Game played on 11/02/2024.
Caleb Desnoyers (C, L, 6’2″, 178, Moncton Wildcats, 04/11/2007)
Grade: A
Comments: Another wickedly good performance by Desnoyers who showcased his complete game and talent with a memorable hattrick. There’s not enough room here to pontificate about Desnoyers overall game and his ability to create and generate offensive chances and opportunities for himself and teammates. He was physically engaged from the drop of the puck and never backed down, There’s no question, Caleb Desnoyers was and is the best player on the ice on most nights, it’s his adaptability and versatility that continues to jump off the page. When teams key in on him, he continues to find a way, he continues to score and contribute, His in-game adjustments, awareness and ability to process the game at top speed continues to pay dividends him and his team. His skating ability and overall speed continues to get better with every outing.
Simon Mullen (D, L, 6’2″, 186, Moncton Wildcats, 09/17/2005)
Grade: A-
Comments: Simon Mullen has been outstanding to start the season. He’s had one tough outing or performance this season but those nights will happen. Mullen responded quickly and really learned from that experience. He had three assists vs the Foreurs. There’s no question Mullen is a ‘throwback’ defensive defencemen who transitions pucks efficiently and effectively. There’s no flash or dash in Mullen’s game, just hard-nosed in your face defensive structure with smart and effective puck moving ability. It’s so refreshing to see a smart defensive defenseman play the game and position with so much passion and precision. Mullen’s journey to this point of his career is certainly noteworthy. You see, you won’t see Mullen out there in every situation, and perhaps other scouts or organizations probably haven’t noticed him a ton either, and that’s perfectly ok because that’s exactly how he plays the game and position, (extremely quietly effective) Simon Mullen is a throwback defender and that’s a great thing to see.
Mathias Bourque (LW, L, 5’11”, 165, Val d’Or Foreurs, 02/05/2007)
Grade: C+
Comments: strong skater, solid skill set and puck skills, needs to get a lot stronger on his skates, but has great instincts when the puck is on his stick, Here’s another young player trying to find his way and footing within the league. Definitely didn’t back down from the physical side of the game and has a nasty streak to his game, but definitely needed to engage more and get to the middle of the ice with more frequency when the puck was on his stick.
Jordan Labelle (LW, L, 6’4″, 193, Val d’Or Foreurs, 05/07/2007)
Grade: B+
Comments: Prototypical power forward, skates very well for his size, will have to work on explosiveness and agility in tight areas of the ice to ensure he reaches his full potential at the pro level, Labelle is nasty to play against which is great to see, definitely plays with an edge and finishes all of his checks, thinks the game well and has good puck skills, Won’t light the world on fire when it comes to the offensive side of the game, but is incredibly reliable and processes the game well enough to play up and down any line up, good passer, north and south type of player that can definitely generate energy and grit to any line up, Labelle is the type of player that brings tons of value when it comes to the intangibles of the game, strong heavy accurate release, will have to work on getting his shot off a little quicker at the Q level. Mobility and agility is one thing that Labelle will have to key in on moving forward, it might be the one area of his game that will hold him back
Philippe Veilleux (F, L, 5’8″, 147, Val d’Or Foreurs, 03/26/2007)
Grade: A-
Comments: Highly skilled gritty two-way winger with great speed, doesn’t shy away from the dirty areas of the ice to create time and space for himself, really drives offensive opportunities with his speed and precision on the forecheck, extremely high compete level coupled with great puck skills, thinks the game incredibly well and does everything at top speed, phenomenal pro release, scored a beauty and silenced the entire crowd with that shot and goal! Veilleux is type of a player that coaches can trust to put on the ice in any situation, definitely a player that can play up or down the line up, definitely a player that can score and contribute at the next level, given his shot, he will excel as the trigger man at the Q level, Obviously, everyone will look at his size as a set back, but this kid can flat out play and seems to welcome any challenge, obstacle or criticism in his way, His ‘give a shit’ factor is off the charts. Here’s a kid that will continue to put up big numbers
Alix Durocher (LW, L, 5’9″, 164, Val d’Or Foreurs, 07/25/2006)
Grade: B+
Comments: dynamic energy player, highly skilled, explosive skater, this kid can fly out there, plays a lot bigger than his stature, will have to continue to work on his upper body strength to win board battles at the next level, but this kid was engaged throughout the entire game and made things happen every time he stepped on the ice. Durocher possesses a strong two-way gritty element to his game, fantastic hockey sense, this kid is relentless and loves to go to the dirty areas of the ice. He’s the straw that stirs the drink for the Foreurs.
Alexis Fortin (D, L, 6’3″, 220, Val d’Or Foreurs, 10/04/2007)
Grade: B+
Comments: strong skating defender, good mobility and edges, good lateral mobility for his size, needs to continue to work on his pivots, very active stick, plays with an edge, skates well enough to play both sides, probably better suited for the strong side at the junior level and beyond, solid puck skills, will have to work on that area and gain a little more confidence in that aspect of his game to reach his full potential at the next level, but that will come with reps and experience, good skater, but will continue to work on his explosiveness or first step, solid routes to pucks on retrieval, tons of potential here for this player as well, if he continues to trend and work on certain aspects of his game.
Eduard Bondar (D, L, 6’4″, 176, Val d’Or Foreurs, 01/31/2007)
Grade: B+
Comments: Very good skater and good mobility and edges for his size, There was one play in particular that really caught my attention, He got beat out wide, worked hard to get back and use his stick, but he made a massive adjustment on the fly and the next shift out, same player didn’t beat him out wide, here’s a young defender with a very nasty streak that is finding his way in the North American game on the fly and is a very very quick learn which is great to see. He has a solid first pass and solid puck skills, definitely a player to watch moving forward to see how he will continue to adapt and grow at the Q level, He had a very active stick downlow, defends well below the dots even with some agility issues in small areas. Bondar is already logging massive minutes in every situation but the power play and has already gained the trust of the Foreurs coaching staff. Bondar is a quiet talent and definitely a player to keep an eye on.
Photo Credit: Dan Hickling/Hickling Images