Thanks to the mid-season NCAA ruling which allowed American prospects to come over to the CHL, over 100 Jr. A and USHL players had made their way to the CHL. While many of these players lacked NHL affiliation, one of the very few that made their way to major junior was Detroit Red Wings prospect goaltender Rudy Guimond.

Guimond, 20, shocked and awed with his move to the QMJHL, winning a perfect 16 of 16 games while serving a league leading .940 save percentage. He'd continue to succeed in the playoffs, posting a .916 save percentage and an 8-1 record. Despite the success, he was not the Wildcats starter during the Memorial Cup.

Given his commitment to Yale Unviersity for 2025-26 and that he, alongside 15 other Wildcats, would be an overager next season, there weren't high expectations that fans would see Guimond return to the crease in Moncton. However, the Wildcats have announced his return for his overage season.

With Guimond returning as a guarantee, the team will have to make some difficult decisions on who their other overagers may be for next season. Already, the team has dealt fan favourites Vincent Collard to Blainville.

As for the other two, the team could opt for Julius Sumpf and Alex Mercier if they were to choose two forwards. If they kept one per position, perhaps Sumpf and Natan Grenier could be the returners. Regardless, I'd expect the Wildcats to be busy this off-season as they look to find new homes for their 2005-born players.

2025 NHL Draft: Three QMJHL Stars Ranked As First Rounders On The Hockey News' Top 100 List In just a couple weeks time, 224 players will have their dream turned into a reality as they'll have their name called at the NHL draft.

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