The next wave of Atlantic Canadian talent is ready to embark on a journey to accomplish their dream of playing professional hockey. From the QMJHL, to the BCHL to knocking on the NHL’s door, players from this region continue to excel at junior level.
The dream of playing pro hockey isn’t so farfetched as once imagined for players coming from the Atlantic Canada. An opportunity to play and the dream continues to fuel young players from this region to believe that anything is possible when it comes to the game of hockey. This feature will focus on those from this region currently playing and excelling in the QMJHL and one player that has dominated the BCHL.
It’s also noteworthy to showcase some overage players that might have the opportunity to sign pro contracts. For them the dream of playing pro hockey is still well alive. The unconventional path to the pros or the road less traveled is always the most rewarding. Josh Currie, Jordan Murray, Zack MacEwen Jeremy McKenna, Matthew Highmore, Ross Johnson and Philippe Myers are all perfect examples of Maritimers that have reached the pro level in their unique way.
Nothing seems out of reach for young aspiring Atlantic Canadians given the one characteristic that defines them all. Work ethic.
This year’s crop of NHL Draft Prospects are blazing their own unique path in the game.
Bradly Nadeau RSF Penticton Vees BCHL (Projects to be a mid to late 1st round pick)
What hasn’t been written about the Nadeau Show in the BCHL over the last few years. Some players have dreamed about this opportunity their entire lives. It’s their moment to shine at the next level or on the biggest stage. Many are more than ready and prepared for this experience.
It’s hard to think Bradly Nadeau could shine any brighter than last season, but the quiet and humble fiercely competitive talented forward for the Penticton Vees of the BCHL was undoubtedly a player to watch when the season started. He surpassed any expectations this season putting up monumental numbers for the Vees. As I wrote in August, Nadeau would handle NHL draft pressure the same way he handled his first foray into the BCHL, which was outstanding.
The skilled savvy winger scored 20 goals in 26 assists in 49 games as a 16-year-old. In 17 games in the playoffs, he would add 11 goals and 13 assists.
As a 17-year-old, he scored 45 goals and recorded 68 assists in only 54 games. In 17 playoff games this year, Nadeau scored 17 goals and 18 assists. Nadeau is unrelating in his pursuit of his hockey dreams. No matter what level Nadeau has always brought the goods.
Surprisingly, Nadeau was unsuccessful at making Team Canada’s Hlinka-Gretzky Team last summer, which only motivated even more. As I wrote in August of last year, “an ultra-motivated Bradley Nadeau will be quite something to behold.” There’s no question he dominated the league and vaulted up tons of draft boards.
This kid turned a lot of heads in his two seasons in the BCHL with his extraordinary complete two-way style of play. We all know Josh and Bradly are destine to star at the University of Maine, which they will in the 2023-2024 season.
The sky is the limit for both Nadeau Brother’s, but it’s going to be very intriguing to see how much damage they will inflict at the University of Maine and beyond. It would be great to see the team that selects Bradly also invite Josh to their Dev. Camp and Rookie to see how Josh would fit as well and continue to dominant together.
Cam Squires RSF Cape Breton Eagles (Started the year being a Late 3rd or early 4th Round pick, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he goes in the Late 2nd or early in the 3rd given his progression this year)
Here are a few reports over the season, it’s interesting to see his progression,
- Squires is an elite level skater that possesses a dynamic puck skills and release. He has the ability to beat players one on one with his speed and agility and can score from all over the ice with his hard accurate quick release. It’s all about getting to the middle and executing with this player, he can definitely make things happen and plays with an edge. He doesn’t shy away from the physicality of the game or position; he has good habits and makes plays on the wall in all three zones. His ability to create time and space for himself and his linemates in traffic is one of his strongest attributes coupled with skating and agility. Squires will have to continue to get stronger from an upper body perspective to ensure he can win puck battles at the next level to ensure he reaches his full potential.
- Cam is elite skating, highly skilled crafty winger with great speed and agility, His ability to close in quickly on the forecheck creates turnovers. He pressures pucks in all three zones, His puck skills are exceptional and never shy’s away from going to the dirty areas of the ice to create and drive offence for himself and his teammates, it’s all about engaging and getting to the middle of the ice which Cam does very well at the QMJHL level, when he gets to the middle, he just has to execute with more consistency. He has a fantastic pro ready release, his board work is very good, coupled with his vision and processing makes him a very dangerous elusive player at the QMJHL level, Cam’s ability to do everything at top speed is one of strongest attributes and will definitely serve him well at the pro level.
- Cam Squires is a player to watch and potentially projects to be a highly effective scoring winger, his responsible defensive play in all three zones coupled his individual skill makes him a very interesting prospect. Cam continues to log massive minutes in every situation for the Eagles. He plays both forward positions with relative ease, there’s no question he will be better suited playing the wing at the next level. His playing making ability and instincts are really shining bright right now. He has great speed and agility, His ability to close in and hunt pucks down quickly on the forecheck creates tons of turnovers and offence. His puck skills are exceptional and never shy’s away from going to the dirty areas of the ice to create and drive offence for himself and his teammates, Cam is getting to the middle more and more, which was something that I observed he needed to work on early in the season. He’s starting to generate offensive opportunities every time he steps on the ice.
Tyler Peddle: (LSF) Drummondville Voltigeurs (Projects to be a late 3rd round or a early 4th round pick) Peddle is a natural sniper, one of the best quick releases in the entire league if not the best, doesn’t need any time or space to get it off, great individual skill set, really improved his overall two-way game, but he still needs work on his urgency in defensive situations, needs to apply more back pressure, He’s extremely skilled, solid skater and edges, but is still lacking explosiveness, could blossom into a solid power forward at the pro level and really drive offense from the wing position, Will need to get stronger and more explosive to excel at the next level, processes the game very well, at times doesn’t play with enough jam or compete away from the puck which won’t float at the pro level, the sky is the limit for Peddle, he has all the tools to effective scoring winger, but needs to continue to build and work on his already amazing foundation of skills.
Dylan MacKinnon RSD Halifax Mooseheads (Projects to be a possible Late 3rd or Early 4th Round Pick) Skilled. Hardworking. Focused. Poised. Confident. Dylan MacKinnon possesses all the intangibles it takes to become an effective defender at the next level. I’ve had the privilege of watching this kid play the game he loves since he was 15 years old, he’s worked incredibly hard to get to this point in his career, Dylan is a gritty transitional defender that skates extremely well, he’s tremendously agile and mobile for his size. He has all the tools to be a two and a half zone defender at the next level. His speed and agility coupled with his puck skills creates havoc for would be forecheckers, he skates out of trouble and distributes pucks well, he reads the ice extremely well and is has a solid first pass, MacKinnon can play any style of game and is flat out nasty to play against, He takes a lot of pride in the playing the game and position the right way, the hard way and never quits when it comes to one on one puck battles.
His escapability and instincts for the game and position are definitely solid, one area of his game that might need some work is his processing and decision making with the puck below the dots when starting the breakout in traffic or under pressure, he possesses a solid first pass, but his processing and decision making needs to be a slightly quicker.
Matteo Mann RSD Chicoutimi Sagueneens (Projects to be a Late 2nd or early 3rd round pick) Matteo Mann has incredible feet and range for his size, his mobility and agility are off the charts. He’s arguably one of the best skaters in this 2023 QMJHL NHL Draft class. I’ve watched this players progression from 15 years old to now, You would be hard pressed to find a hard worker and true student of the game as Matteo Mann. He can play in any situation and has really developed into a lock down defender that is very difficult to play against. His puck skills are very underrated. He has a massive reach and can really dictate his opponents’ intensions and offensive opportunities with that facet of his game. He has great gap control and takes great routes to pucks on the breakout. He thinks the game extremely well, and has very good puck skills and a quality first pass. His instincts to jump into the play and support the rush are very underrated. His willingness to block shots and do all the little things that the position and game entail really sets him apart when looking at defenders within this draft class in the Q. He has a great shot from the point position and has an uncanny knack to get pucks through in traffic. Critics will probably say at his size he will need to play with a lot more bit and bring a nasty element at the pro level, I think that aspect of his game will continue to develop with age and maturity. Mann has the capability to be a solid two and half zone defender at the pro level. Critics will also question his offensive numbers and the potential to generate offence at the next level, Mann has the capability and skill to play on weak side of any power play, his offensive numbers would probably increase significantly if given an opportunity to play on the man advantage at the junior level. A Rating
Luke Coughlin LSD Rimouski Oceanic (Projects to be a Late 3rd or early to mid 4th round pick) Tremendous skater, outstanding puck skills, great instincts, less is more at the next level, all the tools to be an effective two and half zone d-man at the pro level, transitional presence, isn’t scared to get his nose dirty either, great shot from the point and mobility on the offensive blueline, will need to get stronger which will also help his explosiveness in one on one battles below the dots. An injury definitely hurt potential viewings, but if scouts do their homework which they do, they will know that this kid wants it bad, his character and the intangibles he brings are off the charts, he worked incredibly hard to get back to playing at 100%, this kid gets better and better every time he steps on the ice, tons of potential, he will have a breakout season for the Oceanic and put up monumental numbers in 2023-2024.
Luke Patterson LSF Cape Breton Eagles: (Late round pick potential, a definite sleeper pick) Luke has solid presence through the middle when he has the opportunity to play there, he’s a natural centreman, but is playing a lot on the wing this season, he’s gaining a lot of confidence with his skating and mobility, great vision and passing ability, needs to generate more offensive opportunities off the rush and take pucks to the net when the opportunity presents itself, Patterson has really worked hard on his stride and explosiveness, He was logging top 9 minutes early on in the season, but here was a player that needed to see more power play time to excel and continue to put numbers up, really hunts pucks on the forecheck and has a great stick in all three zones, Perfect example of a young player that needed to play more and the right position in every situation, Patterson worked very hard on rehabbing an injury and came back to the lineup, but didn’t have the opportunity to play a ton after that. There was no question that lack of opportunity potentially hurt his draft stock, but if scouts trust their early viewings and understand the lack of opportunity, they will see a player that will definitely have a breakout sophomore season with the Eagles. Tons of offensive instinct and poise and creativity with the puck in traffic, definitely a sleeper pick for a team or organization looking for a player that has put up points at every level in the later rounds of the draft.
Preston Lounsbury LSF Moncton Wildcats (Projects to be a Late round pick, definite Sleeper Pick) Lounsbury is engaged and tries to get to the middle and the dirty areas of the ice every time he steps on the ice which is great to see. He’s still a little light, but in the case of players like Preston, it’s all about the projection. Where is he going to be at 21, 22 or 23? Well, his character and work ethic coupled with his progression over the last few years and months put him on a very good pro trajectory. He struggled at times with the puck on the half boards against stronger and bigger opponents vs the Phoenix, but he didn’t hesitate to go back to those areas and continued to battle for loose pucks, Lounsbury’s will to compete and character will definitely propel him to the pro game. His individual skill and speed continues to improve and be showcased at times. Here’s a player that started the season in the Cats bottom six and now finds him well solidified in a top six role with the club. That’s a testament to the intangibles he possesses and his work ethic. Preston Lounsbury is a definitely a sleeper pick, but he definitely has pro potential and the intangibles it takes to play pro hockey.
Cole Burbidge LSF Saint John Sea Dogs (Projects to be a late round draft pick, Sleeper pick potential) There were flashes of brilliance, but that needed to be a little more consistent when viewing Burbidge. He’s a solid skater, needs some work on his explosiveness, good linear speed and agility in traffic, this player has tremendous puck skills, great in traffic, processes the game well, like other young forwards coming into the QMJHL, it’s all about gaining confidence, consistency and experience at this level. Will have to get stronger from an upper body perspective to ensure he wins more one on one puck battles, Here’s a player that still hasn’t reached his full potential, if he gets stronger and becomes more consistent he will put up wicked numbers at the Q level and could become a very solid two-way forward with tons of offensive upside at the next level.
Matteo Rotondi (LSD) Drummondville Voltigeurs (Sleeper Pick Potential) Solid skating, stay at home defenceman, not flashy and projects to be will be a solid 5 or 6 D man at the pro level, has only played the position for roughly five years, good edges and agility, Rotondi has really worked on that aspect of his game and it shows, he has good separation and explosion that might have been lacking in the last few years, has gained a lot of confidence with puck in transition, good pivots and has a very active stick, good decisions with the puck, and processes the game well, With Rotondi it’s all about elevating his game and playing with more pace so he can reach his full potential at the pro level,
Justin Gendron RSF Victoriaville Tigres (Sleeper Pick Potential) Justin was a dynamic scoring winger at the U-18 level. He possesses all the tools to be an effective top six forward in the QMJHL, but will have to continue to work on his explosiveness, play away from the puck and consistency to reach his full potential at the next level. Justin thinks the game very well, possesses great puck skills, distributes the puck effectively and has a very accurate heavy shot. He’s a natural goal scorer. Like most highly skilled wingers he will have to continue to get stronger and quicker to compete and win more puck battles in traffic. Justin plays a similar game to that of Alex Beaucage, injuries definitely derailed his progression, but here’s a player that put up a very quiet 17 goals in 44 games. That could potentially be the issue, Gendron is quiet, he needs to bring more jam and urgency to his game, if he gets stronger and has a full season free of injury he has the potential and skill to put up at least 35 or 40 goals at the Q level. Has all of the tools to play at the next level, just needs to get stronger and more explosive, everything is there, just needs to find it and consistently bring it
Anton Topilnyckyj RSD Charlottetown Islanders (Projects to be Late 5th or early 6th Round Pick) Outstanding potential, needs to engage and be more physical at times just to send a message, great puck mover and feet for his size, needs a slight more urgency to his game, and needs to get stronger to win more puck battles, if he figures it out, he will be a dynamic force at the Q level and beyond, Here’s a player that is just starting to find his way and what it takes to be a force in all three zones, if he continues on this trajectory he will put up massive numbers at could be a beast at 20 in the Q. Here’s another player that I’ve seen since 15, he has improved every year I’ve seen him, he just needs to continue to grow into the player everyone knows he can be, urgency and jam, that’s what he needs in his game to propel him to all new heights.
Joseph Henneberry LSF Acadie-Bathurst Titan: (Potential Sleeper Pick) strong skating forward, very agile, moves very well for his size, great puck skills in open ice, strong accurate release, consistency is the issue with Henneberry, some nights he’s engaged and on every puck, others he struggles to engage and get to the middle, too perimeter and not strong enough on pucks, he can create in open ice and has great speed, but he will have to get a lot stronger upper body wise and be more willing to engage in all three zones if he wants to make the jump to the next level, there’s something with this player, there’s flashes of it, just needs to bring it on a more consistent basis, could be a solid middle six forward with offensive upside at the next level, but has to play with more grit and defensive responsibility, the talent is definitely there, but needs to apply that more consistently.
Riley Mercer LCG Drummondville Voltigeurs (Sleeper Pick Potential) Here’s another player that delt with an injury and worked extremely hard to get back to form. Mercer slipped through the draft a season ago but was invited to Montreal Canadiens camp and showed well. Mercer is a throwback athletically gifted hybrid netminder, he’s a battler and is unrelenting between the pipes. The 19-year-old is ranked 24th on the NHL Central Scouting List amongst North American goaltenders. In 22 appearances, the Bay Roberts, NFLD product had a record of 13-7-2 with a 3.07 GAA and .902 save percentage. It might be a long shot to see Mercer get selected, but here’s a kid that has tons of potential, he’s the type of netminder that can really carry a team and steal a ton of games. He possesses so many intangibles which takes to win, with his work ethic being undoubtedly his strongest trait and attribute, Riley Mercer will not be outworked when it comes to accomplishing his dream to play professional hockey.
Ryan Hopkins RSD Penticton Vees BCHL (Sleeper Pick Potential) Ryan Hopkins was selected by the Moncton Wildcats in the 2nd round two years ago. Hopkins elected to go west and take the school route instead of trying his hand at the CHL. He will be patrolling the blueline at the University of Maine next season. The slick puck moving transitional two and half zone defender also fell through the draft a season ago, he put up very impressive numbers this season with the high powered Vees. In 48 games, Hopkins scored 10 goals and added 39 assists. He only appeared in 3 playoff games this season, but had five assists in those games. Hopkins definitely sleeper pick potential, if he doesn’t get selected, there’s no question he deserves a Dev. Camp and Rookie Camp invite.
Potential Overage Free Agent Signee
Nico Savoie LSD Quebec Remparts For the past five seasons Nicolas Savoie has called the QMJHL and Quebec home.Savoie’s journey to the QMJHL and tremendous junior career ended on the highest note possible. A Gilles Courteau Trophy Champion. A Memorial Cup Champion. The Dieppe, New Brunswick product did it the right way every time he laced them up. These days it’s incredibly rare to see a player of Savoie’s skill, character, and grit play in the same city for their entire major junior career. There’s no question a defenceman like Savoie was a highly sought-after asset over the years within the league. The Remparts brain trust believed and trusted in the ultra-competitive, two and half zone defender and wanted to build around him in hopes of landing a President Cup and a Memorial Cup which they did.
The Q is never easy on young defenders. They often find themselves in and out of the lineup at 16 and 17. They often find the transition insurmountable at times with all the pressure and demands of the league and position. There’s no question Savoie had his share of struggles over the years, especially playing on rebuilding Remparts teams early on. He handled all that adversity with the same poise, determination, confidence and relentless drive he approaches the game with.
You see Nicolas Savoie is a throwback player. He competes on every 50/50 puck battle like it’s his last. A matter of fact he plays every shift and every game the same way. He stands up for his teammates. His give a “shit factor” has always been through the roof which is also extremely rare these days. He’s a charismatic leader and fierce competitor who never backs down. You can win a lot of hockey games with players like, but you will always win the games that matter most with players like Nico Savoie in your lineup. It’s incredibly difficult to play as an overager in the QMJHL. So much is asked of you, Nico Savoie meets and surpasses every aspect of that criteria. He’s been the cornerstone in the Remparts defensive corps since his arrival in 2018-2019.
What about his numbers? If you’re so inclined, take a look at his stat line over the years and see the progression in his game on the offensive side of things, it’s extremely impressive, but Savoie’s impact with the Remparts organization over the course of the last five years goes far beyond any stat sheet. For the last five years Nico Savoie has been a pillar of consistency in an incredibly demanding market for a very demanding, but great coach in Patrick Roy.
Nico Savoie, didn’t take the conventional path to QMJHL, he was never a flashy highly touted prospect, he just trusted his own path and the process, worked his ass off and played the game and position the right way every time out. Savoie never lost sight of the value of hard work and dedication. Nico Savoie is very deserving of a pro contract, he’s definitely earned it!
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