Memorial Cup hosts always load up, and this year is no exception.
The Rimouski Oceanic will be a force in the Quebec Maritime Junior Hockey League as they prepare to host the Memorial Cup in their 30th anniversary.
A franchise that has produced NHL first-overall picks Alexis Lafreniere, Vincent Lecavalier and Sidney Crosby, the Oceanic have won the Memorial Cup just once — back in 2000 when a Brad Richards-led team beat Sheldon Keefe and the controversial Barrie Colts.
Here’s a look at some storylines in the QMJHL this season ahead of a full slate of season openers on Friday night.
Oceanic clear favourites
The QMJHL, more than the OHL and WHL, generally sees the best talent go to, at most, a handful of franchises by season’s end.
In a Memorial Cup-hosting year, that’s especially noticeable.
The Oceanic appeared to have a goaltending concern when Montreal Canadiens prospect Quentin Miller went down with a shoulder injury in the pre-season, but then Rimouski went out and acquired Sherbrooke Phoenix overager Samuel St-Hilaire, who had a .915 save percentage last year. St-Hilaire also played for Canada at last year’s world junior championship.
Rimouski is loaded with NHL prospects, including star centre Mathieu Cataford (Vegas), who was acquired from the Halifax Mooseheads after being named QMJHL MVP last season.
On defence, Rimouski is led by a terrific trio of Spencer Gill (Philadelphia), Luke Coughlin (Florida) and Swiss native Basile Sansonnens (Vancouver).
Mac attack
Many eyes will be on Moncton, N.B. this season as Gardiner MacDougall takes over the coaching duties for the Wildcats after dominating the university ranks for 20-plus years at the University of New Brunswick.
The Prince Edward Island-born MacDougall is joined by his son Taylor, who was hired as GM at the same time as his dad after spending time in the agent ranks.
Just two years ago, the Memorial Cup-hosting Saint John Sea Dogs hired Gardiner MacDougall as interim coach after the team was eliminated in the first round of the playoffs. MacDougall then guided that New Brunswick squad to the national title.
Owned by Robert Irving and playing in a relatively new arena seating more than 8,000 fans, the Wildcats have the resources to be a top team in the league. Now, they also have a highly-regarded coach.
Executive shuffle
Longtime league office executive Pierre Leduc left his post this summer to become president of the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada.
It continues a significant shift for the league after former Montreal Alouettes president Mario Cecchini became commissioner in March 2023 following the resignation of Gilles Courteau.
Without Courteau’s longtime right-hand man, the ball really is in Cecchini’s court to steer the league forward.
Mooseheads look to Lord
After a disappointing first-round exit last year, the Mooseheads cut ties with coach Jim Midgley and hired reigning ECHL coach of the year Andrew Lord.
The 39-year-old West Vancouver native started coaching in Wales in 2018 after finishing his playing career in that country. He then moved to the ECHL with Greenville.
As one of the bigger-market teams in the league, expectations always are high in Halifax.
While the Mooseheads figure to be rebuilding this season, Lord will be expected to get the team back in title contention within a few years.
Halifax’s lone QMJHL title came in 2013.
Lord and MacDougall join an interesting coaching crew in the Maritime Division. Former NHLer Gordie Dwyer coaches the Acadie-Bathurst Titan, ex-Gatineau Olympiques coach Louis Robitaille guides the Cape Breton Eagles, Newfoundland native Travis Crickard, 36, runs the Saint John Sea Dogs and junior hockey veteran Jim Hulton of Wolfe Island, Ont., coaches the Charlottetown Islanders.
Like father, like son
When the Quebec Remparts selected Maddox Dagenais first overall in the QMJHL draft earlier this year, the centre followed in the footsteps of his father.
Pierre Dagenais, a former Montreal Canadien, also was a first-overall pick in the QMJHL Draft 29 years ago by Moncton.
Maddox, who played minor hockey in eastern Ontario, scored two goals in his pre-season debut with Quebec.
Prospect watch
The QMJHL hasn’t had a player go in the first round of the NHL Draft the past two years.
There’s a good chance that could change this year.
Moncton centre Caleb Desnoyers, Chicoutimi Sagueneens centre Emile Guite and Halifax centre Liam Kilfoil are all legitimate first-round candidates.
Desnoyers and Kitfoil scored Canada’s goals in a 2-1 win over Czechia in the final of the Hlinka Gretzky Cup under-18 event this summer in Edmonton.
Don’t count out Drakkar
While top teams from the previous year often fall off because of graduating players, it would be unwise to overlook the Baie-Comeau Drakkar.
The Drakkar lost 4-0 in the final to the Drummondville Voltigeurs after posting the best regular-season record.
Carolina pick Justin Poirier returns after leading the league with 51 goals last season.
Also back is New York Rangers pick Raoul Boilard, who had 62 points in his rookie season.
