The Acadie-Bathurst Titan upset the Halifax Mooseheads in the opening round of the QMJHL playoffs.
If there’s one thing that can confidently be said about the QMJHL playoffs, it’s that you can expect the unexpected. The first round of the 2024 tournament was no exception.
In what is likely the biggest playoff upset in the CHL thus far, the Acadie-Bathurst Titan swept the heavily-favored Halifax Mooseheads in the opening round. Bathurst was led by its 21-year-old captain Milo Roelens, who scored overtime goals in the first two games of the series. PEI-native Colby Huggan, who spent half of last season playing Junior A, had a fabulous series with four goals and four assists. Washington prospect Antoine Keller was strong in goal, allowing just six goals in four games.
The Bathurst victory over Halifax was surprising for a few reasons. The Titan are in the midst of a rebuild, having finished 25 points behind Halifax in the regular season. Bathurst head coach and general manager Gordie Dwyer dealt away arguably his three best players at the Christmas trade deadline. Joseph Henneberry was shipped to Victoriaville, Donovan Arseneault left for Baie-Comeau, and Ty Higgins landed in Rouyn-Noranda. As a result, the Bathurst roster is littered with youth and inexperience.
On the other hand, Halifax had loaded up at the trade deadline, acquiring overagers Peter Reynolds and Lou-Felix Denis, along with Czech-import Jan Sprynar. These players were expected to compliment 'Q' veterans like Mathieu Cataford and Markus Vidicek, both of whom topped the 40-goal mark. The Mooseheads were also solid on the backend, led by Brady Schultz and Jake Furlong. In addition, Mathis Rousseau had a standout season between the pipes.
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But the Mooseheads never seemed to get their footing in this series. Furlong missed the series with an injury, and Columbus draft pick Jordan Dumais – arguably the best player in the league – didn’t suit up, either. Halifax suspended Dumais with four games remaining in the regular season after he was arrested on drunk driving changes. His team-imposed suspension ended after Game 1 against Bathurst, but Dumais didn’t see any playoff action after team officials said he re-aggravated a lower-body injury following abdominal surgery in January.
Acadie-Bathurst wasn’t the only team to pull off a sweep of a favored opponent in the opening round. The Chicoutimi Sagueneens, led by veteran head coach Yannick Jean, dispatched the Moncton Wildcats in four games. Chicoutimi has an abundance of young talent on its roster, most notably Maxim Masse (17), Emile Guite (16), and offensive defenseman Alex Huang (16). Not to be outdone is 17-year-old Thomas Desruisseaux, who led the Sags with two goals and six assists in its series against Moncton. Overage forward Craig Armstrong, a London, Ontario native who played in Chicoutimi this season after spending four years in the WHL, contributed two goals and four assists.
There wasn’t much tension in the opening round of the QMJHL playoffs, as five of the eight matchups ended in four-game sweeps. Only one series exceeded five games. However, the second round will likely prove to be much more compelling.
In the Western Conference, top-seeded Drummondville shouldn’t have much trouble disposing of Sherbrooke or Blainville-Boisbriand (Game 7 on Tuesday). The series between Rouyn-Noranda and Victoriaville, on the other hand, is shaping up to be a lengthy battle. The goaltending matchup is especially intriguing, as the Huskies’ William Rousseau (eight shutouts) is opposed by Victo’s Nathan Darveau (five shutouts), an overager. Rouyn-Noranda is more balanced up front, which could tip the scale in their favor, but they’ll be without high-scoring defenseman Jeremy Langlois in this series.
In the East, powerhouse Baie-Comeau should defeat Bathurst, although the Titan proved against Halifax that it won’t go down without a fight. The series between Cape Breton and Chicoutimi should be an absolute treat, as both teams are dynamic offensively. Cam Squires and Olivier Houde led the charge for Cape Breton in its five-game victory over Rimouski, while 20-year-old Brayden Schmitt provides some offensive punch from the backend. The Eagles have more experience than the Sags, but it’s tough to bet against a Chicoutimi team playing with house money.
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