The Rouyn-Noranda Huskies could surprise this season after finishing 11th last year. They may not finish the season with a 40-goal scorer, instead relying on a cast of dependable two-way forwards who could chip in 20 or more goals. Their defence and goaltending was rookie heavy last season, but should take a step forward as a unit this year.
Prediction
Third in the West Division. The Huskies have a well-balanced team —assuming goaltending improves and the defence takes a step forward.
Forwards
With the departure of leading goal scorers Mathieu Lemay (44) and Ryan Penny (32) in the off-season, there are opportunities for a Huskies to step forward. Francis Perron is the top candidate when he returns from Ottawa Senators training camp. A seventh-rounder in 2014, Perron has seen his point totals increase from 18 to 55 to 76 in his first three seasons in the Q. He’s a solid special teams player with 13 power play and two short-handed goals last season.
Jean-Christophe Beaudin looks to improve on a rookie season where he scored 14 goals and finished fifth on the team with 53 points. The two-way forward saw his responsibilities increase at the end of the last season, spending time on the power play and penalty kill as well as first-line duties. The Colorado Avalanche selected him 71st overall in June.
Latvian winger Martins Dzierkals was drafted 68th overall by the Toronto Maple Leafs, then a few days later landed with the Huskies in the CHL Import Draft.
Martins Dzierkals of @HuskiesRn will attract lots of attention across the Q this season. Very spectacular player with speed, shifty,elusive.
— Jean-Paul Charlebois (@jepacha) August 30, 2015
Julien Nantel, also property of the Colorado Avalanche, is another dependable two-way forward who posted career highs with 26 goals and 35 assists for 61 points last season. He’s off to Colorado’s training camp after notching a pair of assists in his first game of the Q season.
Louis-Filip Côté, the 8th overall pick of the Q draft, made the Huskies. Last season he had 59 points in 70 midget games and should provide secondary scoring on the deep squad in his rookie season.
Defence
The Huskies blueline features brothers Jérémy and Zachary Lauzon. The oldest of the two, Jérémy, begins the year at the Boston Bruins camp after being selected 52nd overall in the NHL draft. After an 11 game audition last season, Zachary could follow in his brother’s footsteps when he’s NHL draft eligible in 2017.
Allan Caron provides experience and toughness as the 20-year-old posted 93 PIM for the Huskies last season.
Goaltending
Sophomore goalies Samuel Harvey and Jérémy Belisle once again return to the Huskies crease. After the in-season trade of Minnesota Wild prospect Alexandre Bélanger to the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles, Harvey and Belisle split starting duties. Both finished the year with more losses than wins. Harvey started the playoffs for the team and should receive more starts this season in his NHL draft eligible season.
NHL prospect watch
Jérémy Lauzon, D, Boston Bruins (2015, 52nd overall)
In his second season, Jérémy Lauzon tripled his goal output with 15 goals. The 6-foot-2, 204-pound d-man has a strong work ethic, dangerous shot and plays a dependable two-way game. Fittingly, the Bruins selected Lauzon with a draft pick acquired in the Dougie Hamilton trade with the Calgary Flames.
Really proud and excited to be a part of the @NHLBruins organization!
— Jeremy Lauzon (@jeremylauzon21) June 27, 2015
Samuel Harvey, G
Sophomore goalie Samuel Harvey is could turn out to be one of the top goalies in the Q in the next few seasons. This summer, he spent time in Hockey Canada’s Program of Excellence goaltending camp, joining Sherbrooke’s Evan Fitzpatrick as the only two Q players at the under-18 camp. After a hot start, he struggled in the second half of the season, finishing the year with a 13-16 win-loss record alongside a 3.59 GAA and .870 save percentage.
