Drummondville Voltigeurs swept the Baie-Comeau Drakkar to earn the right to play for the Memorial Cup starting this weekend in Saginaw, Michigan.
Drummondville Voltigeurs swept the Baie-Comeau Drakkar to earn the right to play for the Memorial Cup starting this weekend in Saginaw, Michigan.
Life is full of surprises and sports are no different.
The fact that the Baie-Comeau Drakkar and Drummondville Voltigeurs advanced to the President’s Cup final wasn’t particularly surprising for QMJHL fans and observers. Since the Christmas trading period, the two teams seemed to be on a collision course.
The clubs each made expensive additions that helped shore up their rosters. Most notably, Drummondville acquired three players with a winning pedigree – forwards Mikael Huchette and Kassim Gaudet and defenseman Vsevolod Komarov helped Quebec capture the Memorial Cup last spring. The Voltigeurs also added Alexis Gendron, who spent the first half of the season in the AHL. Meanwhile, Baie-Comeau brought in depth forward Donovan Arseneault, along with veteran goaltender Charles-Edward Gravel.
These players complimented what were already very strong lineups, allowing Baie-Comeau and Drummondville to finish the regular season atop their respective conferences. The two teams faced little resistance through the first three rounds of the playoffs, losing a mere four games between them. Indeed, it was entirely predictable for Baie-Comeau to be facing Drummondville in the QMJHL championship series. But what couldn’t have been foreseen was how the series played out on the ice.
Drummondville won the regular season series against Baie-Comeau (three wins, one loss), and their experience-laden lineup led many QMJHL observers to believe the Voltigeurs would conquer their north shore opponents in the final. However, while Drummondville clearly had the edge on paper, most fans anticipated a competitive series between the two best teams in the league. Unfortunately for those of us who were hoping for some drama in a league playoff that lacked any for a month and a half, that’s not what happened.
The Voltigeurs came out of the gates on fire in Game 1 of the series, posting a 5-0 victory behind Alexis Gendron’s hat trick. Riley Mercer posted his second consecutive shutout in Game 2, a 1-0 thriller that Tampa Bay draft pick Ethan Gauthier ended in overtime. Gauthier added two more goals in Game 3, a convincing 6-2 victory. Drummondville completed the sweep in front of a sold out crowd in Game 4, led by Sam Oliver’s two goals. Defensive stalwart Vsevolod Komarov, a Buffalo draft pick, was named Most Valuable Player of the playoffs.
To say the least, the 2024 President’s Cup final failed to live up to the billing (much like the final series in the OHL and WHL, which also resulted in sweeps). Drummondville’s impressive performance capped off what was the least compelling QMJHL playoff in the modern era. 15 of the league’s 17 playoff series ended in five games or less; a league record. Sherbrooke’s first-round victory over Blainville-Boisbriand was the only series that went to seven games.
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The only question that remains is whether Drummondville can become the fifth straight QMJHL team to win the Memorial Cup. The Voltigeurs certainly have their work cut out for them. OHL champion London demolished Oshawa in the O final, outscoring the Generals 31-9 in four games. WHL champion Moose Jaw is also a formidable opponent, as the Warriors are coming off a sweep of favored Portland. Lastly, it would be a mistake to discount Saginaw, the host of this year’s tournament, as the Spirit won 50 games this season.
Like its competitors, Drummondville will be well-rested heading into the Memorial Cup tournament. Time will tell if the Voltigeurs can continue the Q’s run of dominance in Canada’s national junior hockey championship.
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