For one coach it marks his return to junior hockey, and for another it’s his first shot at being behind the bench after an illustrious NHL career.

2012 Home Hardware CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game Team Orr coach Pat Quinn and Team Cherry coach Mark Recchi have taken very different paths to reach this point in their hockey careers.

For Quinn, it’s been a career filled with ups-and-downs in his years of playing and coaching at the NHL level. Never winning a Stanley Cup, Quinn’s most prized victories as a coach were the 2002 Winter Olympic Games, the 2004 World Cup, and the 2008 IIHF World U18, and 2009 World Junior Championship.

His latest coaching stint was with the Edmonton Oilers in the 2009-2010 season, but was removed from the position after only one year. Now holding a Senior Advisor role with the club, Quinn says he’s happy to be back where he feels most comfortable.

“It kind of refreshes the memories I had with the under 18’s and under 20’s that I went to Russia with and then Ottawa,” Quinn said in a press conference on Tuesday. “Canadian kids are terrific and I really enjoyed that time then and I’m looking forward to this time now.”

On the flip-side, Recchi is less than a year removed from his days in the NHL, where he played over 1,600 career games, while amassing 577 goals and 1,533 points. The three-time Stanley Cup champion, most recently with the 2010-11 Boston Bruins, also said he’s looking forward to the opportunity.

“I’m a fan of junior hockey and a part owner, and really believe in the CHL,” Recchi said, referring to his hometown team of which he is involved with, the Kamloops Blazers. “It’s a fun time for me to go and watch these kids and be behind the bench.”

With such great talent in the line-up, it’s no wonder that both are excited to be involved with the game. Even with a few highly ranked players not able to participate, there is still a plethora of quality participants looking to catch a few eyes in the stands.

“When you look at the depth of our draft, it has always been the strength of the CHL,” Commissioner of the WHL and CHL Vice-President Ron Robison said. “We represent over 50% of the NHL draft and have been very dominant in recent years from a CHL standpoint. The reality is it opens the door to some players to really make an impression.”

And with a draft pool as close in comparison as any of the years before, it’s going to be extremely important for the players to try and standout as it could put them ahead of their counterparts.

“It’s a great opportunity for these kids to showcase what they can bring to the table,” Recchi said. “It can elevate them to a higher pick, and they can go out there and show that against the best they are the best.”

And while some players may get caught up in the glitz and the glamour of being in the national spotlight, Quinn believes it’s necessary, although maybe difficult, for them to stay focused.

“They’re at such an exciting stage in their lives…it’s becoming a way of life,” he said. “This game is important as it’s an attempt to help improve their development moving forward.”

Recchi said he won’t be hesitant however to give his input if he sees something in a player’s game that he might be able to suggest improvements on.

“I’ve been around the game a long time,” he said. “We’ll go over certain things if I see something. They have all the tools, it’s just helping them recognize it and lead them in the right direction.”

Even though it’s a quick two-day event, both said that they would pass on the best advice possible.

“I would say to really embrace the few days that they’re there together and the opportunity they have,” said Recchi. “It’s a big stage and don’t let it catch you. If you don’t embrace it then you might not bring your best.”

Quinn summed up his advice in one sentence.

“What they’re interested in is finding a good player, so be the player you are.”

Quinn will be joined behind the bench by Associate Coach Don Hay of the Vancouver Giants, while Recchi will be joined by Associate Coach Ryan Huska of the Kelowna Rockets.

“The experience with the Flyers was unbelievable,” he said. “I really want to go back there.”

The undrafted Czech forward played deep into the training camp of the Philadelphia Flyers as a free agent, getting into a late pre-season game with the club and even scoring a goal, playing with Claude Giroux and Scott Hartnell.

The Flyers presented wanted to present a contract to the young Hyka, who is now with the Gatineau Olympiques. He couldn’t sign it.

The NHL-CHL transfer agreement stipulates that an undrafted player in the CHL has to be 20 in order to sign with a team as a free agent. Otherwise, they have to be drafted for a team to hold their rights. Hyka is 19. The Flyers knew Hyka was on the board in the seventh round, and picked tough guy Derek Mathers instead.

The Flyers just showcased the talented forward for the rest of the league to notice. He’s now ranked 65^th on the NHL’s central scouting list.

Hyka 1, Mathers 0.

“The experience was unbelievable,” Hyka said. “The whole camp was great, and the game was excellent. I hope to have plenty more opportunities like that.”

He might just be getting started.

Hyka will enter the 2012 NHL Entry Draft with considerably more fanfare than last time around. To add to his pro resume, he has 44 points in 37 games so far this season, his first in the QMJHL.

He also had two assists in five games for the Czech Republic in the 2012 World Junior Championships.

“The world junior tournament was a good chance to get my play up again,” he said. “It was a test just like the pre-season game was.”

Hyka said that his decision to come to Canada to play was a great one, even if it screwed him out of a pro contract a year earlier.

“I’m very happy to be here,” he said. “The game here in Gatineau suits my style very well. It’s a lot closer to the European style, but also physical. There’s lots of speed and lots of talent.”

The native of Mlada Boleslav is hoping to build on his game. He trains in the off-season with other Czech players, including Radim Vrbata, the NHL veteran of five teams and a fellow native of Mlada Boleslav. Vrbata also suited up for the Olympiques for a season and a half in the late 1990s.

“Vrbata is a guy I really admire,” Hyka said. “He’s a guy who can pass and shoot very well, and I want to play like him.”

He added that he wants to work on his talents for the upcoming NHL call.

“I want to improve my physical play,” he said. “My puck protection and ability to play in traffic are big in the next level. I also want to work on my shot and bring it up a bit more. I want to improve everywhere and get better.”

Hyka said that plenty of teams are looking for his services come June.

“I want to keep working hard,” he said. “I’d love to go back to the Flyers, and they want me too, but we’ll see what happens.”

These players will get their chance to stand out on the national stage in front of NHL General Mangers and hundreds of NHL team scouts, all with aspirations of moving up the NHL Draft board come June.

While some believe that the players chosen to participate are based solely on rankings, Chris Edwards of NHL Central Scouting described how they were selected to attend the two-day event which also includes a Skills Competition and three-on-three showcase on Tuesday January 31.

“All 30 NHL teams are given a ballot and GM’s submit twelve defenseman, four goaltenders and twenty-four forwards,” he explained. “From there, the guys with the most votes are taken, and the secondary guys – the next number of total votes – are added in if injuries happen.”

It’s then up to the members of Central Scouting, lead by Director Dan Marr, to continue the process.

“Once the teams are selected, we try and divide the players into two equal teams,” Edwards said. “If you look at the scores the last few years you’d think we weren’t doing a good job of it because there haven’t been that many close games.”

Because of those lopsided outcomes, the selection process has come under a bit of scrutiny, but Edwards believes that it’s not for a lack of trying, and defended Central Scouting’s decisions.

“We put a lot of effort into it and attempt to make it even, i.e. Left shot vs. Right shot, or where they are in our rankings, but it really hasn’t worked out. It’s really not from a lack of trying.”

Regardless, the game really solidifies the quality of players that are developing in the CHL, and also gives NHL GM’s who are typically very busy with their team schedules, a chance to watch all of these players under one roof.

It gets all of the guys in one place and gives them [GM’s] a chance to look at the players over two nights,” Edwards said. “They’ll go over each guy they’re interested in with the team’s Director of Scouting and will be able to form an opinion on them.”

As well, Edwards believes that staging an event with this many high calibre players is another great opportunity to show the commitment that both leagues have with one another.

“There’s always been a strong relationship between the NHL and the CHL, even historically, going back to the days of NHL teams sponsoring CHL teams,” he explained. “I still believe the vast majority of players are coming to the NHL from the CHL.”

There are a few noticeable absences from the game however, as top ranked players such as Alex Galchenyuk (Sarnia Sting) Morgan Rielly (Moose Jaw Warriors), and Slater Koekkoek (Peterborough Petes) will miss the game due to significant injuries that have kept them out of CHL lineups most of the season.

Edwards feels that although they are injured, their draft stock should not be affected.

“The GM’s aren’t going to see them this one time, but these guys have been seen a lot by their scouting departments, with the exception of Galchenyuk,” he said. “In his [Galchenyuk] case, it makes the NHL combine that much more important. It won’t affect him that much as long as he gets a clean bill of health and he’ll be back to 100%.”

And while players like Galchenyuk will be unable to play, the others competing will hope to solidify their positions as top ranked NHL prospects, and be one step closer to realizing their dream of being drafted on June 22nd in Pittsburgh.

At least that’s not the reputation Tomas himself would like to have anymore.

“I want to be known as a good hockey player, not just the guy with the stick and puck.”

The Kosice, Slovakia native became an instant You Tube sensation after an awe-inspiring video of his stick handling skills went viral.

“I was just a kid playing around,” said Jurco. “I was only 13 or 14, I never thought it was going to be so popular.”

Jurco insists those days are behind him now. That’s not to say however, that the crafty winger has done any less of a job helping the puck find the back of the net in his third season in the QMJHL.

The stick work and puck movement of this 2010-11 Memorial Cup champion is hard to miss and at 6-foot-2, 193 pounds, Jurco is just as much of a physical presence as a goal scorer.

With the Saint John Seas Dogs this season, Jurco has put up 45 points (21 goals, 24 assists) and is plus-28 in 30 games.

His fancy dangles also helped him edge first overall draft pick Ryan Nugent-Hopkins in the Showdown Breakaway Challenge at the 2011 CHL/NHL Top Prospects competition.

The Red Wings prospect suited up for Team Slovakia at the Under-20 World Junior Championships over the holidays, where he put up eight points (one goal, seven assists) in five games. The Slovaks went on to a sixth place finish.

“I’m really happy with my team,” said Jurco. “I think we played good and I think we made a lot of people happy back home and that’s what we came for.”

Being in his second Under-20 tournament, on a team comprised primarily of players playing outside of North America, Jurco took on more of a leadership role. His experience playing with the likes of Team Canada’s Jonathan Huberdeau and Nathan Beaulieu in Saint John helped him fulfill that duty.

“I’m just trying to help guys and give them my advice,” he said. “I’ve played in a lot of big games in Saint John and I try to bring the experience that I have and get the guys pumped.”

A link to the video interview can be found here.

————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Tieja is a regular contributor to OpenIceHockey and can be found on Twitter @tieja_mac

In one calendar year, the upstart prospect has played in the Memorial Cup tournament, played in two NHL exhibition games with the Montreal Canadiens, and earned a bronze medal in the World Junior Championships with Team Canada.

“I hope with this experience that I can bring a winning attitude to the rink every day,” he said.

The Sea Dogs couldn’t be happier with his play.

So far this season, Beaulieu has been able to fill in admirably for the departed Simon Despres. He’s scored eight goals and added 18 assists for 26 points in 30 games. Last season, in the Sea Dogs Memorial Cup championship run, he had 17 points in 19 games, and added three points in four games in the Memorial Cup. Beaulieu was named to the tournament all-star team.

“He’s very talented,” Saint John Sea Dogs head coach Gerard Gallant said. “He’s been excellent on the powerplay for us and he’s got plenty of skill.

“He plays in all situations and he’s on the ice a lot,” continued Gallant. “He’s been able to play all roles for us this year. We really like our defensive unit as a whole and [Nathan] has been a part of that.”

Beaulieu impressed former Habs coach Jacques Martin and his staff so much that he got into two exhibition games, playing alongside P.K. Subban and Josh Gorges, both experienced NHLers.

“They were excellent to play with,” he said. “They calmed me down and let me just play my own game. They settled me in.”

Beaulieu started one of the games, and played over 30 minutes in one of the contests, leading the team in ice time and prompting the Bell Centre faithful to chant his name.

Standing on the ice while the anthems played and looking up in the crowd at thousands of screaming fans was a sight he’ll never forget.

“I was star-struck,” he said. “The atmosphere was incredible.”

Beaulieu said that Martin and his staff really helped his game.

“They were very positive,” he said. “He’s an experienced coach who’s been there before, so you want to take in as much as you can. I was like a sponge out there, trying to get everything I could and working to improve my game.”

Beaulieu wants to improve a couple of things in his game before he embarks on his pro career.

“I want to look to improve my conditioning and my skating,” he said. “It can always get better. The pro game is a huge jump.

“They were really positive at camp and it helped me. [The Habs] are a team that take their time with prospects, and I’m confident I’ll be fine if I keep following their instruction.”

Gallant thinks that Beaulieu would be an even bigger force with some help on his defensive game.

“He’s been improving this already, and it’s shown in his game this year,” Gallant said. “If he keeps playing as hard on pucks in the defensive zone as he has been, and keeps his compete level and battle level up he’ll be a great professional.”

That his defenceman, Artem Sergeev, is a solid two-way defenceman.

“He came into camp this season much stronger,” Dumont said. “He trained all summer to get bigger and stronger, and he came in a lot more confident in his game.”

The end result?

“Last season, he got caught in the mix a little bit, and had a tough time adapting,” he said. “This year has been night-and-day. He’s getting a lot of minutes in all situations.

“He’s been solid and tough for us so far.”

Sergeev has attributed his growth on the ice to one thing:

“I’ve been getting more ice time,” he said.

“I’m more confident this year. I feel better with and without the puck. I got stronger and worked hard to get here now.”

Sergeev has stepped his game up a notch this season, his second with the Foreurs. Last season, he managed five goals and 27 points in 64 games. This season so far, he has 19 points in 33 games, including seven goals. His confidence has allowed him to let loose his pulsating shot from the point.

“Offensively, he’s one of the guys back there that we rely on,” coach Dumont said. “He has been able to use his shot better and make better decisions with the puck as the season has gone on.”

Sergeev, or Artyom Sergeyev, will be suiting up for Russia in the World Junior Hockey Championships this holiday season. He was pointless in two exhibition games for the Russians thus far.

He will be relied on as more of a steady rearguard on the world stage, providing stability and a good first pass from the back end. As well, his experience in North America on the small ice will be an asset for the Russians, where any edge in a short tournament can come in handy.

Sergeev not only had a big summer in the weight room. He also spent time in camp with the Detroit Red Wings. He said that the camp allowed him to grow more as a player, not just stronger.

“It was pretty cool,” he said. “I felt I did well. It was a good experience to go to camp with the Wings. I was able to train with all their coaches and the players. It helped me a lot. It showed me what the next level is like and what I have to do to get there.”

For Sergeev, he feels that he needs to keep going and keep growing to make it to the next level.

“In the pros, they are so fast and so competitive,” he said. “I have to work harder and keep making progress. If I do that, I can give myself a chance to compete there.”

A good showing at the World Juniors can’t hurt either.

But the Finnish goaltender is turning heads at the QMJHL level.

Gibson, a second-round pick of the Los Angeles Kings, is among the next group of talented Finnish netminders. Along the way, though, he separated from the pack and decided to come to Canada at the age of 15.

“I wanted to get used to the North American style of play,” Gibson said. “So I thought about it, and decided that Canada was the best option. I enrolled with the Notre Dame Hounds [at Athol Murray School in Sasketchewan], and was able to get a great start on building experience here.”

Gibson’s father is English and a Black Belt martial artist. His mother was a Finnish aux pere. They met in London and moved to Finland, where Christopher was born. Gibson played hockey from a young age, but got hooked with the idea of playing in Canada after playing in a tournament in Quebec. A Finnish coach recommended Notre Dame, and after a visit, parents and son were hooked.

“It was a great experience,” Gibson said. “I was able to play on the Midget AAA team there, and we won the TELUS Cup that season. It was a great year overall for me. I was able to adjust to the style and the play in Canada and also win.”

Gibson was then drafted by the Chicoutimi Sagueneens in the first round of the 2009 QMJHL Entry Draft. He never looked back, making the Sagueneens in his first year, and after some growing pains, managed to carve his way into the top goaltending prospects of the league.

“To be able to play major junior in Canada is an amazing experience,” he said. “It has treated me well so far.”

So far this season, Gibson is 13-9-3 with a trying Sagueneens squad in a tough division. He has a GAA of 3.08 and a save percentage of .889.

Last season, his numbers sparkled, with a GAA of 2.42 and a save percentage of .920, despite a less-than-stellar 14-15-8 record.

Gibson was drafted by the Kings in the second round of last year’s entry draft. He said that he enjoyed his time at his first full camp in the NHL.

“It was a bit of a tough go but it was a great time,” he said. “I was able to learn a lot and be able to take what I learned and apply it to my game.”

Gibson is clearly Finnish in one aspect; like many Finns, he looks up to fellow Finnish netminder Miikka Kiprusoff.

“I don’t have a style I try to emulate, but I do look up to him and try to follow him a bit,” Gibson admitted. “I don’t try to emulate any goaltender, but I do root for him, like most Finnish goalies.”

Chicoutimi head coach Marc-Etienne Hubert said that Gibson is a great number one goaltender in the QMJHL.

“He plays the puck really well,” he said. “He moves well and is able to play big in the net.”

Gibson said that he has some aspects of his game to work on in his young career.

“I want to look into reading the play a lot more,” he said. “As you go higher and higher and into the pro leagues, reading the play and being able to anticipate is that much more important. I’ve been working on that, and I want to keep progressing with it.”

“I want to work on my consistency as well,” he added. “I want to work on being the best goalie I can, night-in and night-out.”

Gibson’s personal goal this season is already met; he wanted to play for his country in the World Junior Championships this holiday season in Alberta. He was named to the team, and will suit up for Team Finland.

Will his experience in North America provide an edge for the Finns?

“It couldn’t hurt,” he said with a smile. “I have a desire to win. I want to go as far as possible. My experience on the North American ice can only help me.”

The Sea Dogs announced last week that they signed former Boston University forward Charlie Coyle.

The 19-year-old from East Weymouth, MA will join the team after he competes with Team USA at the 2012 World Junior Hockey Championships in Calgary and Edmonton.

Coyle, still academically eligible at BU, decided to change avenues to further his hockey career. The Sea Dogs swooped in and nabbed the forward, who has scored three goals and 14 points in 16 games so far for the Terriers.

Coyle creates an embarrassment of riches for the Sea Dogs, who are trying to defend their QMJHL and Memorial Cup titles from last season. Coyle gives Saint John four first rounders from the 2011 NHL Entry Draft. Coyle joins Panthers pick Jonathan Huberdeau, Wild pick Zack Phillips, and Canadiens pick Nathan Beaulieu.

Coyle was originally a San Jose Sharks pick, but was traded at last year’s entry draft with Devin Setoguchi and a first round pick for Brent Burns and a second rounder.

The Phillips pick from the Wild was the original Sharks pick included in the Coyle deal.

***

Czech forward Martin Frk will be a no-show at the World Juniors this holiday season.

The 17-year-old has just recently returned to action following a bout with post-concussion symptoms. Frk has only one goal in seven games so far this season.

He and his agent reported last week that Frk will return home instead of participating in the tournament, and will return once the tournament is finished.

Frk will miss three games in that span.

The Czech forward is a highly-touted prospect expected to go in the first round in this year’s entry draft.

Frk, when healthy, is capable of taking over shifts and being dominant with the puck, as a sniper and a dangler. He is strong on his skates and able to take physical punishment.

The Frk that has played with the Mooseheads so far this year hasn’t been near that level of play, mostly due to injury concerns and conditioning from being out for an extended period of time.

Frk told me last week that he doesn’t feel nearly as confident as he usually does, and his injury concerns and lack of conditioning due to injury are the main reason why. He added that he knows he can play better than he has shown so far. Missing the first half of the year has meant a lot of catching up for the young Czech forward.

The rest at his home in the Czech Republic will only help Frk further recover and refocus.

***

The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League trading period opened on Dec. 19, and has been largely quiet so far.

One trade in December before the trade period began was the P.E.I. Rocket acquiring Jessyko Bernard from the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies.

Bernard, 20, will provide veteran leadership and a scoring punch for the Rocket, a team that sorely needs scoring. The Rocket surrendered an eighth-round pick in 2014 for the overager. Bernard has five points in five games for the Rocket since being acquired.

The biggest name to move so far in the trading period is defenceman Jonathan Narbonne. The former Armada rearguard was sent to Shawinigan for a first and third round pick. Narbonne is considered amongst QMJHL circles as an extension of the Kirill Kabanov-for-Vitaly Kolesnikovs deal conducted earlier this season.

Only one deal so far has featured players leaving on both sides of the trade. Baie-Comeau sent Alexandre Durette and Victoriaville’s first round pick to Val-d’Or in exchange for center Jean-Francois Leblanc.

Durette, 19, has scored 29 points for the Drakkar so far this season.

Leblanc, 18, has slumped mightily this season. The third year QMJHL veteran had 51 points last season, but only has five in 33 games so far this season.

In other moves, the Gatineau Olympiques acquired forward Olivier D’Aoust from the Moncton Wildcats and defenceman Garrett Clarke from the Acadie-Bathurst Titan in a pair of deals, and Cape Breton acquired Mikael Langlois from the Drakkar.

***

The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League will have nine players among their ranks playing in the 2012 Home Hardware Top Prospects Game.

The annual game showcases the top 40 draft eligible players in the CHL. It pits Team Orr, coached by Boston Bruins legend Bobby Orr, against Team Cherry, coached by Hockey Night in Canada icon Don Cherry.

Team Orr features goaltender Francois Tremblay of the Val-d’Or Foreurs, and forwards Francis Beauviller of the Rimouski Oceanic, Raphael Bussieres of the Baie-Comeau Drakkar, Mikhail Grigorenko of the Quebec Remparts and Tomas Hyka of the Gatineau Olympiques.

Team Cherry features goaltender Brandon Whitney of the Victoriaville Tigres, and forwards Charles Hudon of the Chicoutimi Sagueneens, and Martin Frk and Andrew Ryan of the Halifax Mooseheads.

The 2012 Home Hardware Top Prospects Game will be played on Feb. 1 in Kelowna.

***

Team Germany will be promoted to the top division in the World Junior Hockey Championships, with thanks to three QMJHL players.

Konrad Abeltshauser of the Halifax Mooseheads, and Mirko Hoefflin and Nicholas Krammer of the Acadie-Bathurst Titan were among the nine CHL players who won gold in the Division I Group A World U20 Hockey Championships in Germany last week.

In addition to the three players on Germany, Cape Breton’s Roman Graborenko represented Belarus and Adrian Danielsen of the Drummondville Voltigeurs represented Norway.

***

Zach O’Brien of the Acadie-Bathurst Titan leads the league at the holiday break with 66 points.

He is two points ahead of his highest challenger, Yanni Gourde of the Victoriaville Tigres. O’Brien’s linemate, Sebastien Trudeau, sits in third with 63 points, one back of Gourde.

Rempart rookie Mikhail Grigorenko is in fourth place at the break with 58 points. Matthew Bissonnette, the other linemate of the Titan trio, rests in fifth place with 57.

Saint John’s Zack Phillips’ scoring streak may have been snapped, but he still is the sixth best scorer in the league with 54 points. Ben Duffy of the P.E.I. Rocket and Alexandre Mallet of the Rimouski Oceanic are tied for seventh with 52 points apiece. Duffy and O’Brien both have not served even a minor penalty this season; they both have 0 PIM heading into the break.

There is a three-way-tie for ninth place in the league scoring race. Saint John’s Danick Gauthier, Quebec’s Frederick Roy and Rimouski’s Alex Belzile each sit with 51 points each.

Oceanic defenceman Jerome Gauthier-Leduc relinquished his team scoring lead but is still the league’s best point-getter among blueliners. Gauthier-Leduc posted an even 50 points at the break. Rouyn-Noranda Huskies defenceman Mathieu Brisebois sits in second with 35, and Mathieu Gagnon of the Gatineau Olympiques rests one point behind him in third. Samuel Carrier of the Baie-Comeau Drakkar is in fourth place with 32 points, and Quebec’s Martin Lefebvre rounds out the top five with 31. Lefebvre’s teammate Mikael Tam is in sixth, tied with Moncton’s Brandon Gormley with 27 points. Gormley has been away with Team Canada since the second week of December.

O’Brien and Gauthier are neck-and-neck in the goal scoring race and are fittingly tied heading into the break. They each have 31 goals. Bissonnette is one goal behind them with 30. 13 players have 20 or more goals this season, including three Victoriaville Tigres. Shawinigan’s Anton Zlobin, recently cut from the Russian World Junior team, is in fourth place with 26 goals, while Grigorenko has 25.

Behind Grigorenko is 16-year-old Nathan MacKinnon with 49 points, well back of Grigorenko’s 58. Sven Andrighetto of the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies sits in third with 45 points. Quebec’s Anthony Duclair and P.E.I.’s Matej Beran are tied for fourth place with 36 points apiece.

Saint John’s Mathieu Corbeil is still the league’s win king. He leads the league with 22 victories into the break. There is a three-way-tie for second, each goalie with 17 wins: Alex Dubeau of the Shawinigan Cataractes, Zachary Fucale of the Halifax Mooseheads, and Roman Will of the Moncton Wildcats. Quebec’s Louis Domingue sits one win behind them with 16.

Domingue still tops the league in save percentage. The Quebec netminder has a percentage of .924. His teammate, rookie Francois Brossard, is second, tied with Corbeil with a mark of  .912. Four other goaltenders have save percentages above .900: Etienne Marcoux of the Armada with .910, Dubeau with .907, and Will and Francois Lacerte of the Olympiques with .904.

Corbeil and Domingue are tied for the league lead in GAA with a mark of 2.34. Dubeau is third with 2.53. Nine goaltenders are under three-goals-a-game average at the break: Marcoux with 2.57, the Drakkar’s Jimmy Appleby with 2.66, Brassard with 2.75, the Drakkar’s Antonio Mastropietro with 2.83, Will with 2.85, and Fucale with 2.96.

Corbeil leads the league in shutouts with four, followed by the Cataractes goaltending duo of Dubeau and Gabriel Girard. Dubeau has three shutouts for second place, and Girard is in a five-way-tie for third place with two. Other goalies with two shutouts include: Domingue, Tremblay, the Tigres’ David Honzik and the Titan’s rookie Jacob Brennan.

“[My year] has been a little unexpected,” he admits. “I don’t really look at the scoring race. I’m just trying to help my team win the best I can.  I’ve just been taking advantage of my opportunities.”

Gourde has 64 points so far in 36 games for the Tigres this season, enough to sit in second place in scoring to go into the Christmas break. He’s lit the lamp 21 times and assisted on 43 more. He’s two points down on the Acadie-Bathurst Titan’s Zach O’Brien for the scoring lead, and he’s only four off his QMJHL career high.

He’s been named in the league’s three stars of the week several times since the start of the year, and was named the CHL player of the week last week.

“I play a more offensive role,” he said. “I’m playing on the first line and I have to put points up. I just want to win.”

He and linemate Philippe Maillet have formed a great first line for the Tigres. Maillet was near the top-10 in points for a part of the year, sitting in 21st spot with 40 points.

Gourde talks about the chemistry between him and Maillet.

“I know where he’s going to be and he knows where I’ll be,” he said. “We know we can score goals and help our team win games.”

The Tigres sit in sixth spot in the league standings heading into the Christmas break, with a record of 21-13-0-2 for 44 points. They trail the league-leading Quebec Remparts, who have 57 points, and the fourth-place Shawinigan Cataractes, with 54. They play in by far the toughest division of the league, the TELUS East division, nicknamed the “division of death”. They are joined by the Baie-Comeau Drakkar, the Chicoutimi Sagueneens and the Drummondville Voltigeurs.

Tigres head coach Yanick Jean is impressed with Gourde’s play this season.

“He creates plays for us and chances to score,” he said. “He’s a puck possession player. He works hard and can be all around the ice.”

Gourde admits that his conditioning and his physical play are areas he wants to improve to help his pro chances.

“I’m working on my legs and my skating,” he said. “The next level is a hard jump and I want to be ready to get the call.”

The coach agrees with his player.

“He needs to work on his physical play,” he said. “His skating isn’t there yet, but it’s improving.  He has great skills and that will show at any level.”

The 5’8” forward is undrafted in the NHL. He had 68 points last season, but wasn’t enough to get a training camp invite with a pro team.

“I want to go far,” he said. “I can only play and let [my play] do the talking. I’ve been having a great season, and hopefully it will help me get noticed.”

Jean said he doesn’t know what the future holds for his star forward.

“It’s hard to say, but he’s a hard worker and can work through anything,” he said. “We’ll see how he does by the end of the year.”

Watching his season so far, his numbers will be hard to ignore.

“I know I won’t be a star right away [in the pro game],” he said. “I just want to be a strong two-way defenceman, concentrate on my game and worry about gaining the trust of the coaches first.”

Trust he has. Abeltshauser is the number one defenceman for the Halifax Mooseheads. He plays in all situations for the young squad.

“He’s playing powerplay and killing penalties, and playing great for us,” Halifax head coach Dominique Ducharme said. “He brings a lot of offence, but also he brings a great first pass to set up our forwards well. His transition game is excellent.”

Abeltshauser serves as a leader on a team that features several top NHL prospects, including Nathan MacKinnon, Martin Frk, Jonathan Drouin, Ryan Falkenham, Zachary Fucale and Andrew Ryan.

He is excited about playing with such young talent and sharing his experience with the Mooseheads prospects.

“We’re looking for a little more success this year,” he said. “We have a group of good young players on the team. They’re going to learn a lot and we’re here to help as much as possible.”

“We’ve had a rough couple of years now, but this year we want to win as much as we can.”

Abeltshauser is a San Jose draft pick, picked in the sixth round of the 2010 draft. The German is helped by a lack of depth at the national level, dressing in his third World Junior Championship this year. He helped Germany reach the top division for last year’s tournament.

This year, he and his team won the Division 1 tournament, ensuring Germany a second date at the World Juniors tournament next season.

He led the tournament in assists with six, and was a +9. He finished with seven points overall.

Back in the QMJHL, the three year veteran has 22 points in 25 games patrolling the blue line for the Mooseheads. His career-high came last year, with 27 points in 58 games.

“This year, I’m looking more at using my size,” said the 6’5” rearguard. “I look to join the rush and to make good passes, but I want to work a little more on my defensive game.”

“It’s always fun to play offensively,” he continued. “Scoring goals is fun, but I want to prevent some more as well. I want to focus more on reading the play and playing better defensively.”

Ducharme said that his defensive game has seen improvement this year.

“He’s using his size a bit more,” he said. “He’s improved his stick [checking] a lot. He’s taking up a lot of time and space using it and it’s working for him. He’s using his body well, but he’s also learning that he doesn’t always have to use his body to get the job done.”

Ducharme does caution however that  Abeltshauser’s got plenty to learn before being considered an elite defenseman in the Q.

“He still has room for improvement but he’s taking the steps to get there and become a two-way defenceman.”