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CHL to NCAA Recruiting Megathread

May 1st preview
italics are potential elim

QMJHL:
Mon/BLB 6pm, game 5, series tied 2-2
Chi/Rou 7pm, game 5, series tied 2-2

OHL:
KIT/WSR 7pm, game 5, KIT leads 3-1

WHL:
PA/MH 9pm, game 5, series tied 2-2
 
06 D Félix Plamondon commits to UMass Lowell, played for Shawinigan Cataractes. It was announced by the team he would be leaving instead of staying for his OA year. He was given the QMJHL's Top Defensive Defenseman Award this season.

07 F Gavin Katz signs with Penticton, Minnesota commit. Played for Green Bay in USHL after hist time at SSM. Kvasnicka should be joining Minnesota after a productive season with Penticton, so the idea is following in his footsteps.
 
May 1st recap

QMJHL:
Mon 6-2 BLB, Mon leads series 3-2, Mutryn (BC) 1g2a, Bleyl (Michigan State) 1g2a, Mercier (Merrimack) 2g
Chi 4-0 Rou, Chi leads 3-2, Lecompte (Northeastern) 1g1a, Tourigny (Northeastern) 1g1a, Huang (Harvard) 1g1a

OHL:
KIT 5-4 WSR in OT, KIT wins series 4-1, Edwards (Quinnipiac) 1g2a including GWG, Kennedy (UNH) 1g2a, Reid (Michigan) 2a, Humphreys (Minnesota) 1g1a, Davis (UConn) 1g1a, Robinson (Providence) 2a

WHL:
PA 6-3 MH, PA leads 3-2, Corkish (St Thomas) 3g, Dube (Bemidji State) 1g1a, Woo (ASU) 1g1a, Neutens (Alaska Anchorage) 1g1a

Through to the OHL Finals is the Kitchener Rangers for the first time since 2008. One area of concern for BLB- Lacelle reportedly got injured. I thought at first it was just a mercy pull after the 5th goal but later it came out he was hurt. Hopefully he's ok
 
really interesting article from the Sherbrooke area where 13 agents answered questions anonymously about what they think of QMJHL teams. i translated some major points:

Q: Which organization has the approach best suited to the 2026 reality of the hockey world, while keeping the players' well-being at heart?

Most mention Moncton as the top, beyond having the money to invest they support their players well. Québec, Rouyn-Noranda, and Drummondville are also given props by multiple agents. Shawinigan's coach gets a glowing review from one agent, and Halifax and Chicoutimi were each mentioned once.

Q: Which organization has the approach least suited to the realities of 2026?

Baie-Comeau is the common answer due to their inability to attract English-speaking players, though their academic commitments and collaboration is one of the best. Shawinigan was also mentioned here oddly enough, more than the previous question. An agent mentioned that you don't have conversations with the organization, you receive orders, and they are unwilling to listen or be transparent. Lots of mixed messaging. Val d'Or has had a downswing of success during a trying time, leading to players being less willing to report, in contrast to Rouyn-Noranda, their closest neighbor in the QMJHL. Gatineau's communication is also lacking.

Best facilities: Moncton, Québec, Halifax, Gatineau
Worst facilities: Baie-Comeau, Val d'Or, Chicoutimi, Charlottetown. Mainly tied to money. Baie-Comeau and Val d'Or have "historic charm"

The Shawinigan one is interesting, could be part of why they're losing 4 guys who could stay as overage players. They underachieved this year and came in as one of the favorites in the West.
 
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5/2 recap

BAR 4-3 BFD in OT, series tied 3-3, Zebeski (UNH) OT GWG, Dennis (Michigan) 1g

quite the effort to get this series to a game 7. shots in this game were 28-57 and Brantford had a goal disallowed only 30 seconds into OT. Bulldogs lose a game they dominated in OT for the second straight game. This is the first game 7 in the 2026 OHL playoffs
 
5/3 preview
all these games are potential eliminations

QMJHL:
Mon/BLB 3pm, game 6, Mon leads 3-2
Chi/Rou 4pm, game 6, Chi leads 3-2

WHL:
PA/MH 8pm, game 6, PA leads 3-2
 
cinnamoroll said:
really interesting article from the Sherbrooke area where 13 agents answered questions anonymously about what they think of QMJHL teams.
Click to expand...
forgot to mention this is a multi part, here's from part 2:

Q: What is Commissioner Mario Cecchini’s satisfaction rating on a scale of 1 to 5?

generally they appreciate his dedication but are dissatisfied with his understanding of hockey development. his intentions are good but his hockey knowledge isn't as robust and he hasn't surrounded himself with people who can help fill in those spots. his communication with agents, players, and parents is minimal and everything happens behind closed doors- though when agents push for escalation, issues often are resolved quickly. tough to gauge his work when they can't see a lot, and it is known that many attempted changes have been blocked by certain organizations in and outside of the league. the fighting ban is brought up again and the issue with the officiating means the league's reputation vs OHL/WHL is continuing to lower.

for clarification- Mario Cecchini was hired from the CFL's Montreal Alouettes, so he has business and sports acumen but not hockey itself.

tl;dr: involvement and dedication and operational are 4/5, overall ability to innovate and handle player development is a 2

Q: On a scale of 1 to 5, how would you rate the support provided to players for their academic and athletic development?

spoiler- barely a passing grade. the schedule takes a lot of flack here, and the coaches job security. a 3-year deal is a big deal, no one gets a 5-year deal. coaches are evaluated on their wins and not how they develop the players (reportedly this begins in U18 AAA in Quebec at least). one area they are behind on compared to the other CHL leagues are specialized coaching- in particular skating coaches. one agent had a pretty good score for the organizations putting the structure out, but thinks the players' own discipline is what really differentiates success.

this quote stood out:
In the QMJHL, they don’t develop talent; they consume it.
Click to expand...

Q: Are there too many teams in the QMJHL?

very divided answers- some say too many and point to the amount of Ontario free agents teams need to find to fill out a roster. some think there aren't too many but some should relocate to the US.

Q: Should the QMJHL re-establish one or more franchises in the United States?

this is a big focus of Cecchini- USA Hockey is being prickly about it, but he's determined. The political situation and needing Americans to relocate to Canada makes it apppealling. One agent thinks 4 less teams in Quebec, two should relocate to US- Manchester and Portland. two teams would be ideal because of the cost- going to the US for only 1 team is expensive, but two would make sense. and one of them brings up territorial rights, another hot button issue Cecchini is fighting on.

the elephant in the room with regards to the territorial rights- the QMJHL has New England and only New England, and not even all of it. The OHL has dibs on New York, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey. Pennsylvania I get with Erie being an OHL franchise, and New York is a target for OHL expansion. OHL will not be happy about it but the QMJHL desperately needs an extension of their territorial rights.

in terms of reactions to part 1, we have remparts pbp guy calling agents weak for the anonymity and asking the Q to have GMs anonymously sound off on agents, which is a great display of why the agents requested anonymity.
 
cinnamoroll said:
Q: Are there too many teams in the QMJHL?

very divided answers- some say too many and point to the amount of Ontario free agents teams need to find to fill out a roster. some think there aren't too many but some should relocate to the US.

Q: Should the QMJHL re-establish one or more franchises in the United States?

this is a big focus of Cecchini- USA Hockey is being prickly about it, but he's determined. The political situation and needing Americans to relocate to Canada makes it apppealling. One agent thinks 4 less teams in Quebec, two should relocate to US- Manchester and Portland. two teams would be ideal because of the cost- going to the US for only 1 team is expensive, but two would make sense. and one of them brings up territorial rights, another hot button issue Cecchini is fighting on.

the elephant in the room with regards to the territorial rights- the QMJHL has New England and only New England, and not even all of it. The OHL has dibs on New York, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey. Pennsylvania I get with Erie being an OHL franchise, and New York is a target for OHL expansion. OHL will not be happy about it but the QMJHL desperately needs an extension of their territorial rights.

in terms of reactions to part 1, we have remparts pbp guy calling agents weak for the anonymity and asking the Q to have GMs anonymously sound off on agents, which is a great display of why the agents requested anonymity.
Click to expand...
Portland would do well with a Q team. The ECHL Mariners averaged about 4,500+ per game this season (73% capacity) and those numbers have grown each of the last 6 seasons.

That per game average would put them 5th among all Q teams behind Quebec, Halifax, Newfoundland and Moncton.
 
5/3 recap


QMJHL:
BLB 3-2 Mon, series tied 3-3, Villeveuve (BU) 1g1a, Chudzinski (BU) 1g, Guimond (Harvard) 34 saves on 37 shots
Chi 6-3 Rou, Chi wins 4-2, Bulans (BGSU) 3a, Lachance (Merrimack) 1g1a, Lefebvre (UVM) 1g, Massé (UMass) 1g

Moncton blew it on a literal buzzer beater. Game 7 is on deck. Unlikely to see Lacelle, but Pelletier did well in his stead. Chicoutimi took care of business.

WHL:
PA 7-6 MH, PA wins 4-2, Ruldoph 1g2a, Burrett (Alaska) 2a, Smith (Alaska) 2a, Woo (ASU) 1g1a, Bryzgalov (Merrimacj) 2a, Davidson (BC) 1g1a

We have our first finals matchup fully set. WHL Championship series will be between Everett and Prince Albert. no game 7s in the W.
 
tylerzx2002 said:
Portland would do well with a Q team. The ECHL Mariners averaged about 4,500+ per game this season (73% capacity) and those numbers have grown each of the last 6 seasons.

That per game average would put them 5th among all Q teams behind Quebec, Halifax, Newfoundland and Moncton.
Click to expand...
One of the arguments people give against Portland is that they have the Mariners already and they don't think a second team could also thrive there. Do people in Maine think both could do well in the same market?

They briefly had the team in Lewiston of course, but it didn't last. There are only so many arenas that are suited for the CHL standards.
 
cinnamoroll said:
One of the arguments people give against Portland is that they have the Mariners already and they don't think a second team could also thrive there. Do people in Maine think both could do well in the same market?

They briefly had the team in Lewiston of course, but it didn't last. There are only so many arenas that are suited for the CHL standards.
Click to expand...
It's hard to say. I doubt the City gets up to watch the kids opposed to pros. Hockey makes good family entertainment on winter weekends and there are only so many available dates. I personally would prefer the Q team, but with the bias of it being a potential pipeline to Orono.
 
05 F Matteo Danis commits to Brown, Penticton Vees alternate captain. Long WHL career as a solid player, started in Calgary before being sent to Prince George in 2023, Penticton picked him from the Cougars during the Expansion Draft.
 
part 3

Q: Who is the general manager with the best potential for the professional ranks?

Wildcats' Taylor MacDougall, Voltigeurs Yanick Lemay, Shawinigan Martin Mondou, Tigres Kevin Cloutier

Q: Who is the head coach with the best potential for the professional ranks?

nearly unanimously answered Voltigeurs Sylvain Favreau. didn't get an actual vote, but people thought if Phoenix Gilles Bouchard improved his English, he could be a great pro coach. Wildcats Gardiner MacDougall and Islanders Jim Hulton got a vote each.

Q: The Most Promising Quebec Talent Among Undrafted NHL Prospects?

Saint John Sea Dogs' 1st overall pick in 2025 QMJHL draft Alexis Joseph, expected to go high in the 2027 NHL Draft. Also mentioned was the player picked right after him, Malik L'Italien from the Mooseheads, and one vote to Antoine Provencher, who went 7th to Charlottetown. In not yet drafted to the QMJHL, this years QMJHL Draft projected 1st overall pick Thomas Boisvert was mentioned, as well as Julien Bergeron.

Q: Is the QMJHL still the preferred path to reaching the professional ranks?

For the 16-18 year olds, most said yes, but some said they aren't convinced on it for every franchise since some aren't great at developing. Some said it's the best league for kids in the area, but if they could choose, they would go elsewhere. There are concerns about not giving young kids enough ice time.

Q: And for 18+ year olds?

Clear trend to NCAA at 18+, positioning the QMJHL as a stepping stone to college and then to pros for most players. Some think that's around the time you have gotten all you can out of the league. If you aren't ready for the AHL, better to go to college yo build strength and refine the details in your game. One agent does think it depends on if the players thinks they have performed well enough, then jumping to the NCAA is the right move, but for the majority staying in the QMJHL is better.
 
5/4 recap

BAR 5-0 BFD, BAR wins 4-3, Hrebik 40 save shutout, von Richter (UNH) 1g2a, Zebeski (UNH) 1a, Wilmott (OSU) 1a

bit of an upset, but Hrebik did not feel like letting in goals tonight. Hell of a game from Parker von Richter too, who isn't exactly known for his point prduction. Brantford went all in on talent and looked pretty good, but there were signs that it might've been a little too easy for them, leading to some bad habits creeping in. Barrie's captain has been injured since game 4 and he's their best player by far, very impressive of them to come back from down 3-1 in those circumstances.

the OHL finals will be between the Kitchener Rangers and the Barrie Colts. we already have the schedule out and it starts wednesday, so ill have a preview up shortly
 
cinnamoroll said:
Q: And for 18+ year olds?

Clear trend to NCAA at 18+, positioning the QMJHL as a stepping stone to college and then to pros for most players. Some think that's around the time you have gotten all you can out of the league. If you aren't ready for the AHL, better to go to college yo build strength and refine the details in your game. One agent does think it depends on if the players thinks they have performed well enough, then jumping to the NCAA is the right move, but for the majority staying in the QMJHL is better.
Click to expand...
Noteworthy that there's absolutely no consideration to academic and personal development. These people have lost site of why colleges actually exist.
 
5/5 recap

Mon 6-2 BLB, Mon wins 4-3, Mutryn (BC) 3a, Bleyl (Michigan State) 2g, Tournas (UNH) 2a, Guimond (Harvard) 26 saves on 28 shots, Villeneuve (BU) 1g

Kuzma Voronin (Maine) didn't get a point but he deserves a shoutout for pissing Olivier Filaj off so bad he cross-checked him enough times that a ref just Had to call the penalty despite the Armada being down 3 with 5 minutes left in a game 7 of the third round. i think it got to 7 solid whacks before the ref whistled it.

around january everyone called it that the matchup Had to be Moncton/Chicoutimi, and here we are. Moncton can go for back to back championships and Chicoutimi can try for their first title since 94. the series will start friday, so i will be back with previews for that beforehand
 

OHL Championship​

Italics indicate rumored or noncommitted players of interest

Kitchener Rangers vs Barrie Colts​

Game 1: Wednesday, May 6 at Kitchener, 7:00pm
Game 2: Friday, May 8 at Kitchener, 7:00pm
Game 3: Sunday, May 10 at Barrie, 6:00pm
Game 4: Tuesday, May 12 at Barrie, 7:00pm
Game 5: Thursday, May 14 at Kitchener, 7:00pm*
Game 6: Saturday, May 16 at Barrie, 6:00pm*
Game 7: Monday, May 18 at Kitchener, Time TBA*

Kitchener:
  • F Christian Humphreys, Minnesota, 06
  • F Weston Cameron, UMass, 08
  • F Dylan Edwards, Quinnipiac, OA
  • F Haeden Ellis, Northeastern, 07
  • D Max Dirracolo, St Lawrence, 06
  • D Cameron Reid, Michigan, 07
  • G Christian Kirsch, Quinnipiac, 06
notes on the team:
Sam O'Reilly (NHL ELC) was awarded the Red Tilson Trophy for Most Outstanding Player and is frontrunner for playoff MVP
Kitchener's penalty kill has been sparkling. Power play not too bad either
Christian Kirsch is great the later it gets in games, but Kitchener is prone to not starting on time. Kitchener plays like Carolina, high volume of shots plus extreme shot suppression, but this means defensive breakdowns result in exclusively high-danger shots. This is why Kirsch had some ridiculous stats like a sub .900 save percentage but a xGSAA of 25. Couple this with the slow starts, and you get some spooky early game performances.
One of those early game performances was that clinching game 5, when down 3-0 in the 1st Luke Ellinas (NHL ELC) scored. His presence is huge because he went down with an injury in November. Game 5 was his first game back and he was able to get some momentum for the Rangers that they turned into an OT win.

Barrie:
  • F Calvin Crombie, Robert Morris, OA
  • F Mason Zebeski, UNH, OA
  • F Benjamin Wilmott, OSU, 06
  • F William Schneid, UConn, 07
  • F Nicholas Desiderio, Providence, 08
  • F Joseph Salandra, Harvard, 08
  • D Parker von Richter, UNH, 06
  • D Cole Emerton, Cornell, 08
  • D Ethan Armstrong, Minnesota State, 07
  • G Ben Hrebik
Barrie gave Kitchener some bulletin board material with a disastrous post game media availability. It was so bad they had their coach go on live TV to apologize and the commissioner is planning to punish them (likely a fine). They've pissed off a Lot of people they probably should not have.

Here's my overall reaction on this: it is junior hockey with teenage boys so we should expect immaturity at points, but this does not mean it should go unaddressed, especially when the CHL claims to be developing talent for the next level. if they didn't do anything on this, it delegitimizes their mission.

Other notes-
Ben Hrebik was spectacular for Barrie, who was outplayed by the Bulldogs for long stretches. He will need to be spectacular again- remember the shot volume thing?
Power play stats are great (though juiced up after Niagara's abysmal 1st round) but the penalty kill is a huge weakness, especially since Barrie takes an ungodly amount of penalties. They play physical, this means on the edge.
Cole Beaudoin's health looms large. He's the other potential MVP candidate but he didn't play games 6 and 7 after an oblique injury late in game 5 (he coached on the bench instead). Squeaking past Brantford without him is one thing, missing him for the finals throws everything out of wack.
 
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