Wildcat Legend Crawford Inducted into QMJHL Hall of Fame
April 14, 2025 - Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL)
Moncton Wildcats News Release
The QMJHL is proud to announce the players and builders who will be inducted into the League's Hall of Fame at a ceremony presented by Raymond Chabot Grant Thornton to be held on September 17, 2025 at the Théâtre Manuvie in Brossard, QC.
The five new inductees will be Mathieu Benoit, Raymond Bolduc, Corey Crawford, Claude Julien and Patrick Lebeau.
"Raymond Chabot Grant Thornton is proud to be an official partner of the QMJHL Hall of Fame. Our recognition of the talent and exceptional careers of these athletes is a testament to our shared value of commitment to excellence. Performing brilliantly by combining education and high-level sport demands passion, discipline and rigour. We salute the perseverance and achievements of these remarkable people," said Gabrielle Drolet, Senior Director, Marketing and External Communications, Raymond Chabot Grant Thornton.
Here are, in alphabetical order, their career résumé:
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MATHIEU BENOIT
Mathieu Benoit was a natural goal scorer as we rarely see, as evidenced by his 0.68 goals per game average during his major junior camp. Even though he did not make it to the National Hockey League, he dazzled all the hockey fans he performed in front of with great performances, both in Quebec and in the Maritimes.
At 16, he began his five-year career in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. From 1995-96 to 1999-2000, he played for Chicoutimi, Acadie-Bathurst and Moncton. He participated in two League finals.
In 305 games, he collected 418 points in the QMJHL regular season, while also recording 22 hat tricks, including 4 in the playoffs.
In 2000, the right-winger became the last player to reach 200 lifetime regular-season goals in the QMJHL, ranking 16th all-time with 216 goals. In the playoffs, he added 39 goals in 71 games, which once again places him in the elite, 8th in QMJHL history.
After being selected to the first all-star team of the League in 1997-98, the Saguenéens, the team that had made him its 1st round pick in 1995, made a mega-trade with the Acadie-Bathurst Titan in the middle of the 1998-99 season.
Mathieu Benoit then became one of the main architects of the Acadie-Bathurst Titan's winning season in 1998-99 with Roberto Luongo, Ramzi Abid and Marc Bouchard. They were crowned playoff champions, earning the President Cup. Benoit, with 41 points including 20 goals, was named the playoff MVP and received the Guy Lafleur Trophy.
Among his unforgettable accomplishments is that he is one of only three players in QMJHL history to have three 50-goal seasons in 50 games or less. The others are Mike Bossy and Normand Aubin.
He also allowed himself an eight-goal game in the Titan uniform on November 14, 1999, with defenceman François Beauchemin as his main accomplice with his eight assists. His eight goals equalled a mark described as unrivalled by Normand Aubin, 20 years earlier, and Stéphan Lebeau, a decade earlier.
After his major junior career, it was mainly in the North American Hockey League, a professional league established in Quebec since 1996, that Mathieu Benoit shone brightly. He even became the all-time leading scorer during the 2010-11 regular season. His 781 career points and 328 goals were the mark to beat for several seasons. He was inducted into the league's Hall of Fame on March 6, 2016, after 12 seasons in the league from 2001 to 2014.
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RAYMOND BOLDUC
Raymond Bolduc's career as a builder is quite exceptional. A native of Boischatel, this cheerful, determined man with an extraordinary sense of humour has adapted to the eras and the various roles he has played in major junior hockey. A longevity that has spanned five decades for this great respected leader with a strong character.
His career in the QMJHL began as a scout with the Hull Olympiques, from 1982-83 to 1989-90; one of its missions was to scout talent from the United States. It was at a time when the Hull team was becoming a QMJHL powerhouse, especially in the second half of the '80s. In 1986 and 1988, the Olympiques won the President Cup. At that time, this part-time job remained a hobby, since Mr. Bolduc was still a shareholder and vice-president of finance at Mack, a truck company.
He then moved to the Beauport Harfangs in 1990, an expansion franchise, first as head scout for three seasons, then as general manager of the team starting in 1993-94. In 1995-96, after acquiring key players, his team led by Alain Vigneault as head coach made it to the final, losing to the eventual Memorial Cup champions, the Granby Prédateurs.
Experiencing financial difficulties, the Harfangs became the Quebec Remparts after the team was purchased by the Tanguay/Cadrin/Roy group, and Raymond Bolduc then had more means than ever to set up high-performance teams.
In 1997-98, he entrusted his club to experienced coach Guy Chouinard. The team won two regular season championships in a row with Simon Gagné, Patrick Couture, Éric Chouinard and Martin Grenier as leaders on the ice, among others. In the first half of the 1998-99 season, the Remparts tied a 1973-74 record set by the Sorel Éperviers, with a 27-game unbeaten streak.
As GM of the Harfangs and Remparts, his record shows a .564 winning percentage, with 7 out of 10 winning seasons, including four division championships, two Jean-Rougeau Trophies as regular season champion and a League final. He had, under his guidance with Beauport and Quebec, 22 future players who played at least one game in the NHL.
We could even add that he was the GM of the Quebec Citadelles of the American Hockey League in the City of Quebec. Bolduc was then at the helm of the Montreal Canadiens' farm team while carrying out his duties with the Remparts, demonstrating more than ever his hard work.
In 2003-04, he joined the ranks of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League as director of hockey operations. In 2008-09, QMJHL Commissioner Gilles Courteau entrusted him with the thankless and demanding position of Disciplinary Prefect, succeeding Maurice Filion. He played his new role masterfully. He was also entrusted with the annual production of the League's schedule.
At the end of the 2023-24 season, after a total of 42 seasons in the QMJHL, Raymond Bolduc announced that he was officially retiring. His wife Hélène, as well as his two sons Kevin and Tommy, both former QMJHL players, will certainly share good times with him during his well-deserved retirement, as will be the case with his golfing companions.
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COREY CRAWFORD
A man of heart and family, Corey Crawford will forever remember his journey, from his street hockey games with his brother and friends to his prowess in the National Hockey League. His determination has earned him a brilliant career at every level he played.
Having lived his childhood in Châteauguay, in the Montérégie region, he found himself far from home to begin his time in the QMJHL, with the Moncton Wildcats.
After the Wildcats scouts saw him enjoy a season of 17-wins in 21-games, with a 1.92 average in the Midget AAA ranks with Gatineau, they secured his services for four seasons, selecting him in the 1st round of the 2001 Quebec Major Junior Hockey League Draft. A masterstroke that Moncton will not regret.
Seasons and playoffs included, in 231 games, his 117-83-18 record and 12 shutouts tell us a lot about the impact he had on the Wildcats' success. At the end of his junior season in 2005, he was the QMJHL record holder with his lifetime save percentage in the regular season of .914.
In 2003-04, he led the Wildcats to their first appearance in the QMJHL final, losing to the Gatineau Olympiques in five games. Beginning in the 2005-06 season, he spent five full seasons honing his game and technique with the Norfolk Admirals and Rockford Ice Hogs of the American Hockey League, allowing him to equip himself for the next step.
Almost seven years after being their 2nd round pick in the 2003 NHL Draft, Corey Crawford became the 25-year-old Chicago Blackhawks' trusted goaltender for 488 games in 2010-11. He has had 10 consecutive seasons of 28 or more games, with save percentages ranging from .903 to .929 annually.
His consistent performances have earned him 10 seasons in a row with an average of fewer than three goals allowed per game; His best campaign was in 2012-13 with an exceptional goals-against average of 1.94 in the regular season, and 1.84 in the playoffs, leading his team to a Stanley Cup, his first of two (2013 and 2015).
In 2014-15, for the second time in his career, his name will be inscribed on the William Jennings Trophy, awarded to the goaltenders of the team with the best goals-against average in the NHL. In 2015 and 2017, he participated in the NHL All-Star Game.
Among goaltenders with 100 or more NHL games, his 2.45 goals-against average ranks him 28th all-time, while his save percentage stands at .918, 13th all-time in the NHL, close to legendary co-leaders Ken Dryden and Dominik Hasek, at .922. He also added 26 shutouts.
During the QMJHL's 50th season, in 2018-19, he was selected to the 2000 team of the decade as a goaltender, along with Ondrej Pavelec and Nicola Riopel.
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CLAUDE JULIEN
Before becoming a coach, Claude Julien spent a dozen seasons in the minor North American professional leagues. Among other things, he tasted the joys of the National Hockey League for 14 games as a player, from 1984 to 1986, with the Quebec Nordiques. This respected defenceman used his strong leadership skills to move into the coaching world.
In 1994-95, this Franco-Ontarian made his QMJHL debut as assistant coach with the Hull Olympiques, working alongside head coach Robert Mongrain. He quickly assimilated his new role. In the spring of 1995, after finishing 3rd in the regular season with 86 points, the Olympiques surprised everyone by winning the President Cup. The team's success continued the following season, with a 24-game winning streak and a staggering 106 points.
In the 1996-97 season, Olympiques general manager Charles Henry appointed him to the helm of the Hull team. Claude Julien, a calm coach who communicated in a friendly manner with his players, quickly won everyone's confidence. As a result, 1997 proved to be a dream year for the Olympiques, with regular-season and playoff championships, as well as a Memorial Cup triumph at home in front of a packed house of fans at the Robert-Guertin Centre.
Before turning professional, his major junior career was very impressive, with two President Cups (1995 and 1997) and four appearances in the finals (1995, 1997, 1999 and 2000). As a head coach, he won 9 out of 12 series, while racking up 42 victories in 63 games, a franchise record he held for five years.
Friendly and polite like no other, he had the power to persuade a player that he was the best in his category. Several of his protégés went on to enjoy notable playing careers, including José Theodore, Colin White, Peter Worrell, Pavel Rosa, Michael Ryder, Jiri Fischer, Radim Vrbata.
He also joined Team Canada as head coach to compete at the 2000 World Junior Championship where the Canadian team won the bronze medal.
In the fall of 2000, he turned pro with the Hamilton Bulldogs, the Edmonton Oilers' farm team at the time. He was named head coach of the Montréal Canadiens in the middle of the 2002-03 season, which was the beginning of three decades in the National Hockey League.
After a brief one-year stint with the New Jersey Devils, he spent 11 seasons in Boston, winning the Stanley Cup with the Bruins in 2011, in a long seven-game series against the Vancouver Canucks, then coached by Alain Vigneault, another QMJHL Hall of Fame inductee.
After a second stint with the Canadiens from 2016 to 2021, in 1274 NHL games, his teams gave him 667 wins. He won the Jack-Adams Trophy for Coach of the Year during the 2008-09 campaign with the Bruins. His NHL playoff record is also impressive: 68 wins and 56 losses.
Internationally, was on the coaching staff of the Canadian team who won a gold medal at the 2014 Winter Olympics, 2022 World Championship (head coach) and 2016 World Cup, as well as the one that finished sixth at the 2022 Olympics in Beijing.
At the time of his induction, at age 65, he is still active as an assistant coach with the St. Louis Blues. Interestingly, he remains the only QMJHL coach to have won both the Memorial and Stanley Cups during his career.
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PATRICK LEBEAU
Patrick Lebeau was without a doubt one of the star hockey players of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League in the late '80s. A magician with his stick and the puck, he scorned more than one opposing defence with his extraordinary vision of the game, multiplying clever passes. And what about the goaltenders he mystified with his destabilizing dekes or his precise shot, in all the arenas he went through.
From 1986-87, his first major junior season, to his very last professional campaign, he had 21 out of 25 seasons with an average of at least one point per game. In total in the QMJHL with Shawinigan, St-Jean and Victoriaville, his 500 points in the regular season ranked him 11th in league history. And his 301 assists confirmed him 6th all-time.
His best games as a junior were in the St. John Lynx uniform: two franchise records, seven assists on Feb. 9, 1990, on the road in Drummondville against the Voltigeurs, in an incisive 10-0 win; he also had a four-goal game in the same period (in the 2nd), on October 6, 1989, in the Lynx's 7-3 home win over Granby, while he finished the game with his fifth goal of the game to secure his personal best.
With 199 goals in his life in the regular season, he ranks 19th in QMJHL history.
In 1989-90, he topped the league scoring charts with 174 points, including 68 goals, earning the Jean-Béliveau Trophy and a spot on the first All-Star Team. The Tigres, who acquired him midway through the 1989-90 season, won the regular season championship and then made it to the finals in the spring of 1990, losing to their nemesis at the time, the Laval Titan.
From the beginning of his 20-year professional career, his offensive success continued; he was named the American League Rookie of the Year in 1990-91. He would go on to win a silver medal with Canada at the 1992 Olympic Games.
From 1990-91 to 1993-94, in the American Hockey League and the International League, he had four consecutive seasons of 70 points or more, with illustrious 101-point campaigns (Fredericton Canadiens, AHL, 1990-91) and 100 points (Salt Lake, IHL, 1992-93). During this period, he made his NHL debut; in seven games with Montreal, Calgary and Florida, he collected a total of four points.
In 1994-95, he decided to head over to Europe for the rest of his playing career. It was in Switzerland, Germany and Austria that he played mainly until 2010, becoming an impact player. He had his best European season in the German league with the Frankfurt Lions in 2004-05, with 94 points in 52 games.
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