also had Blainville-Boisbriand beating Sherbrooke, which ended up being wrong.

In short, I am 5/8 so far, which isn't great. Let's see if I can improve this round.

Eastern Conference

1. Moncton vs 4. Baie-Comeau - Moncton in 5

I'm not really sure what to make of Moncton's first round series with Quebec. I'm not sure if underwhelming is the right word, but it didn't feel like the dominant Wildcats we saw in the final few weeks of the regular season. On the Baie-Comeau side, they looked a bit better than expected even with some injury issues. I like Moncton in this series but I expect Baie-Comeau to push them at times – especially in Quebec.

2. Rimouski vs 3. Chicoutimi - Rimouski in 5

Rimouski really put the pedal to the floor after Game 1 of their first round series with Charlottetown. I expect Chicoutimi to be more of a challenge, but I think they'll be fine. The wild card in this is, of course, the fact that you just never know with Memorial Cup host teams in these early rounds.

2025 QMJHL playoffs first round predictions

Embed from Getty Images 

It's that time.

Here are my predictions for the opening round of the QMJHL playoffs. Keeping with tradition, I've subtracted a game (where possible) from my initial picks because the first round is too often underwhelming entertainment wise. We'll see what happens this year.

Eastern Conference

1. Moncton vs 8. Quebec - Wildcats in 4

The Wildcats carry a 15-game winning streak into the playoffs and I don't see them having many problems with the Remparts. If Quebec can keep any of these games close, I'd consider that a success for them.

2. Rimouski vs 7. Charlottetown - Oceanic in 4

The Oceanic have built a roster worthy of being Memorial Cup hosts. But as we've seen many times, that pressure can do funny things come playoff time. They're playing a Charlottetown team that really turned things around in the second half, but even a team that always plays a playoff style game is going to have a hard time with Rimouski.

3. Chicoutimi vs 6. Acadie-Bathurst - Sagueneens in 6

I think we'd all like to see a magical playoff run by the Titan here (except Chicoutimi, probably) and honestly I could see them finding a way to sneak out a series win here. Hope this is a good series, because the potential is there.

4. Baie-Comeau vs 5. Cape Breton - Eagles in 6

A rematch of a great series from a year ago – but both teams have taken a step back this year. The Drakkar enter the playoffs banged up, and that could be the difference. Expecting this to be a close series again with some great atmospheres. 

QMJHL semifinals predictions

Baie-Comeau Drakkar Facebook

This round of the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League playoffs has the chance to be very entertaining.

The issue is that... I'm pretty sure I said that about the last round, too. To put it simply, it hasn't been the greatest of playoffs in the QMJHL in terms of entertainment, epic series and drama. There have been a few upsets, so it hasn't been the worst. But so far, this has hardly been a post-season that will have books written about it.

Crunching some playoff numbers for the CHL
36 series
19 sweeps
10 4-1 series
5 4-2 series
2 4-3 series
29/36 series have finished 5 games or less
QMJHL: 7 sweeps, 3 4-1
WHL: 6 sweeps, 5 4-1
OHL: 6 sweeps, 2 4-1
Lets hope the Conference finals are more compelling!

— Steve Clark (@SteveClarkMedia) April 24, 2024

Could that change this round? It certainly could. Let's quickly break it down and predict.

1. Baie-Comeau vs 7. Cape Breton – Drakkar in 6

I would love to see a tortured/cursed franchise like the Eagles make it to the league final – and they certainly could. They've arguably been the best team in the QMJHL over the past couple months and they've lived up to all expectations in the playoffs. But you can't deny the tremendous season the Drakkar have had, who were close to the regular season pace of past Memorial Cup champions from the league. This series will tell us a lot about both teams.

2. Drummondville vs 5. Victoriaville – Voltigeurs in 7

It's not too often we get two rivals meeting this late in the playoffs. These two cities are just 45 minutes apart, so this is a fun one before the games even start. The Tigres are coming off a very impressive series win over the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies while the Voltigeurs showed that they are human, needing six games to eliminate the Sherbrooke Phoenix after going up 3-0. These are deep, deep teams but I like the depth and experience of the Volts just a little bit more. Ethan Gauthier and company will have their hands full with Nathan Darveau.

I successfully picked three of the four series in the second round and seven of eight in the first round.

Of note, there hasn't been an all-Quebec final since the bubble in 2022, which the Tigres won. A Maritime team has qualified for the final in five of the past six seasons (that excludes the cancelled 2020 playoffs).

Second round QMJHL playoff predictions

Cape Breton Eagles

The second round of the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League playoffs start tonight with all four series kicking off.

There were a couple upsets in the opening round with the Acadie-Bathurst Titan's sweeping of the Halifax Mooseheads being the only major upset. The Chicoutimi Sagueneens eliminating the Moncton Wildcats was officially an upset, but the two teams finished quite close in the standings.

Only one series in the opening round went longer than five games. Hopefully the second round provides some better entertainment.

I correctly picked seven of eight first round series. Here are my picks for the second round:

Eastern Conference

1. Baie-Comeau vs 7. Bathurst — Drakkar in 4

At this point, it seems like a bad idea to bet against the Acadie-Bathurst Titan after a masterful opening round against Halifax. But the Mooseheads were a team the Titan had figured out in the second half. They don't have the same familiarity with the Drakkar and Baie-Comeau is the No. 1 seed for a reason. I hope the Titan can make a good series out of this, but I have doubts.

4. Cape Breton vs 6. Chicoutimi — Eagles in 7

There's potential for this to be the best series of the playoffs. Two teams that had tremendous ends to the regular season and kept rolling in the first round. Neither team has a ton of playoff experience, which adds to the fun and intrigue. Cape Breton is buzzing again for the Eagles and an electric Centre 200 could be the extra push needed to get them into the third round.

Western Conference

1. Drummondville vs 4. Sherbrooke — Voltigeurs in 4

Sherbrooke needed seven games to defeat the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada in the opening round while Drummondville was fairly dominant in their sweep of the Saint John Sea Dogs. I don't see the Volts having much trouble with the Phoenix.

2. Rouyn-Noranda vs 3. Victoriaville — Huskies in 6

I went back and forth on this one and expect this to be a good series. These are two of the top teams in the league and were separated by nine points. This feels more like a third round matchup, honestly. Hard to pick against Nathan Darveau in the Victoriaville net — but it's also hard to pick against Memorial Cup champion William Rousseau in the Huskies net. This series could be fun.

First round QMJHL playoff predictions

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

It's that time.

The QMJHL playoffs get rolling tonight with all eight matchups beginning. Here are my picks for the opening round.

Eastern Conference 

1. Baie-Comeau vs 8. Charlottetown — Drakkar in 4

It's never a great idea to bet against Jim Hulton when it comes to playoff style hockey. But the Islanders are deep into the early stages of a rebuild and just don't have a lot of depth. The Drakkar are on the opposite end of the rebuild cycle and are poised for a deep playoff run after a tremendous regular season. The Henry Leonard Centre is going to be electric.

2. Halifax vs 7. Bathurst — Mooseheads in 5

What are we going to get from the Mooseheads in the playoffs? This team, even when somewhat healthy, just hasn't clicked at 100% since the trade deadline. They've looked great in some games but haven't found that consistency. They'll be without captain Jake Furlong all playoffs but will welcome back Jordan Dumais in Game 2. They struggled against Bathurst in the regular season and I don't think it'll be smooth sailing in this series — but I do think the Moose will pull it together and win this series with some tight wins.

3. Moncton vs 6. Chicoutimi — Sagueneens in 6

I just don't know what to expect from Moncton. There's a lot of pressure on the Wildcats and their coaching staff to prove that, after some ups and downs in the second half, they can turn it on consistently when it matters most. The Sags, meanwhile, have been one of the hottest teams in the second half. Interesting matchup between Caleb Desnoyers and Emile Guite. Only five points separated the teams, so this should be a good series.

4. Cape Breton vs 5. Rimouski — Eagles in 5

The Eagles have been hot down the stretch and I think they'll stay hot in the opening round. The Oceanic have injury troubles in net, which is less than ideal. 

Notebook: Wildcats win lottery

Vincent Ethier/QMJHL

The Moncton Wildcats were the winners of Wednesday's QMJHL Draft Lottery.

The Wildcats had the second best odds of winning the draft lottery behind the Chicoutimi Sagueneens, who will be picking second. Moncton hasn't selected first overall since 2018 when they drafted defenseman Brandon Gormley.

Here's who will (currently) be picking in the top-five of June's QMJHL Entry Draft.

1st pick – Moncton Wildcats (from Val-d’Or)

2nd pick – Chicoutimi Saguenéens (from Acadie-Bathurst)

3rd pick – Blainville-Boisbriand Armada

4th pick – Val-d’Or Foreurs (from Saint John)

5th pick – Rimouski Océanic (from Charlottetown)

Val-d'Or's pick was originally Saint John's and was dealt to the Foreurs in the Jonathan Lemieux trade.

At this time, it looks like forward Caleb Desnoyers will be picked first overall. Desnoyers' older brother, Elliot Desnoyers, was taken 18th overall by the Wildcats in the 2018 QMJHL Entry Draft and was traded to the Halifax Mooseheads two seasons later.

The 2023 QMJHL Entry Draft takes place Saturday, June 10 in Sherbrooke.

FIRST ROUND PICKS

Here's how the first round of this year's QMJHL Entry Draft is currently scheduled to go. There will no doubt be some trades and movement.

L’ordre de sélection de la première ronde pour le repêchage de la LHJMQ

1st round draft order for the QMJHL Draft #Qdraft @ScoutingService pic.twitter.com/2L9lpKv3hQ

— Jérôme Bérubé (@Jerome_Berube) April 26, 2023

Chicoutimi has two compensation picks for players who did not report to the club. The rights of those players have been relinquished. 

Notebook: McCluskey pushes Bearcats to first round MHL series win

UNB Athletics

HALIFAX - Former Saint John Sea Dogs forward Carter McCluskey played a key role in getting the Truro Bearcats into the second round of the Maritime Hockey League playoffs.

McCluskey, who appeared in 22 games with the Cape Breton Eagles earlier this season, recorded four goals and two assists in just three games, helping lift the Bearcats to a 4-2 series win over the Valley Wildcats.

Those numbers included scoring the overtime winner in Game 5 on Sunday.

Carter McCluskey with a statement in his return with a first star performance(2G 1A) which included this overtime winner in front of 1200 strong at the RECC! We can close out the series Tuesday night in Berwick! #ExpectToWin pic.twitter.com/SCBbhpGNeK

— Truro Junior ‘A’ Bearcats (@trurobearcats) March 27, 2023

McCluskey, Cael MacDonald and the Bearcats will face Ben Roode and the Yarmouth Mariners in the next round.

The other series will feature the Edmundston Blizzard (Brandon Casey) facing either the Summerside Western Capitals or Campbellton Tigers (Connor Richard and Dawson Stairs). The Capitals host the Tigers in a Game 7 on Friday.

FINAL RANKINGS

The Gatineau Olympiques finished the regular season fourth in the QMJHL standings but have been ranked No. 1 in the final edition of the CHL Top 10.

Three other QMJHL teams were ranked as well.

The @OlympiquesGAT finish 🔝 of the @KiaCanada CHL Top 🔟 rankings!

— Canadian Hockey League (@CHLHockey) March 28, 2023 

Notebook: Big crowd expected Saturday

Vincent Ethier/CHL

A big crowd is expected for the Saint John Sea Dogs' home opener on Saturday night.

The TD Station website has ticket availability listed as "limited" for Saturday's home game against the Moncton Wildcats. 

The contest will be Saint John's first game at TD Station since lifting the Memorial Cup in June. The championship banner will be raised to the rafters before the game. Puck drop is scheduled for 7 p.m. but that will likely be delayed due to the ceremony.

The Sea Dogs were scheduled to hold their home opener last Saturday but the game was postponed by Hurricane Fiona. The team always planned on raising the banner before this Saturday's contest.

OVG TAKING OVER?

There's a lot to take in from this Telegraph-Journal article (paywall) on the Sea Dogs and their lease arrangement with TD Station. It's worth a read.

The most newsworthy tidbit is that Oak View Group is in discussions to take over managing TD Station. The Harbour Station Commission is reportedly waiting on a final proposal from the company.

OVG, co-founded by former MLSE CEO Tim Leiweke, has become a major player in the arena industry in recent years. OVG and Spectra merged in 2021, meaning this company currently manages CHL arenas in Spokane, Windsor, Oshawa, Moose Jaw, Hamilton, Everett and London.

OVG recently built the new homes for the New York Islanders and Seattle Kraken. The company is currently overseeing a renovation of Hamilton's arena.

The finances of such a deal - assuming one gets done - will be up for debate, but an OVG takeover would likely be positive from an entertainment standpoint. 

Notebook: Banner's up in Shawinigan

Shawinigan Cataractes Twitter

BATHURST - There's a new jumbo banner hanging in Shawinigan.

The Cataractes unveiled their 2022 President Cup championship banner before their season opener on Thursday. This is Shawinigan's first QMJHL title, and the large banner is hanging beside the equally large 2012 Memorial Cup championship banner.

The Cataractes defeated the Gatineau Olympiques 4-3 in overtime on Thursday.

The Edmonton Oil Kings, meanwhile, raised their 2022 WHL championship banner this weekend.

We love the view. #TheKingdom | #CaughtTheCrown pic.twitter.com/Jh8dY4qsHg

— Edmonton Oil Kings (@EdmOilKings) September 24, 2022

The Saint John Sea Dogs will hold a banner raising ceremony to celebrate their Memorial Cup victory prior to Saturday's home game against the Moncton Wildcats.

Notebook: Theme nights announced

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

The Saint John Sea Dogs have announced a number of theme nights that will take place this season.

The Sea Dogs will hold their Memorial Cup banner raising ceremony on Oct. 1, the team's second home game of the year. There will be a "Lady Mo" themed game on Nov. 27.

Single game tickets are available now!

And it's OFFICIAL! Our Banner Raising will be on October 1st! 🏆

We've got some exciting theme nights planned, including top secret ones that will be announced soon!

🎟️:https://t.co/E7n2xOffZg pic.twitter.com/ZrSiPalKCb

— Saint John Sea Dogs (@SJSeaDogs) September 15, 2022

Other theme nights will be announced later.

REAL GAMES = SOON

The regular season begins in one week for the Sea Dogs.

Saint John opens regular season play next Saturday at TD Station, hosting the Acadie-Bathurst Titan at 7 p.m. Following that game, the Sea Dogs will travel to Bathurst to play in the Titan's home opener on Sunday afternoon.

The Sea Dogs and Titan have one pre-season game remaining. The two will faceoff in Lameque, NB this Sunday at 4 p.m. on the final day of exhibition play.

ADS ARE COMING

In news that was inevitable, it looks like advertising is coming soon to helmets and jerseys in the QMJHL.

Le Soleil has confirmed that QMJHL teams will be allowed to have ads placed on player helmets this season and jersey ads could come as soon as next season.

NHL clubs began placing small ads on helmets in recent years and will begin wearing jersey ads this season. It's a bit surprising it's taken junior leagues this long to allow ads given that AHL clubs have been doing it for some time.

Notebook: Dogs slide to 9th in Top 10

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

An 0-2 start to the season has pushed the Saint John Sea Dogs down the CHL Top 10 rankings.

Saint John opened the season ranked third in the weekly rankings. After back-to-back losses to the Charlottetown Islanders over the weekend, the team has moved down to ninth.

It's Wednesday. You know what that means.
The @KiaCanada Top-10 Rankings.

📝: https://t.co/CylCI1LPC3 pic.twitter.com/fHN97QzYDf

— Canadian Hockey League (@CHLHockey) October 6, 2021

The WHL's Edmonton Oil Kings were ranked first. Other QMJHL teams ranked were the Quebec Remparts (second), Acadie-Bathurst Titan (third) and Islanders (seventh). The Shawinigan Cataractes were an honourable mention.

The Sea Dogs face the Titan twice this weekend and the Islanders on Monday.

BOOTS IS BACK

In case you missed it last week, the Sea Dogs have rehired Paul Boutilier to work as a Defense Consultant.

Boutilier, well known around hockey for his defensive coaching, helped the Sea Dogs win the President Cup in 2017 as an assistant coach.

“To add the Saint John Sea Dogs to my client list feels great” said Boutilier in a team release. “Looking forward to working with Gord Dwyer, his coaching staff, and the contingent of defensemen Trevor Georgie has assembled. I strongly believe individuals can be taught and mentored to play ‘defence to win’ and develop into a group hard to generate offensive on. It is a responsibility that I welcome.”

For many teams this wouldn't be a major news story - but for a Sea Dogs squad that has struggled mightily defensively over the past few seasons and is hosting the Memorial Cup, this could be a very significant hire

BEZEAU FIGHT

Riley Bezeau had Saint John's first fight of the season on Saturday.

Notebook: Dogs begin season ranked third

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

SAINT JOHN - The Saint John Sea Dogs will open the 2021-22 regular season as the No. 3 ranked team in the Canadian Hockey League.

The Sea Dogs trail only the top-ranked Edmonton Oil Kings and the No. 2 Quebec Remparts in the pre-season rankings. The Acadie-Bathurst Titan (No. 7) and Shawinigan Cataractes (No. 9) were the only other ranked QMJHL teams.

Did your team make the list?

Introducing the @KiaCanada Top-10 Rankings: 2021-22 Preseason Edition

📝: https://t.co/50wg4GDOVr pic.twitter.com/tbk3NwuCJC

— Canadian Hockey League (@CHLHockey) September 30, 2021

The Charlottetown Islanders, who the Sea Dogs will play twice this weekend,  were an honourable mention.

The Sea Dogs began last season ranked eighth in the CHL (yes, there were actually pre-season rankings last year).

TOUGH OPENING

The Sea Dogs will not have an easy start to the season.

Most QMJHL followers have the Sea Dogs, Titan and Islanders finishing at the top of the Maritimes Division in some order. Then there is the Halifax Mooseheads followed by the rebuilding Cape Breton Eagles and Moncton Wildcats.

Saint John will start the season with five straight games against either the Islanders or Titan.

The Sea Dogs kick things off with a home-and-home with the Islanders and follow that up with a home-and-home against the Titan. They then visit Charlottetown on Thanksgiving Monday.

Saint John will play both Charlottetown and Bathurst four times each in October.

SEASON PREVIEW

CBC, now one of the CHL's official broadcasters, previews the upcoming season.

CBC's first CHL broadcast is on Saturday afternoon when the Regina Pats host the Prince Albert Raiders.

Notebook: Lawrence winning many draws

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

Josh Lawrence leads the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League in faceoff wins this pre-season - and that's a good thing for many reasons.

Lawrence has won 58 of his 94 draws for a 61.7% winning percentage. Meanwhile, 17-year-old QMJHL rookies Cam MacDonald (43 wins, 54.4%) and Peter Reynolds (35, 47.9%) are sixth and 10th in the league, respectively. 

Yes, it's still the pre-season, and we can only take away so much from these numbers given the opposition. But... this is still some much needed good news because the Dogs are going to need some players to step up on draws.

Saint John has lost three of their best faceoff men from the 2019-20 season: Nicholas Deakin-Poot, Nicholas Guay (who took more faceoffs in the first half alone than Lawrence did all season) and Jeffrey Durocher.

Lawrence is Saint John's best returning draw taker (360, 54.7%) along with Joshua Roy (199, 45.6%) and Alex Drover (138, 57%). Roy and Drover have been used more down the wings this pre-season with Lawrence, MacDonald and Reynolds acting as the top three centres.

WEBCAST NON-UPDATE

No further details on this year's QMJHL webcasts have been released yet. The regular season begins in less than two weeks.

Steve Turcotte of Le Nouvelliste confirmed rumours/speculation that Quebecor - which owns TVA Sports, the CHL's french-language media rights holder - blocked Verizon from taking over the league's webcasts from Neulion. Turcotte's column makes it sound like Verizon could still be used by the OHL and WHL, which seemingly ends the short lived dream of having all three CHL leagues under one roof/subscription.

Not a good look, Quebecor!

PREDICTIONS

Some 2020-21 QMJHL season predictions are starting to come in.

Matthew Vachon of La Nouvelle Union shared his Maritimes Division predictions this week. He has the Sea Dogs winning the Maritimes followed by Charlottetown, Cape Breton, Halifax, Bathurst and Moncton.

Internet predicts Sea Dogs to be good

With another QMJHL season set to start, here's what the Internet is saying about the Sea Dogs. Spoiler: it's all good.

• The Hockey News has the Sea Dogs finishing second overall in the QMJHL, behind the Shawinigan Cataractes.
• The Sea Dogs are predicted to finish first overall in the Maritimes Division by Sportsnet.
• The CHL website has a QMJHL season preview. 
• The sky is the limit for this year's version of the Sea Dogs, says The Hockey Writers.
• Familiar teams are expected to be at the top of the QMJHL standings, predicts the Cape Breton Post.
• RDS has the Sea Dogs winning the Maritimes Division (and the Titan finishing all the way in fourth).
• Here's the Times & Transcript's predictions in non-paywall form. Neil Hodge has the Dogs winning the Maritimes.
• The QMJHL website has a big preview on the Sea Dogs.
• Habs Eye on the Prize says the Sea Dogs are "likely the favourites to win the President's Cup this season."

Photo: Marc Henwood/Station Nation

Predictions for the 2016-17 QMJHL season

A new QMJHL season has arrived.

Many league followers expect a three horse race between last year's semifinalists from Rouyn-Noranda, Shawinigan and Saint John. All three teams are poised to take a serious run at the 2017 President Cup. However, one of three dark horses from Bathurst, Chicoutimi or Gatineau may very well push the “Big Three” to the finish line.

By Lorne Webster

Maritimes Division

Three of the teams with the most significant roster turnovers are from the Maritimes - Cape Breton (11), Charlottetown (nine) and Moncton (eight). All of those teams will continue to be tough - but many eyes will be on the young guns in Halifax in the battle for the Maritimes.

1.  Saint John - Sea Dogs fans are excited to see the continued growth of Joe Veleno. However, with a league leading 11 players invited to NHL camps (including Chabot, Zboril, Joseph and Noel), the first few weeks could be rough for the Sea Dogs. But once the full roster is in place - and coach Danny Flynn makes any necessary changes over Christmas - the Sea Dogs should reach the 100-point plateau.

2. Bathurst - backstopped by Reilly Pickard and led by an exciting forward group (e.g. Morand, Kuznetsov, Miromanov, Viel, etc.), the team’s fate rests largely on the development of its defence.

3. Halifax - There is plenty to be excited about after Cam Russell added the likes of Hischier, Groulx and McIsaac to a core led by Fortier, Somppi and Chainey. Expect a roller coaster ride for this team of young guns.

4. Charlottetown - Coach/GM Jim Hulton has improved his defence with the addition of Brisebois and Donaghey but goal scoring behind Chlapik and Coughler will tell the tale. Islanders fans are hoping for a quick return to action for Daniel Sprong - but reports out of Pittsburgh suggest he'll end up with Crosby and Co. in January/February.

5. Moncton - Owner Robert Irving expects to win every year and the Wildcats will continue to battle. Manuel Weiderer and the Klima twins have huge shoes to fill as scoring whiz Conor Garland moves on. And team defence is a question mark.

6. Cape Breton - If Pierre-Luc Dubois stays in the NHL as many expect, it could be a long season for the Screaming Eagles. Fiore, Carozza and LeBlanc provide excellent leadership but depth is lacking after a huge roster turnover.

Monday News & Notes

LONDON, Ont. – Thomas Chabot had quite a performance on Sunday.

Playing in Ottawa’s third and final game of the annual NHL rookie tournament in London, Chabot recorded four assists in the Senators’ 6-3 victory over the Montreal Canadiens.

Thomas Chabot warming up. pic.twitter.com/mzrwq80Fub

— Jamie Tozer (@station_nation) September 18, 2016

Chabot will no doubt get a long look from the Sens at the team’s main training camp.

President Cup Final Predictions

The QMJHL’s President Cup final begins on Wednesday between the Shawinigan Cataractes and Rouyn-Noranda Huskies. Here are our predictions for the series.

Lorne: The 2016 QMJHL playoff season has pretty much gone according to Hoyle - except for the huge upset by Blainville-Boisbriand over Val-d'Or in round one.  And now the top two seeds - and two of the three division winners - face-off for league supremacy. 

Shawinigan took some time to jell - notably after major changes during the midseason trading period as well as bringing in a new head coach. But the Cataractes looked very good against Saint John in the semifinals. Led by New York Islanders prospect Anthony Beauvillier, Shawinigan boasts three very strong forward lines and a solid defence. Likely most importantly, they are backstopped by one of the most successful goaltenders in QMJHL history - Philippe Cadorette. 

On the other hand, Rouyn-Noranda has been one of the best teams in the entire CHL all season. And the strong got stronger after Christmas with the addition of power forwards Timo Meier and AJ Greer, along with star defenceman Nikolas Brouillard. Due largely to injuries and suspensions to key players, the Huskies struggled somewhat in the semifinals against Moncton. But led by league MVP Francis Perron, the Huskies dug deep and made it through to the finals. 

Shawinigan will provide stiff opposition but I'm sticking with my choice from the beginning.  It'll be dogs over cats - Huskies in 6.