Hudon hoping to catch on with NHL club

The name Charles Hudon has resonated with NHL scouts since he stepped on the ice in a Chicoutimi Sagueneens sweater at 16 years old, and likely before that.

Hudon validated their claims last season, walking away with the Michel Bergeron trophy, awarded to the QMJHL’s top offensive rookie, with 60 points in 63 games.

“He’s a good all around player,” Chicoutimi head coach Marc-Etienne Hubert said. “He can play both sides of the ice. He’s very skilled.”

So far, he ranks 96^th in the NHL’s central scouting list for 2012 draft eligible players. Some anticipated he would be in the first round, and may still with a late-season surge and the help he’ll have in Chicoutimi’s bolstered forward depth. Hudon is currently 25th in QMJHL scoring, with 58 points in 47 games so far this season.

With the Sagueneens acquiring forwards Jean-Gabriel Pageau, Christian Ouellet and defenceman Mathieu Gagnon at the trade deadline from Gatineau in two separate deals, the team doesn’t need to rely on Hudon, Guillaume Asselin and Etienne Brodeur for most of their offence. It will create a greater environment for the 17-year-old to succeed, off the top powerplay unit but still given important minutes to score.

“I try not to think about the draft rankings, to be honest,” he admitted. “I just play and let it do the talking. I just want to be picked, doesn’t matter where and when.”

Playing for the Sagueneens is a family thing for Hudon. His dad, Sylvain, played six games through three seasons in the early 1980s.

Hudon was born in Boisbriand, Quebec, but grew up in Alma, Quebec, on Lac St-Jean, near Chicoutimi in the Saguenay region, so it’s a homecoming of sorts to play for the Sagueneens.

“I watched them a lot as a kid,” he said. “I wanted to play with them from a young age. I remember going to games a lot and cheering them on. To play for them now is a bit of a dream, and helped me get accustomed to the league.”

Hudon’s size is a major sticking factor with many scouts. He is listed at 5’10”, but could be a generous 5’10”, and weighs in at 170 pounds. His size could keep him out of the first few rounds, scouts worried his game won’t translate with the bigger men.

The natural comparison is to compare Hudon to another mighty mite, Tampa Bay’s Martin St. Louis, but that may not be entirely correct. Hudon’s speed is another question mark; he likely won’t be as fast as St. Louis. By no means is he slow, but his explosiveness is a question mark for the next level.

Hudon’s coach suggests comparing him to another junior player, Saint John’s Jonathan Huberdeau.

“He plays a lot, on the powerplay and on the penalty kill units,” Hubert said. “He can do anything asked of him. He has made great strides this year already in his skating and the power in his legs.”

“His passing is great, and he sees the ice very well. His shot is also a strength.”

Hudon said that he wants to improve his skating and his overall game to make the jump to the pros.

“I feel my hands are just about there,” he said. “I want to definitely work on my speed and my acceleration. I want to not only get faster, but get quicker.”

Hubert added there’s been a lot of chatter about his young star.

“There’s a lot of talk about Charles; lots of it good,” he said. “We are working and training with him with what we hear, and trying to help him improve as a player.”

“He’s already a very talented hockey player.”