QMJHL Players of the Month Named for November 2020
December 1, 2020 - Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) News Release
FORWARD OF THE MONTH
Justin Ducharme - Val-d'Or Foreurs - 9GP, 11G, 4A, 16Pts As expected before the season began, the Val-d'Or Foreurs have been a force to be reckoned with to start to the year. One of the leaders of this charge is, naturally, the guy who wears the "C". Justin Ducharme has been a scoring machine, starting the month on a five-game goal scoring streak that included a pair of hat tricks and one two-goal performance. Overall, the 20-year-old from Mirabel, Quebec scored three game-winners, recorded a +/- rating of +8 and completed November with an unbelievable 36.7% shooting percentage.
Ducharme sits tied for third in the QMJHL with 12 goals on the season, four of which have been game-winners and three that came while shorthanded, both tops in the circuit. The 20-year-old was a free agent invite to NHL training camp with the Vegas Golden Knights in 2019.
Honorable Mention
Cedric Desruisseaux - Charlottetown Islanders - 5GP, 8G, 3A, 11Pts Desruisseaux has already surpassed his 2019-20 goal total of 14 by leading the league with an amazing 19 tallies to conclude the pre-holiday portion of the schedule. The overage winger is currently sitting on a remarkable 13-game goal scoring streak, the longest such performance of the past 15 QMJHL seasons.
DEFENSEMAN OF THE MONTH
Jeremie Poirier - Saint John Sea Dogs - 7GP, 4G, 6A, 10Pts Another year, another offensively charged season for Jeremie Poirier. The 18-year-old from Salaberry-de-Valleyfield posted points in six of seven November outings, three of which were multi-point affairs. The highlight of the month for the third-year veteran came at home against the Halifax Mooseheads on November 14th, when Poirier recorded just the second hat trick by a defenseman in Sea Dogs franchise history.
Poirier completes the 2020 portion of the schedule tied for fourth in league scoring among blueliners with 16 points in 15 contests. A third round selection of the Calgary Flames at the 2020 NHL Entry Draft, his three powerplay tallies lead the Sea Dogs.
Honorable Mention
Maxence Guenette - Val-d'Or Foreurs - 9GP, 5G, 6A, 11Pts Ottawa Senators draftee Maxence Guenette is leading the high octane Foreurs from the back end. He enters the break on a four-game point streak following a November that saw him post four multi-point outings.
ROOKIE OF THE MONTH
Robert Orr - Halifax Mooseheads - 5GP, 3G, 4A, 7Pts Where else would you expect to see a player who goes by the name Bobby Orr but at the top? That's exactly where the 17-year-old from Beaconsfield, Quebec finds himself, headed into the extended break in a three-way tie for the rookie scoring lead with 13 points in 15 games. Orr recorded points in each of the Mooseheads' five games during November, including back-to-back multi-point contests to start the month. Strong at both ends, he recorded a +/- rating of +5 over the course of those five games.
Originally selected by Saint John in the fifth round of the 2019 QMJHL Draft as a scoring star from the Lac-St-Louis Lions in the Quebec Major Under-18 ranks, Orr has hit the ground running since his acquisition by the Moose during the off-season, including a recent promotion to the club's top line.
Honorable Mention
William Blackburn - Val-d'Or Foreurs - 3-0-1-1, 2.14 GAA, .899 SV% When pressed into service due to the absence of starter Jonathan Lemieux, Blackburn took the lead and ran with it, recording victories in three consecutive games - the first three QMJHL wins of his career - to close out the month.
GOALTENDER OF THE MONTH
Olivier Adam - Blainville-Boisbriand Armada - 4-0-0-0, 1.25 GAA, .957 SV%, 1 SO When the 2020-21 campaign commenced, the goaltending fortunes of the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada were an unknown. Fast forward to the first of December and many of those questions have been answered, as Olivier Adam - much like his Armada - currently sits undefeated. The 18-year-old from Drummondville, Quebec allowed three goals or less in each of his four starts, stopping 30 or more shots in two of them. He finished the 2020 portion of the campaign on a high note, stopping all 24 shots he faced from the sticks of the Chicoutimi Sagueneens for his second career shutout.
A sixth-round selection of the Armada in the 2018 QMJHL Draft, Adam has achieved a save percentage of .914% or better and allowed three goals or fewer in his past six starts. The goaltender currently sits second in the league in goals against average (2.00) and save percentage (.935%) and fourth in victories (six).
Honorable Mention
Samuel Richard - Rouyn-Noranda Huskies - 4-0-0-0, 1.49 GAA, .949 SV%, 2 SO
The current league leader in goals against average (1.98), save percentage (.940%) and shutouts (two), Richard was almost unbeatable in November. His strong performance included 26 and 28-save shutouts on the 6th and 20th versus the Sherbrooke Phoenix and Rimouski Oceanic, respectively.
Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League Stories from December 1, 2020
- Christmas Break Extended - Moncton Wildcats
- QMJHL Players of the Month Named for November 2020 - QMJHL
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