Shawinigan's pair of 16-year-olds scored all three goals in their comeback win over Sherbrooke.
Sherbrooke took on Shawinigan in Friday's lone game, the opening QMJHL contest of 2026. Inside the Centre Garvais Auto, fans saw big performances from a pair of rookies who hope to make their names known across the league in the new year.
Zoomed In: Sherbooke (2) - Shawinigan (3)
Louis-Emile Dumais, 16, scored a pair of goals to spark Shawinigan's comeback on Friday. (Photo: Vincent Létourneau)Shawinigan may be sixth in the QMJHL, but their direction clearly isn't solely to win this year. After trading away captain Jordan Tourigny, there is at least one eye on the future while they still try to amass wins in 2025-26.
It was the youth that powered the way to victory over Sherbrooke on Friday. After a goalless first frame, the Phoenix struck first through 17-year-old Loic Poirier's fourth of the year before overager Olivier Dubois doubled the lead on the power play just before the halfway mark of the game.
At that point, the game flipped on its head. Rookie Louis-Emile Dumais, who looks like a steal as a fifth-round pick in 2025, lighting up the AAA circuit and sitting over a point-per-game at the QMJHL level, scored his fourth of the year on the power play to cut the lead in half before the end of the second.
Then, the 16-year-old doubled down to tie the game in the third, also on the man advantage. Then just under halfway through the third, another 16-year-old, second-rounder Malik Desrochers gave the Cataractes their first lead of the night, a 3-2 scoreline they'd hold onto the rest of the game.
Shawinigan keeps finding ways to win, and the strong play of goaltender Mathys Fernandez, who stopped 32 of 34 Phoenix shots sent his way, is helping that fact out.
Leading scorer Felix Lacerte put up a pair of assists in the win, moving him into a tier for second in league scoring with Newfoundland's Justin Larose.
Player of the Night
Louis-Emile Dumais - 2 goals, 0 assists
Tonight's Games
Rouyn-Noranda at Blainville-Boisbriand - 4 PM EST
Val-d'Or at Victoriaville - 4 PM EST
Drummondville at Quebec - 4 PM EST
Chicoutimi at Sherbrooke - 4 PM EST
Baie-Comeau at Rimouski - 4 PM EST
Gatineau at Newfoundland - 5:30 PM EST
Charlottetown at Cape Breton - 6 PM EST
Moncton at Halifax - 6 PM EST
Related
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