This is the monthly recap of all the top news stories from the QMJHL for the month of August.
League:
The 2024-25 pre-season had begun mid-way through August, as teams begun determining their rosters for opening night in September.
The biggest news of the pre-season league-side was the CHL's announcement that they would make 31 pre-season games available for free through CHL.tv.
Already two of the QMJHL's 'free-views' have passed, but you can still tune in to watch the following games for free:
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We also got some new logos from Rimouski and Saint John for their respective anniversaries.
Players:
Speaking of drafts, we also looked at which players from the top of the QMJHL draft have either signed in the QMJHL or elsewhere.
With the start of training camps, a number of imports have signed contracts with their respective teams, most notably Juraj Pekarcik was dealt to Moncton and signed with them.
There have been some major-holdouts, with the biggest one being the first overall pick in 2024's Import Draft, Calgary Flames first rounder Matvei Gridin, who has still yet to sign in Val-d'Or and is expected to be traded by the start of training camp.
Meanwhile, Habs prospect goaltender Mikus Vecvanags skipped out on the Acadie-Bathurst Titan and the QMJHL entirely, choosing to sign in the BCHL with the Brooks Bandits.
This month also saw lots of player movement within the league as notable players including goaltenders Charles-Edward Gravel and Remi Delafontaine finding new teams for the 2024-25 season.
International:
The Hlinka-Gretzky Cup has come and gone, with Team Canada dominating the tournament as usual as they secured yet another Gold Medal.
The 2024 Olympics may have ended this month, but the road to the 2026 Milano-Cortina Olympics is well underway. Nineteen former QMJHL players are representing their national teams in the final round of the Olympic qualifiers ending today.
Speaking of Under-20 tournaments, the Five Nations tournament also occured this month with three players with links to the QMJHL participating in Frantisek Dej (Slovakia, formerly Sherbrooke), Pavel Simek (Czechia, Rimouski) and Jan Sprynar (Czechia, Halifax).
Sprynar and Simek won gold at the tournament for Czechia.
Alumni:
The month started with tragic news, with the announcement of the passing of former QMJHL goaltender Creed Jones at just 24 years old from a motorcycle accident.
Speaking of honoring, the Quebec Remparts announced that they will retire the number of NHL star Jonathan Marchessault in September.
This month has seen lots of RFA action, with Philip Broberg and Dylan Holloway signing offer sheets with the Blues.
As for QMJHL alumni, New Jersey's Dawson Mercer and Calgary's Jakob Pelletier are still holding out.
Not all of the 'Q's' alumni are holding out though, as deals have been signed for Los Angeles' Jordan Spence, to name one.
We also highlighted a number of young guns and veterans who will look to improve off of stellar seasons.
Fun:
Leading to and after the announcement of the upcoming NHL 25 video game, we released a couple of articles looking at potential QMJHL alumni who could and should be cover athletes and also looking back at former cover stars from the QMJHL.
Additionally, Upper Deck dropped its 2023-24 CHL hockey cards series, which features over 100 of your favourite QMJHL stars and young guns.
We also took a look at what could all-QMJHL teams look like, both for NHLers last season and all-time QMJHL alumni.
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