How the league is shaping up heading into the third weekend of action.
September is nearly over, and the new QMJHL season is now really in full swing. That all being said, it's still so difficult to get a real reading on who's great, and who's not, as teams start to find their stride in the new campaign.
Week three gets underway Wednesday with the Charlottetown Islanders heading to Victoriaville to take on the Tigres, a battle between a pair of teams looking to climb up the table in their respective conferences.
Here's how the power rankings are shaping up, and yes, it's still early. Things will change a lot as the season goes along.
Tier One: Contenders
1: Quebec Remparts (3-1-0) (Prev. 2)
A fantastic weekend pushes the Remparts to the top spot. Maddox Dagenais' return has been massive, and the offensive firepower between James Scantlebury, Carter Meyer, Nathan Quinn, Nikita Ovcharov and more is scintillating.
2: Moncton Wildcats (4-0-0) (Prev. 8)
Alright, we're in on Moncton. The last remaining undefeated team hasn't been dominant, but are experienced and know how to win games. Even in what was supposed to be a retooling year, this team is still great.
3: Val-d'Or Foreurs (3-0-1) (Prev. 3)
Philippe Veilleux is of course doing his thing with nine points through four games, but just as impressively, this team has conceded just nine times this season. Good signs.
4: Sherbrooke Phoenix (3-0-1) (Prev. 7)
Things are clicking pretty well. The Phoenix are deep and well-put together, and Kyan Labbe has been awesome in goal.
5: Rimouski Océanic (3-0-1) (Prev. 11)
Another team that's been a big riser, the Océanic absolutely obliterated poor Shawinigan over the weekend. While they aren't going to score 13 every night, they've proven they can put the puck in the net. They still need to prove they can beat actually good teams.
6: Cape Breton Eagles (1-1-2) (Prev. 1)
They haven't looked amazing thus far, but the talent as a whole is still there. They finally have a full complement of players with Maxim Schafer back from Washington Capitals camp, and with everyone back together, the results should follow.
7: Saint John Sea Dogs (1-1-2) (Prev. 4)
Also a struggling team full of talent, the Sea Dogs just haven't quite put it together yet. The results, particularly at home, are a bit worrying, but it's early.
Tier Two: Hopefuls
8: Rouyn-Noranda Huskies (3-1-0) (Prev. 10)
Alexandre Raymond has been amazing between the pipes, while Eliot Ogonowski and Jayden Pominville are producing up front. It may not be the most sustainable, but it's a lot of fun.
9: Victoriaville Tigres (2-2-0) (Prev. 6)
Everyone knows how talented this team is up front. But man, they still struggle at the other end of the ice.
10: Newfoundland Regiment (2-1-1) (Prev. 13)
A pretty decent weekend. This team's forechecking identity clearly has carried into the new season.
11: Halifax Mooseheads (2-1-1) (Prev. 5)
A less promising weekend. There's some good on this team, but a lot of warts to work over.
12: Gatineau Olympiques (2-1-1) (Prev. 12)
It wasn't a repeat of that 2-0 opening weekend, to be sure. They'll be unhappy with how much they conceded against the Tigres.
13: Charlottetown Islanders (2-1-1) (Prev. 15)
Honestly, they've been pretty solid. Playing Moncton and Cape Breton twice apiece is probably the hardest schedule anyone has faced this year, and they've ocme out of it above .500.
Tier Four: Pretenders
14: Blainville-Boisbriand Armada (2-2-0) (Prev. 17)
Back-to-back OT wins, and back-to-back OT winners from Jacob McKinnon. This team isn't the most talented or experienced, but their third overall pick is having a lot of fun.
15: Chicoutimi Saguenéens (2-2-0) (Prev. 16)
A 2-0 weekend sounds great on paper, though beating Baie-Comeau twice doesn't seem like the hardest task.
16: Shawinigan Cataractes (1-3-0) (Prev. 9)
Twenty goals against in two games. Ideally, you want it to be less than that.
17: Drummondville Voltigeurs (0-4-0) (Prev. 14)
No wins, and a -12 goal difference in four games. Can the return of Louis-Felix Bourque fix this?
18: Baie-Comeau Drakkar (0-4-0) (Prev. 18)
Last season, it took until game 13 for Baie-Comeau to win a game. One would imagine they would not like to repeat that fate this go around.
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