In our QMJHL playoff preview, we look at the Baie-Comeau Drakkar, Drummondville Voltigeurs and Rouyn-Noranda Huskies as challengers for the Gilles-Courteau Trophy.
Parity is quite common in sports these days and major junior hockey is no exception. In the past, one dominant QMJHL team would often separate itself from the pack and emerge as the clear favorite to win the league championship going into the playoffs.
Those days appear to be over. Last year was a wonderful example, as four teams finished the 2022-‘23 season with 105 points or more, setting the stage for a riveting post-season that resulted in the first QMJHL championship for Patrick Roy’s Quebec Remparts.
The 2024 post-season is promising to be just as compelling. While the Baie-Comeau Drakkar finished with 109 points and occupied first place in the league standings all season long, two other teams – the Drummondville Voltigeurs and Rouyn-Noranda Huskies – topped the 100-point mark.
Baie-Comeau is a wonderful story going into the playoffs. The Drakkar weren’t necessarily expected to be a major contender this season, but the impressive performance of its youthful core, led by 17-year-old Justin Poirier, surpassed all pre-season projections. Poirier’s 51 goals led the league, while fellow 17-year-old and draft eligible power forward Raoul Boilard added 22 goals and 62 points. Poirier has an NHL-ready wrist shot, while Boilard has garnered comparisons with Auston Matthews.
Baie-Comeau is incredibly balanced up front, as at least eight players scored 18 goals or more. The club is led by Justin Gill, an overager who potted 40 goals and 98 points this season. On defense, assistant captain Emile Chouinard is expected to be back for the playoffs after undergoing treatment for Hodgkin’s lymphoma. In goal, Baie-Comeau made a big gamble at the trade deadline by shipping out homegrown netminder Olivier Ciarlo in favor of Charles-Edward Gravel, who was obtained from Blainville-Boisbriand. Gravel has performed well since the trade, and the pressure will be on him to maintain that standard in the playoffs.
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Drummondville poses the biggest challenge to Baie-Comeau. The Voltigeurs are led by Ethan Gauthier, a Tampa Bay draft pick who scored a team-high 36 goals and 71-points. Sam Oliver (35), Justin Cote (32) and Peter Repcik (30) also topped the 30-goal mark this season. Drummondville shored up its defensive corps by acquiring Vsevolod Komarov from Quebec early in the season, and he responded by producing 50 points in just 38 games. He and Maveric Lamoureux, an Arizona prospect, lead Drummondville on the backend, although Lamoureux is out for the playoffs with an injury. Riley Mercer is a stud in goal and can steal games on his own.
Rouyn-Noranda is another team to keep an eye on going into the playoffs. The Huskies were the pre-season favorite to finish atop the league standings, and while they had some rough patches, Rouyn-Noranda appears to be hitting its stride as we go into April. Antonin Verreault led the league in scoring this year with 107 points, the only QMJHL player to crack the century mark. Belarussian Andrei Loshko produced at a point-per-game pace after coming over from Chicoutimi in the off-season. Arizona draft pick Jeremy Langlois and trade deadline acquisition Ty Higgins lead the blueline corps. In goal, the Huskies are led by Memorial Cup winner William Rousseau, who posted a league-leading eight shutouts this season.
If I were a betting man, I’d put my money on Drummondville to capture the league title. The Voltigeurs were 3-1 against Baie-Comeau this season, and while regular season success doesn’t necessarily translate into playoff success, Drummondville’s experience may prove to be the defining factor in a potential playoff matchup. The Voltigeurs’ roster is absolutely littered with 19-year-olds who have considerable playoff experience. It’s cliché to simply assume that a team with that kind of veteran leadership has the advantage over a younger club, but over the course of a playoff series, skill and poise often prove to be a lethal combination.
Of course, there’s no guarantee that these two teams will play each other in a league final. Rouyn-Noranda, Halifax and Victoriaville are very strong and quite capable of going deep in the playoffs. That’s the beauty of the post-season. Anything can happen. As hockey fans, this is the best time of the year. Let’s enjoy the ride.
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