The 2025-26 QMJHL regular season came to an end on Saturday, and Anaheim Ducks [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/anaheim-ducks] forward prospect Maxim Masse finished as the league’s leading scorer with 102 points (51-51=102) in 62 games to win the Jean-Beliveau Trophy. In his fourth full year in the QMJHL, Masse (66th overall in 2024) led his team in scoring by a 26-point margin and led the league by a six point margin. "Just maturity," Massé said of his continued production this season. "I’ve been in the league for four years now and (with) the same group of guys, so they know me well, I know them well. Maturity, I think, is the factor that (allows me) to play more (consistently). Game after game, I think it is the biggest difference.” Masse will finish his CHL career with 298 points (149-149=298) in 242 regular season games. His Chicoutimi Sagueneens wrapped up their season with 103 points, good enough for second place in the Eastern Conference, one point behind the first place Moncton Wildcats and 16 points ahead of the first place team in the Western Conference, the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies. Chicoutimi has made the playoffs in every season of Masse’s career, but have never advanced beyond the second round. This year, they’ll have the league title and a trip to the Memorial Cup on as their goal heading into this year’s playoffs. "First year, we were a little bit young, lacking maybe a little experience," Massé said when asked about his team’s upcoming playoff run. "But last year, we played a couple more games. We went six in the second round, so I think we all gained experience. Then we added some new players at the trade deadline that made a good couple runs too in the last year, so I think that will help us for sure.” When he was drafted last summer, Masse was mostly viewed as a north-south forechecker with a nose for the net and a lighting release. This year, as one of the veteran players in the league, the game has slowed down for him, and as such, he’s manufacturing more puck touches, dictating pace, building plays, and exploring the reaches of his hockey IQ and vision. He’s become a multi-dimensional producer. For the 2026-27 season, Masse will go the NCAA route and join the University of Massachusetts as the next step in his development path. "It's good for the development," Massé said. "We're only playing 30-40 games a season. Gaining some strength in my lower body and upper body, too, and just getting better with my skating. They were supporting me 100% in that.” "It's gonna be a little different than here, like cooking a little bit more and everything else. But I'm looking forward to it. We'll see what's up.” If he were to eventually become an NHL player, Masse will likely project as a middle-six forechecking scorer. With the NCAA on the horizon for him, he’ll take the opportunity to add to his 6-foot-3, 198-pound frame and refine a bit of his lateral mobility. Chicoutimi will begin their playoff run on March 27 with their first-round matchup against the Halifax Mooseheads.
