The 2020 Quebec Major Junior Hockey League Entry Draft is set for this weekend with the first round Friday night and rounds two through 14 held Saturday.
While the QMJHL isn’t much of a destination for New England players, there are still some intriguing storylines for hockey fans in the region. Where a couple of Hockey East commits are selected will be telling. Several top prospects from Quebec and the Maritimes who have shined in the New England region are expected to be selected in the first few rounds.
Just four players from New England skated in the QMJHL this past season. Bridgewater, Mass., native and former New Hampshire commit Zack Jones was the top-scoring forward from New England. In 63 games for the Halifax Mooseheads, the ’01 compiled 15 goals and 19 assists for 34 points.
Former Junior Bruins forward and Providence commit Matt Gould suited up for the Saint John Sea Dogs. One of his teammates was Riley Bezeau, who briefly played for the South Shore Kings youth organization. Defenseman Braeden Virtue patrolled the blue line for the Gatineau Olympiques.
Richard’s draft placement of concern to Black Bears
Maine commit and Mount Saint Charles 16-U defenseman Guillaume Richard will be watched closely at the 2020 QMJHL draft. He’s eligible to be selected again this year after not signing with the Victoriaville Tigres, the organization that selected him seventh overall in the first round of last year’s proceedings.
Richard, from Quebec City, Quebec, is a big-time recruit for the Black Bears. In addition to excelling for Mount Saint Charles, he played in six games with the USHL’s Tri-City Storm and had a terrific World Under-17 Challenge with Canada White.
The concern for college hockey, specially Maine, is that he’d be drafted by the Quebec Remparts, a team coached by former NHL star Patrick Roy. Playing for his hometown team during his draft year would be enticing.
Players to watch, 2020 QMJHL Entry Draft
There are a dozen or so players ranked in the top four rounds by QMJHL Central Scouting who I have seen fairly extensively in my travels throughout the rinks over the course of the past two years.
All of the players are from Quebec or the Maritimes. Some have played in the U.S., including with Mount Saint Charles and South Kent Selects Academy. Others have been on Canadian teams that have come to the U.S. or have played in spring and summer showcases such as the Junior Chowder Cup.
Below is my scouting report on 13 notable Canadian players who likely will be picked in the first few rounds of the 2020 QMJHL Entry Draft:
Tristan Luneau
Trois-Rivières Estacades, 1/12/04, D, right shot, 6-1/182
NCAA commit: Wisconsin
Luneau has been the consensus top-ranked ’04 in QMJHL territory for well over a year now. The Trois-Rivieres, Quebec, native skated for Canada at the Youth Olympic Games this past winter. In 42 Midget games this past season, Luneau had eight goals and 27 assists. He’s a silky smooth, two-way defenseman with good size.
Noah Warren
College Charles-Lemoyne, 7/15/04, D, right shot, 6-3.25/198
I saw Warren last July at the Junior Chowder Cup. I had him ranked as the top ’04 defenseman at the event. He’s a big, strong blueliner with a ton of upside. He shoots the puck hard, plays with a mean streak, and can skate fairly well for a big guy. He’s rated ninth by QMJHL Central Scouting.
Michael La Starza
Shattuck-St. Mary’s 16-U, 1/14/04, C, left shot, 5-10/170
I’ve seen La Starza several times with Shattuck-St. Mary’s and in a couple of summer showcases in New England. La Starza was the best player in the Junior Chowder Cup last summer. He produces because of his shiftiness and ability to make plays in small areas. His edge work was very good and he was able to get space for himself and his teammates. Rated 10th by QMJHL Central Scouting, La Starza has signed a tender to play with Waterloo in the USHL.
Leighton Carruthers
Halifax McDonald’s, 7/18/04, C, left shot, 5-9/160
Carruthers is a gifted goal scorer who I saw at last summer’s Junior Chowder Cup. He skates well and can finish with elite hands and a quick release. The Upper Tantallon, Nova Scotia, native is rated 11th by QMJHL Central Scouting.
Yoan Loshing
Mississauga Senators, 2/29/04, C, left shot, 5-9/155
I saw Loshing at the Beast-GTHL Border Battle last October in Rochester, N.Y. He’s a goal scorer, but his skating and hockey sense allow him to be a complete, 200-foot center. QMJHL Central Scouting has him pegged at 19th.
Ryan Hopkins
Stanstead College, 4/15/04, D, right shot, 5-9/130
I saw Stanstead a few times this past winter as the Canadian prep school toured New England a couple of times. In each viewing, he stood out right away as the top ’04 on an older team. His vision and skating ability as a puck-moving defensemen is what has him ranked 23rd by QMJHL Central Scouting.
Duncan Ramsay
Mount Academy, 2/8/04, D, left shot, 6-2/170
Ramsay impressed me in a pair of ECEL events in January and February. The Belnan, Nova Scotia, native is a good-sized, rangy defenseman who plays a simple and steady game. He’s smooth and his puck touches are consistently smart. He’s rated one spot below Hopkins by QMJHL Central Scouting.
Jake Furlong
Mount Saint Charles 15’s, 3/4/04, D, left shot, 5-9/140
I liked Furlong all year long while skating top-pairing minutes for Scott Gainey’s team. Furlong is a smart, puck-moving defenseman who kept things simple. He makes plays and impacts the game in a positive fashion on just about every shift. Furlong is ranked 25th by QMJHL Central Scouting.
Isaac Menard
Trois-Rivieres Estacades, 4/8/04, D, left shot, 5-8.5/138
I haven’t seen Menard in a while, but he was very impressive at last year’s Eastern Exposure Cup All-Star Weekend. He’s undersized, but he has tremendous feet and was very mobile. Menard comes in at No. 31 in QMJHL Central Scouting’s final rankings.
Jordan Dumais
Selects Academy 15’s, 4/15/04, RW, right Shot, 5-9/155
From Ile Bizard, Quebec, Dumais sometimes slipped under the radar playing on a line that included OHL first-round pick David Goyette at center. Still, Dumais is a very good skater with tremendous hockey sense. He makes plays with his vision and elite skill. Dumais is ranked 32nd by QMJHL Central Scouting.
Matthew Maltais
Saint-Hyacinthe, 9/2/04, D, left shot, 6-1/152
NCAA commit: Nebraska-Omaha
Maltais, rated 38th by QMJHL Central Scouting, showed off his goal-scoring touch at last summer’s Junior Chowder Cup. He looked to be a player who would fight for loose pucks and go to the greasy areas to score goals.
Sam Oliver
Rothesay Netherwood, 7/4/04, C, left shot, 5-10/177
Oliver is a strong-skating center who can shoot the puck hard and with pinpoint accuracy. From Quispamsis, New Brunswick, his stride is a little funky, but he gets the job done. He’s a smart player who is rated 40th by QMJHL Central Scouting.
Jake Rozzi
Selects Academy 15’s, 1/27/04, LW, left shot, 5-11/137
Rozzi was the third member of Selects Academy’s vaunted top line with Goyette and Dumais. He reportedly has significant interest in playing college hockey, but his skill and skating will land him in the top three or four rounds of the QMJHL draft. He’s rated 42nd by QMJHL Central Scouting.
James Swan
Lac St-Louis Lions, 1/2/04, C, left shot, 5-7/187
Swan, rated 59th, is a physically mature forward who uses his size and strength to score goals and get time and space for open teammates. He showed off his goal-scoring ability at the 2018 Beantown NAPS.
