This was the first of a back-to-back set between the Phoenix and Huskies. The final score was 5- 0 for the Huskies, however the game felt a lot closer than this for most of the night. Sherbrooke had chances to get on the scoreboard and failed to capitalize. They were very much still in the game after two periods, but Rouyn-Noranda scored three times in the third to seal the deal.
Sherbooke draft eligible players
| Jasmin Simon | Lac St-Louis Grenadiers | Midget | L | G | 6’4″ | 168 | Sherbrooke Phoenix | Not yet rated |
Simon is a big goalie at 6-foot-4, and at times he used his size effectively in this game by playing at the top of the crease, challenging shooters and giving them very little net to shoot at. He was effective when staying square to the shooter and showed he can get from one side of the crease to the other quickly on a pair of two-on-one rushes by the Huskies in the second period. However, he went down too early on a couple of Rouyn-Noranda goals, and lost track of the puck on another. Given his size and the way he moves around the crease, it will be interesting to see how he develops throughout the season. Rating: C+
| Christophe Rondeau | Sherbrooke Phoenix | QMJHL | L | D | 5’10” | 159 | Sherbrooke Phoenix | St-Lazare, QC | 2003 | Not yet rated |
Rondeau is an undersized, LHS defenseman with excellent skating skills. In this matchup, he looked agile, quick and athletic, with a nice stride and explosive first-step quickness. He moved the puck out of the defensive zone efficiently and consistently, using quick and accurate passes to open teammates. He was calm under pressure, using his skating and puck handling skills to buy himself more time when under attack. A drawback in the game for Rondeau was that he got muscled off the puck on a couple of occasions by bigger, stronger opponents. He had a difficult time subduing opposing forwards in front of his net as well, but we feel that as he continues to develop and gain strength that Rondeau is a defender to keep an eye on. Rating: C+
| Jaheem Lagace-Aurelien | College Esther Blondin | QMAAA | L | F | 6’0″ | 172 | Sherbrooke Phoenix | Mascouche, QC | 2003 | 2020-2021: C |
With good size and first-step quickness, Lagacé-Aurélien was an effective forechecker in this game, and in the first period his speed and physicality played a key role in hemming Rouyn-Noranda in their own zone on multiple shifts. On the couple of occasions he did generate scoring chances, but Lagacé-Aurélien failed to seriously test Huskies’ goalie Samuel Richard. Although he has been a scorer at lower levels it appears he is still adjusting to the size of QMJHL goaltenders and the quickness of QMJHL defensive zone coverage. Rating: C+
| Vincent Trudel | Trois-Rivières Estacades | QMAAA | L | D | 5’11” | 181 | Sherbrooke Phoenix | Shawinigan, QC | 2003 | Not yet rated |
Not a significant factor in this game. Rating: C
Rouyn-Noranda draft eligible players
| Marc-Antoine Seguin | Gatineau L’Intrepede | QMAAA | R | F | 6’0″ | 181 | Rouyn-Noranda Huskies | Gatineau, QC | 2003 | 2020-2021: C |
Seguin was the best forward on either team in this game. He finished with two goals, and also set up multiple scoring chances. On his first goal, he took a pass in the slot, moved to his right, patiently waited for the goalie to start going down, and roofed a quick shot into the top right-hand corner. On his second goal, Seguin took a pass at the top of the right faceoff circle, and one-timed a bullet of a snap shot over the goalie’s blocker side shoulder. The quick release and accuracy of this shot was impressive. Seguin displayed good straight-away speed, and had no problem getting from point A to point B once he got going. However, he lost momentum when turning and his first-step quickness was average at best in this one. Rating: B+
| Anthony Turcotte | Amos Forestiers | QMAAA | R | F | 6’1″ | 174 | Rouyn-Noranda Huskies | 2019 | Val-d’Or, QC | 2003 | 2020-2021: C |
Turcotte was strong along the walls and fairly effective in the faceoff circle, winning seven of 14 draws. But overall, his play wasn’t a significant factor in this game. Rating: C
| Jared Cosman | Fredericton Red Wings | SMHL | R | D | 5’11” | 174 | Rouyn-Noranda Huskies | Grand Bay-Westfield, NB | 2003 | Not yet rated |
Not a significant factor in this game. Rating: C
| Jordan Cote | Levis Chevaliers | QMAAA | L | F | 6’0″ | 187 | Rouyn-Noranda Huskies | Black Lake, QC | 2003 | 2020-2021: C |
Not a significant factor in this game. Rating: C
Photo Credit: Dan Hickling/Hickling Images
Game Evaluation: Darcy MacRae