The Rimouski Océanic signed top BCHL free agent centerman Thomas Belzil yesterday.
Belzil, 18, has been on a roll with the Powell River Kings of the BCHL, scoring 17 points (5+12) across 17 games -- matching his point totals from the previous season.
Notably, Belzil was never drafted to the QMJHL, hence his free agent status.
Le Nouvelliste's Matthew Vachon was hot on the story, reporting that half the league was in on the Belzil sweepstakes.
Turns out, there might've been two reasons for the move to Rimouski.
The first one is obvious, Rimouski is the Memorial Cup host and it'd be difficult to pass up a guaranteed opportunity to play on the biggest stage in Major Junior.
Secondly, it turns out that Belzil had a connection within the organization as he's previously played under Rimouski general manager Danny Dupont in his young teens.
Belzil is committed to join the University of Massachusetts in the 2026-2027 season.