The two top teams in the league will go head-to-head for the Gilles-Courteau Trophy and a spot in the Memorial Cup
On January 17, Hockey Day In Canada came to Moncton.
While the national telecast was obviously focused on the NHL games it was carrying, and a spin on the outdoor rink with Ron MacLean, just down the road at the Avenir Centre was a heavyweight clash of the top two teams in the QMJHL.
The Chicoutimi Saguenéens won 7-4 on the road that night, and a week later, the Moncton Wildcats returned the favour with a 3-2 win at the Centre Georges-Vézina.
Chicoutimi's Thomas Desruisseaux and Moncton's Gavin Cornforth battle for a loose puck. (Photo: Bruno Girard)It became clear as the winter went along these two teams were the top two teams in the QMJHL this season, and it seemed inevitable there would be a clash between them in the championship series.
In the end, that's what we're getting. No disrespect to the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies or Blainville-Boisbriand Armada, who both pushed each finalist pretty hard in their respective semifinal, but the class of the league has risen to the top, and we'll see the best of the best face off against one another beginning with Friday's game one.
The most interesting part about this series is the different ways each team was constructed.
Chicoutimi is a traditional junior powerhouse, a team with a lot of talent that sunk a ton of future assets in the holiday trade period towards building as strong a team as possible.
They acquired multiple captains of other teams, Jordan Tourigny (Shawinigan) and Tomas Lavoie (Cape Breton), to build one of the top blue lines in the entire CHL, filled to the brim with elite players, and they have the profiles to match up with anyone in so many different ways.
Tourigny and Lavoie provide a good balance of two-way play and experience. Peteris Bulans and Alexis Bernier tilt the ice like very few other pairs in the league, while Alex Huang's offensive capabilities are complemented perfectly by Alonso Gosselin.
It's a dream defensive corps, and it sits in front of Lucas Beckman, who's been practically unbeatable since the Sags traded for him in the winter as well.
Up front, this team is just as loaded, led by league MVP Maxim Masse. Alongside him are players like Mavrick Lachance, Nathan Lecompte, Emile Guite and captain Emmanuel Vermette. Maxim Schafer is also set to return for the final after missing over a month with a broken wrist.
This is a team that has been so, so good down the stretch, and has lost just two playoff games so far. Their special teams are both elite, highlighted by a power play that's operated at 34% through three rounds.
They certainly seem like the team to beat, but in Moncton, they find a team who hasn't lost a playoff series since 2024, which just so happened to be a first-round sweep at the hands of the Saguenéens.
The Wildcats are still the holders of the 2025 Gilles-Courteau trophy, and return a good amount of their core from last year.
Caleb Desnoyers is the team's engine, but he hasn't been the one doing all the scoring in the playoffs this year. In fact, that goes to fellow Utah Mammoth prospect Gabe Smith, who leads the playoffs in goals and points through two rounds.
Where Chicoutimi is a team who traded for a lot of talent within the league to get to where they are, Moncton did not make many blockbuster trades this year.
The Wildcats, led by Taylor MacDougall have been able to maximize their output from so many different pathways, including their own draft picks developing, as well as some key import success.
But the main way they've been able to be consistently good is their hit rate on American talent coming in.
From the electric Tommy Bleyl, to Teddy Mutryn, Niko Tournas, Rian Chudzinski, Gavin Cornforth and more, the 'Cats have been able to supplement their stars and with so much talent from the States, and that has allowed them to be consistently good without mortgaging their future.
They've done this as well as any team in the QMJHL, and maybe even the entire CHL (though the London Knights would argue differently).
Their offence is incredibly deep, with so many players able to cause damage, and their blue line is very solid as well, if not quite as spectacular in its depth as Chicoutimi's.
In goal, Rudy Guimond is one of the winningest goalies in league history, and is as experienced as anyone at this level.
These two teams have always seemed to be on a collision course, and now we'll get to see them go head-to-head. Moncton is looking to be the first team to go back-to-back since the Sea Dogs in 2011-12, while Chicoutimi tries to win its first title since 1994.
Schedule
Game one: Friday, May 8, 6 PM EDT @ Moncton
Game two: Saturday, May 9, 6 PM EDT @ Moncton
Game three: Tuesday, May 12, 7 PM EDT @ Chicoutimi
Game four: Wednesday, May 13, 7 PM EDT @ Chicoutimi
Game five*: Friday, May 15, 6 PM EDT @ Moncton
Game six*: Sunday, May 17, 7 PM EDT @ Chicoutimi
Game seven*: Tuesday, May 19, 6 PM EDT @ Moncton
* = if necessary
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