Recap: Phoenix Win Back-And-Forth Affair Over Océanic

The third weekend of the 2026-27 QMJHL campaign is well underway, with a three-game Thursday slate that saw a trio of very close results, including some comebacks.

One of those games was the Sherbrooke Phoenix taking down the Rimouski Océanic in a battle between two teams at or near the top of their respective conferences.

The goals came quickly in this one, with the Océanic finding twine first through Caiden Pellegrino just 2:31 into the game. That lead would be doubled six minutes later through Julien Nadeau's first career QMJHL goal.

Sherbrooke would push back from there, though, with a pair of Emrick Nolette-Robidoux power-play goals under a minute apart tying the game up at two. Just 45 seconds after that, Rimouski would retake the lead through Thomas Belzil's third of the young campaign, beating Kyan Labbe.

The Phoenix would round off a wild opening frame with two more late goals, through Ilya Kolmakov and Samuel Rochon to take a 4-3 lead into the first intermission.

Whatever was said by the coaches between periods clearly worked, because the second period saw much less offence. Sherbrooke managed just three shots, and while Rimouski put up 13 in the middle frame, none of them could get past Labbe.

In the third, it would be the Phoenix to find some insurance, thanks to an Ilya Kuzminykh tally. Jeremy Turcot would pull one back, but Sherbrooke would close the door the rest of the way, and take a big 5-4 victory at home.

These teams aren't done with each other yet, with a rematch to be played at the Palais des Sports Léopold-Drolet once again Friday night.

Charlottetown (5) - Chicoutimi (4)
Shawinigan (2) - Gatineau (3) (OT)

Player of the Night

Aslan Tremblay (CHA) - 3 goals, 0 assists

Halifax at Moncton - 6 PM ET
Saint John at Cape Breton - 6 PM ET
Rimouski at Sherbrooke - 7 PM ET
Charlottetown at Baie-Comeau - 7 PM ET
Quebec at Blainville-Boisbriand - 7 PM ET

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