One player to watch on each team through the QMJHL playoffs

On Friday night the QMJHL playoffs will begin as 16 teams begin their quest for the Gilles-Courteau Trophy.

Last year's champions, the Shawinigan Cataractes, qualified as the fifth seed in the Western Conference, while the runners-up from Charlottetown claimed the eighth seed in the East. Last year's Memorial Cup champions also came from the QMJHL, as the Saint John Sea Dogs played host in 2022.

This year, the Sea Dogs finished ninth in the Eastern Conference but will cross over to be the seventh seed in the West.

Here's a look at all the first-round matchups:

Eastern Conference

Quebec Remparts vs. Charlottetown Islanders
Halifax Mooseheads vs Cape Breton Eagles
Moncton Wildcats vs. Baie-Comeau Drakkar
Chicoutimi Sagueneens vs. Rimouski Oceanic

Western Conference

Sherbrooke Phoenix vs. Blainville-Boisbriand Armada
Gatineau Olympiques vs. Saint John Sea Dogs
Victoriaville Tigres vs. Drummondville Voltigeurs
Rouyn-Noranda Huskies vs. Shawinigan Cataractes

The QMJHL has won the past three Memorial Cups, with Rouyn-Noranda (2019) and Acadie-Bathurst (2018) coming before Saint John and the two-year, pandemic-forced cancellation of the event.

Will this year's Memorial Cup champion come from this group again? Sam Cosentino gives you a player to watch on all 16 QMJHL teams.

Theo Rochette, C, Quebec Remparts: The Remparts go into the Q playoffs as the number one seeded team, thanks in part to the performance of second-year captain and overager Theo Rochette.  Once thought to be one of the crown jewels of the 2018 QMJHL draft, Rochette has come into his own the last two seasons, backing up a 99-point 2021-22 season with a 106-point campaign.  He ended the regular season on a nine-game heater, to finish with 106 points. 

Jordan Dumais, RW, Halifax Mooseheads: It was said told two years ago by Halifax GM Cam Russel, that Dumais would be a 100-point player in his second season.  While that was true (Dumais had had 39+70= 109 last season), I don’t think even Russell expected a QMJHL-high 140 points on 54 goals and 86 helpers this season.  He won the Q scoring title with a 21-point, McDavid-like gap between him and teammate Josh Lawrence.  The slippery and elusive Dumais, a Columbus prospect is the new owner of the single-season points record for the storied Maritime franchise.

Justin Gill, C, Sherbrooke Phoenix: A 20-year-old undrafted player, Gill completed his second full season in Sherbrooke after a mid-season deal in 2021-22 that saw him go from Charlottetown to Sherbrooke.  Gil started the season on a league-best 23-game point streak that spanned into the first week of the new year, averaging just over two points per game. 

For most of the first half, Gill sat at or near the top of the point parade, playing alongside, draft-eligible Ethan Gauthier and Habs prospect Joshua Roy.  When Sherbrooke added some firepower at the deadline, it took some time for Gill to adjust to a slightly lesser role.  He finished the season having doubled his point totals from one season ago.  In his third year of draft eligibility, Gill is ranked 126th on NHL Central Scouting’s North American skater list. 

Tristan Luneau, D, Gatineau Olympiques: Free of injuries that plagued him during his draft year, Luneau had a breakout regular season, amassing 20 G for 83 points to lead all defencemen in scoring. Luneau was the Q’s first pick in the 2020 draft and hasn’t disappointed. The right-shot defenceman was selected by Anaheim in the second round of the 2022 NHL draft.  He’s played in all the big international events for Canada including the Canada Winter Games and the Youth Olympics.

Nathan Darveau, G, Victoriaville Tigres: Darveau leads the loop with a .929 save percentage, having amassed a league-best 1,509 saves.  He played just under 3000 minutes and his 27-14-2 record would’ve looked a little sweeter had he not lost 6 games in the shootout. Ironically, he stopped all 4 penalty shots he faced during the campaign.  Listed at 5’8, 165 lbs, Darveau is not likely to get any NHL looks, but he’s been a stalwart for two straight seasons the 20-year-old.  Darveau was He’s allowed more than two goals only once in his last nine starts, and that was a 5-goal game to end the regular season.  On top of that, Darveau also posted four assists during regular-season play.

Tristan Allard, C, Rouyn-Noranda Huskies: Comes from a hockey family as Tristan’s father Shawn attended St. Lawrence University before playing pro in France.  That lineage helped clear a path for Tristan to play overseas during the pandemic.  Now he is Leading the way for the Huskies with as many goals (27) as he had points all of last season.  A durable player who exhibits some physicality, Allard has played every game for Rouyn-Noranda over the past two seasons.  All three of his siblings play and Shawn works as a skills coach for the Colorado Avalanche. 

Etienne Morin, D, Moncton Wildcats: Rated 24th by NHL Central Scouting, Morin will challenge for the first player taken out of the QMJHL for the 2023 NHL Draft.  Impressively, he doubled his point totals from his rookie season, leading all defencemen with 21 goals.  Morin finished the season with a bang, having scored 3 goals for 11 points over his last four regular season games. 

Maxim Masse, RW, Chicoutimi Sagueneens: The third overall pick out of the 2022 QMJHL draft had a great rookie season, narrowly missing the 30-goal plateau, but still putting up enough points to win the rookie scoring title with 62 points in 65 games.  He leads all first-year players with six game-winning goals, while placing fifth in the rookie ranks with 164 shots taken.

Jan Sprynar, RW, Rimouski Oceanic- Sprynar came onto the radar for scouts during the summer when he put up 3 points for the Czech Republic at the Hlinka-Gretzky tournament.  At 6’1, and 175 pounds, he’s currently ranked 85th by NHL Central Scouting.  A deft shooter, Sprynar had 23 goals, although 12 of them were scored on the powerplay.            

Matyas Melovsky, C, Baie Comeau Drakkar: The exciting rookie, had just six goals, thanks to a lowly 5.2 shooting percentage, but still found a way to lead the Drakkar with 58 points in 59 games played. He's highly effective on special teams putting up 24 powerplay points and another six while shorthanded.  His season included an impressive 13-game road point streak that ended only because the season came to a close.  The ninth pick in the 2022 CHL Import draft is ranked 121st by NHL Central Scouting in his second year of draft eligibility. 

Ivan Ivan, C, Cape Breton Eagles: Ivan, whose name was recently brought up by Jeff Marek on Hockey Night in Canada, is a potential free-agent signee.  Ivan put up 90 points to finish tenth in league scoring.  He was also one of the most efficient centres in the league as evidenced by his 57 per cent faceoff win percentage.  His season included a 7-point night on Feb. 26th, in a wild 9-8 win over Saint John.  All seven points were scored at even strength.

Stephan Huard Jr., LW, Shawinigan Cataractes: Acquired from Halifax mid-season, overager Huard Jr put up point-per-game numbers as a result of increased opportunity with his new team.  In 30 games with the Mooseheads, he had 8 goals and 15 assists for 23 points, but 14 goals and 23 assists in 30 games after being moved to Shawinigan.  Stephane Sr. spent parts of two seasons in the QMJHL in the early 90’s. 

Maveric Lamoureux, D, Drummondville Voltigeurs: The 29th player taken in the 2022 NHL draft by Arizona, missed the first two and a half months of the season due to injury.  Upon returning in mid-December, he had to adjust to a coaching change made a month earlier.  At his best, Lamoureux is a solid puck mover who moves well.  He defends with some physicality, and will play with some edge to his game.  Not projected to be a big point producer at the next level, his size and shot make him a treat in the QMJHL playoffs.

Sam Bowness, LW, Charlottetown Islanders: With fighting on its way out of the league, Bowness will go down as one of the last men standing.  He lead the league with six major penalties on an Islanders team that was the most penalized team in the regular season.  At 6’2, 183 pounds, Bowness can throw’em with both hands.  While fighting isn’t a big part of playoff hockey, Charlottetown will try and upset Quebec by playing a physical game, and Bowness will be a big part of that strategy. 

Cole Burbridge, C, Saint John Sea Dogs: An unranked player for the 2023 NHL Draft out of the famed St. Charles Academy, Burbridge was selected in the second round of the 2021 QMJHL Draft.  He finished fourth in rookie scoring with 19 goals and 50 points.  He also leads all rookie centres with a 42.9 faceoff win percentage.  Burbridge displays a shoot-first mentality with the ability to get pucks to the net as a result of 103 of his 157 shot attempts on goal. 

Jonathan Fauchon, C, Blainville-Boisbriand Armada- the Armada’s leading scorer held a 13-point gap over his next closest teammate.  The former first-round pick from the 2020 pandemic draft had more short-handed goals (6) than he did power play goals (4).  His shorty magic was on display when he scored two of them in a 5-0 triumph in Rimouski on Oct. 10.