NASHVILLE | NHL scouts have long predicted, and they were right: the 2023 draft is officially the worst draft in QMJHL history.
• Also read: No QMJHL player was selected in the first round
• Also read: NHL Draft: Would you have picked the top 2 QMJHL players or Alex Newhook?
A total of 12 players from the Cecchini circuit were named in one or the other of the seven rounds of the draft. Five of them are Quebecers.
The old mediocrity record was 14, set in 2016 and 2017.
“Of course we still have a lot to do,” assured the commissioner of the QMJHL, Mario Cecchini. This is not the cuvée you want. There are several levers we will work on.
“It’s very cyclical, though,” the commissioner annoyed. We may be disappointed, but don’t panic.
There are several factors to consider
It’s quite a construction site. The development of ice hockey in Quebec is a topic that has long polarized people.
“In the short term we have to see what we can improve. I had the opportunity this week to have face-to-face meetings with the General Managers of the National League. I also sat down with our coaches and business leaders. I would say that in 15 or 20 meetings there are 10 or 12 different opinions. You have to take the time to look at all of this. […] There is nothing that is not analyzed. Everyone is at the same point and that makes me happy, there is no polarization in the discourse. Everyone recognizes the elements that we can work on.”
Among the possible solutions Cecchini is considering is the difference between one player from the QMJHL — and the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) in general — and another from the NCAA in the time that teams offer them a first pro contract must. Keep in mind that a CHL player must sign a maximum of two years after selection if the team wants to retain their rights, while in the NCAA the deadline is four seasons.
“I’m not saying it’s a problem, but we’ll definitely look into it.”
Other elements that are incorrect include the large number of NHL teams that do not have scouts in Quebec.
“Someone on an NHL team told me yesterday that when he took office not long ago, there were no scouts in Quebec. That breaks my heart. That’s unacceptable,” he admitted.
The QMJHL viewed from above?
What we also often hear is that the QMJHL is often not treated on an equal footing with other leagues, both in Canada and elsewhere. According to Cecchini, this is not the case.
“I’ve spent a lot of time with Dan Marr, NHL Central’s director of scouting, and that’s not his analysis at all.” I put the question to him, very, very frankly.
In addition, the commissioner of the QMJHL does not plan to reduce the regular season schedule in the short term.
QMJHL PLAYER SELECTED SINCE 2010
- 2010: 22
- 2011: 22
- 2012: 19
- 2013: 31
- 2014: 17
- 2015: 30
- 2016: 14
- 2017: 14
- 2018: 23
- 2019: 18
- 2020: 20
- 2021: 24
- 2022: 19
- 2023: 12
QMJHL player selected
2 (37) Ethan Gauthier (Drummondville) Tampa Bay
2 (48) Etienne Morin (Moncton) Calgary
3 (77) Mathieu Cataford (Halifax) Vegas
3 (83) Dylan MacKinnon (Halifax) Nashville
4 (116) Andrei Loshko (Chicoutimi) Seattle
4 (122) Cam Squires (Cape Breton) New Jersey
4 (128) Quentin Miller (Quebec) Montreal
5 (131) Marcel Marcel (Gatineau) Chicago
5 (145) Justin Gill (Baie Comeau) NY Islanders
6 (191) Luke Coughlin (Rimouski) Florida
7 (199) Matteo Mann (Chicoutimi) Philadelphia
7 (224) Tyler Peddle (Drummondville) Columbus
· Gabriel Perreault of the US National Development Program was picked 23rd overall by the New York Rangers in the first round.
· Charles-Alexis Legault of Quinnipiac University was selected in the fifth round by the Carolina Hurricanes.
· A native of Pointe-Claire but playing in the US, Rudy Guimond was selected in the sixth round by the Detroit Red Wings.