4 DEFENCEMEN WHO COULD SURPRISE

With an influx of young talent coming to the Mooseheads for the 2016-17 season the stage is set for an entertaining and competitive training camp in late August and early September. All players will need to show up in great shape and ready to fight for a job because not everyone is guaranteed a spot on the roster just because they were on the team last year.

The Mooseheads have broke camp with 14 forwards, eight defencemen and two goalies in each of the past two seasons. The defencemen eligible to return from last season are:

19 year-olds: Captain Taylor Ford, J-S Taillefer
18-year-olds: Morgan Nauss, Cooper Jones
17-year-olds: Jocktan Chainey, Walter Flower

Second overall draft choice Jared McIsaac is obviously a lock to make the team which adds to a crowded defensive corps. Below is a list of four players who could compete for one of the coveted spots on Andre Tourigny’s blueline.

JORDAN LEPAGE – 3RD ROUND 44TH OVERALL 2015 QMJHL ENTRY DRAFT
Lepage has a lot of upside that has the coaches and scouting staff excited. He will definitely get a long look at camp. He sat out early in the season after recovering from an injury but went on to play 30 games with the College Notre-Dame Albatros and scored two goals and six assists to go along with 44 penalty minutes. Lepage saw action in one game with the Mooseheads in 2015-16 when he was called up to play in his hometown of Rimouski. He recorded two shots on goal and was a -1.

MATHIEU CHARLEBOIS – 3RD ROUND 48TH OVERALL 2015 QMJHL ENTRY DRAFT
Charlebois has size and strength which are his biggest attributes. He will need to show improved skating and hockey IQ to make an impact. He scored 16 points in 43 games with College Esther-Blondin and finished the season with a +15 rating while leading the team with 118 penalty minutes. The Blainville, QC native is listed at 6-foot-3 and 220 pounds.

DENIS TONER – 8TH ROUND 134TH OVERALL 2015 QMJHL ENTRY DRAFT
Toner had an excellent Midget AAA season with the Fredericton Canadiens where he scored 34 points in 35 games. The Saint-Andre, NB native was called up to the Woodstock Slammers of the MHL for the playoffs and he had another four points in five games. He was named the Luc Bourdon award winner as the NBPEIMMHL top defenceman in 2015-16 and earned a spot on the 1st All-Star team. Toner’s skill set could make things even more interesting in the blueline competition later this summer.

PETER DILIBERATORE – 4TH ROUND 57TH OVERALL 2016 QMJHL ENTRY DRAFT
The star Dartmouth Subaru’s defenceman is the youngest player on this list. The Mooseheads were excited to see that he was still available in the fourth round of the draft in Charlottetown and were not prepared to let the hometown player get by them with pick #57. Although small in size at 5-foot-9 and 133 pounds, Diliberatore plays an intelligent game and racked up 21 points and 32 penalty minutes in 38 games with Dartmouth. He had an impressive postseason where he scored another eight points in 11 games and helped lead his team to the Telus Cup, scoring two goals and two assists in five games during the National Championship tournament.

ALSO IN THE MIX:
Jake Rathbone – 1999-05-20 – West Roxbury, MA – 10th round 165th overall ’16 QMJHL Draft
William Smith – 2000-03-22 – L’Assomption, QC – 11th round 183rd overall ’16 QMJHL Draft
Brian Scoville – 1999-03-28 – Agawam, MA – 12th round 201st overall ’16 QMJHL Draft
Cedric Matte – 2000-01-14 – Waterville, QC – 14th round 237th overall ’16 QMJHL Draft