Regiment continue to add with two 18-year-olds, while Baie-Comeau's mass exodus continues.
Another big trade has happened in the QMJHL's winter trade period, with the Newfoundland Regiment acquiring Anaheim Ducks draft pick Alexis Mathieu and Ryan Dwyer from the Baie-Comeau Drakkar.
Going back the other way is a trio of young prospects, Biagio Jr. Daniele, the ninth overall pick in the 2024 QMJHL draft, Leo Gauthier, a second-rounder in 2024 and Matys St-Gelais, a second in 2025.
Mathieu, 18, is a physical defensive defenseman. He doesn't provide a lot of offence, only scoring seven (4+3) points in 31 games this year, but he'll provide stability and physicality on the back end.
Alexis Mathieu with the Baie-Comeau Drakkar. (Photo: Kassandra Blais)Dwyer is the son of former QMJHL and NHL veteran Gordie Dwyer, and will now be re-acquainted with his father, who is now the head coach and general manager in Newfoundland.
None of the three prospects headed to Baie-Comeau have been particularly productive in depth roles yet, but they're all young with good pedigree, and will be given more opportunities to develop with the Drakkar.
No team outside the top three in the QMJHL has added more than Newfoundland this year, who clearly want to give their fans a taste of a deep playoff run in the franchise's first year in St. John's.
They picked up goalie Louis-Antoine Denault from Quebec a few days ago, and now make another big addition in Mathieu. While they're currently seventh in the Eastern conference, they're only four points off third, and most of the teams ahead of them have been sellers.
Meanwhile, this departure is another one in a big selling year for Baie-Comeau as they continue their rebuild. They've already dealt Alexis Bernier and Lucas Beckman in blockbuster moves this trade period, recouping a bunch of assets along the way.
They sit last in the QMJHL by a sizeable margin, nine points behind 17th-place Gatineau, and the goal the rest of this season is to develop some young players as they build for future seasons.
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