Played on October 8, 2023
Noah Laberge (D, L, 6’0″, 177, Acadie-Bathurst Titan, 10/09/2006)
Game Grade: B-
Comments: Noah Laberge Acadie-Bathurst Titan B- Rating Very skilled two and half zone defender, great skating ability and agility, great first pass, not a flashy defender, but makes smart plays and the right plays all of the time, great routes to pucks on puck retrieval, shields and protects very well, good puck skills in traffic, physical and brings a gritty aspect to his transitional game, will need to get stronger to reach his full potential at the next level, obviously people will look at his size as a weakness, this kid is a fierce competitor and is getting better with every rep and game played, as a first year player/defender in the league, he’s highly effective, composed and relaxed. Can play in any situation at any time in the game, coaches dream to have on the ice, because you know exactly what you will get from Laberge every time he jumps the boards.
Spencer Gill (D, R, 6’4″, 185, Rimouski Oceanic, 08/17/2006)
Game Grade: B-
Comments: Spencer Gill Rimouski Oceanic B- Rating Spencer Gill is on a similar trajectory to that of his older brother former Rouyn-Norada Huskies 1st rounder and Tampa Bay Lightning 7th rounder Dyllan Gill. The similarities are truly uncanny, but Spencer is on his own path in the game. Gill’s poise with the puck and ability to make tough plays look routine jump off the page. He’s not the fastest player on the ice, but he’s definitely one of the smartest. His explosiveness needs to improve, but that will come with maturity, time and increased strength. Gill has the foundation to be solid two and half zone defenceman at the next level. Spencer takes solid routes to pucks, hits the open man with relative ease and is willing to take a hit to make a play in all three zones. By no means is he explosive, he’s very tactical with and without the puck. Gill’s decision making and poise with the puck is extremely similar to that of his brother. Gill’s shot has vastly improved over the last few years and is incredibly accurate. He has the ability to eat massive amounts of minutes in every situation, will need to get stronger from an upper body perspective to inflict some damage and impose his will on forwards below the dots in his own zone.
Alexandre Blais (LW, L, 5’10”, 154, Rimouski Oceanic, 11/14/2005)
Game Grade: B+
Comments: Alexandre Blais LSF: B+ Rating Great edges and skating ability, will have to continue to work on his quickness and explosiveness to reach his full potential at the next level, great foundation in which to build on, tremendous hockey IQ and play making ability, smooth operator when it comes to distributing the puck, good in traffic, will have to continue to get stronger from an upper body perspective so he can win more one on one puck battles, but definitely has all the tools to be an effective two-way player at the pro level, His skating will definitely improve when he continues to gain more muscle.
Quinn Kennedy (C, L, 5’10”, 171, Rimouski Oceanic, 02/06/2006)
Game Grade: B+
Comments: Quinn Kennedy Rimouski Oceanic B- Rating Extremely cerebral player, tremendous hockey sense, great playmaker and individual skills, relentless on the forecheck and in all three zones, hunts pucks, solid two-way presence, good in the face-off dot, possesses an extra gear at any time, great elusiveness and puck skills in traffic, hard accurate shot, will need to get stronger from an upper body perspective to ensure he excels at the next level and wins puck battles at the center position, plays a very similar game to that of Montreal Canadiens draft choice and Nova Scotian product Riley Kidney, his point totals will drastically increase with a larger role and top six minutes this season.
Photo Credit: Dan Hickling/Hickling Images
Scout: Craig Eagles