A veteran team shed some pieces and still got through one round, and will now likely look to retool.
The 2025-26 QMJHL campaign was, in many ways, a season of change for the Shawinigan Cataractes, who iced a rather veteran roster.
They moved out their fair share of veterans, headlined by captain Jordan Tourigny. Names like Raoul Boilard and Jordan Forget were also traded for futures by the team.
This surely signifies the start of a retool, especially since most of the remaining core were still older players, except for Chad Lygitsakos and Elias Schneider.
Chad Lygitsakos took a big step in his sophomore QMJHL season. (Photo: Vincent Létourneau)While there were some key players moved out, the team was obviously still solid, winning a dramatic round one series against Sherbrooke in seven games before getting swept by Rouyn-Noranda in round two.
Players like Felix Lacerte, Vince Elie, Jiri Klima, Mathieu Plante, Felix Plamondon and Mathys Fernandez will likely move on next year (though there are a couple that can and will return as overagers), but there were certainly some youngsters who look poised to step into bigger roles as the retool begins.
Lygitsakos and Schneider were the second- and third-leading scorers on the roster this past season, and should continue their production in similar big roles next year.
Olivier Charron is potentially the most interesting of those options, as the 16-year-old had a great back half of the season, which extended into a solid six playoff points in 11 games.
Noah McKinnon will have big shoes to fill on the blue line, as a lot of the names around him may be going. It wouldn't be surprising to see the Cataractes make a move on the back end over the summer to get another younger strong blueliner.
They'll also have to decide if Philippe Boucher is the right choice in goal.
But overall, the transition for Shawinigan will continue into the offseason, and there should be some fresh, young faces on this team heading into camp.
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