CHLGOTW: Baie-Comeau vs. Rouyn-Noranda — Five to watch

The animosity will be felt between the Baie-Comeau Drakkar (34-6-2) and the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies (28-9-5).

For the third time in less than a week, the two teams that are in the Top 3 of the QMJHL clash in the CHL Game of the Week at the Glencore Arena in Rouyn-Noranda.

The first two matchups took place on Saturday and Sunday, on the Baie-Comeau side. In the first game, the Huskies collected a 4-0 shutout victory. Louis-Philippe Fontaine scored twice while William Rousseau made 32 saves. It was the first time Jean-François Grégoire’s men were shut out this season and their first loss in regulation at home.

They were ready for revenge the next day, winning by the same score. Justin Gill (NYI) set the tone with two goals, including the first of the game. Meanwhile, Charles-Edward Gravel earned his first shutout since being acquired from the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada, making 21 saves.

The Drakkar (34-6-2) sit at the top of the CHL with 34 wins and 70 points. The Huskies are tied for second place in the QMJHL with the Drummondville Voltigeurs, both of whom have 28 wins and 61 points.

The Drakkar saw theu 13-game winning streak end on Dec. 28 with a 3-1 loss to the Shawinigan Cataractes and since then, the North Coast team has lost three of its last eight games. As a result, after five weeks at the top, they slipped to second place in the CHL Top 10, behind the Saskatoon Blades.

Nevertheless, they lead the QMJHL’s standings top the league in both goals scored (183) and goals conceded (110).

Tonight’s game features the two best offensive teams in the Cecchini circuit. While the Drakkar are first in goals, the Huskies are in second place with 182. They also have the third-best defence in the QMJHL, conceding 118 goals.

Before losing on Sunday in Baie-Comeau, they had earned points in their last 11 games. Martin Dagenais’s team is also fifth in the latest CHL Top 10.

The Copper Capital team has a significant advantage in offense: having the top scorer in the QMJHL, Antonin Verreault, with 67 points in 42 games. On defence, they have the league’s top scorer in Jérémy Langlois (ARI), who has 38 points in 37 games.

Tonight, one of the most important points will be to avoid the penalty box. The Drakkar is the most penalized team in the QMJHL with 496 penalty minutes; the Huskies are in third place with 473.

It will be a highly anticipated showdown for CHL fans between two teams aspiring to win the Gilles-Coutreau Trophy. The game can be seen live for free at 7:00 PM ET on CHL TV and RDS.ca.

Raoul Broilard — Baie-Comeau

NHL draft hopefuls will be particularly keeping an eye Boilard. He is currently the second-best prospect in the QMJHL after the most recent mid-season rankings by NHL Central Scouting ranked him 34th.

In fact, Boilard will be among the 40 participants in the 2024 Kubota CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game that takes place next Wednesday in Moncton.

In his first QMJHL season, he is currently the top scorer among rookies in the league with 41 points in 42 games. He also leads in goals (17) and plus/minus (+27).

Fans should keep an eye on his excellent play in both ends of the ice, as well as the quality of his skating.

Justin Gill — Baie-Comeau

Acquired this summer from the Sherbrooke Phoenix, where he formed a dynamic duo with current Montreal Canadiens player Joshua Roy, Gill has dominated in his 20-year-old season with the Drakkar. He ranks fourth in QMJHL scoring with 23 goals and 58 points in just 39 games.

In the 2022-2023 season with the Phoenix, Gill scored 44 goals and collected 93 points in 68 games. He was then drafted in the fifth round, 145th overall, by the New York Islanders in the 2023 NHL Draft.

Justin Poirier — Baie-Comeau 

It’s not complicated: keep an eye on Justin Poirier’s shot. He shoots very hard and he is accurate.

The proof: even though he is only 17 years old, he is currently tied for the top goalscorer in the QMJHL alongside Halifax’s Markus Vidicek with 31 goals in 42 games.

Poirier is also eligible for the 2024 NHL Draft, where he was ranked 73rd among North America skaters in NHL Central Scouting’s mid-term rankings.

A small detail to note: his older brother, Jérémie Poirier, currently plays for the Calgary Flames’ AHL affiliate, the Wranglers. He notably won the Memorial Cup in 2022 with the Saint John Sea Dogs.

William Rousseau — Rouyn-Noranda

Rousseau is easily of the main reasons behind the success of the Huskies this season.

The 20-year-old goaltender leads the QMJHL in practically all the important statistics among goaltenders. He is first in GAA (2.11) and shutouts (six) and he ranks second in wins (20) and save percentage (.930).

Last year, Rousseau backstopped Quebec to a QMJHL and Memorial Cup title before he was traded to the Huskies in the summer.

At the Memorial Cup, he was named the tournament’s outstanding goaltender, boasting a 2.15 goals against average and a .937 save percentage. In the QMJHL, he also won the Jacques-Plante Trophy for the best goals against average in the 2022-2023 season (2.22).

Antonin Verreault — Rouyn-Noranda

There is no choice but to keep an eye on the leading scorer of the QMJHL.

Acquired from the Gatineau Olympiques this summer, Verreault currently has 67 points in 42 games. His 41 assists also place him at the top of the Cecchini circuit.