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.

The Russians will be coming off a busy travel schedule playing two games in the QMJHL just days after landing on Canadian soil, and later travelling across the province from Ottawa to Sault Ste. Marie for Monday’s contest.

The heavy travel never seems to affect the Russians however, and there’s no doubt that game four will be a hard fought battle between two hungry teams.

One of the more interesting angles that this game could take is that some of the players in the line up who weren’t invited to Team Canada’s summer camp will be looking to make a major impression on the coaching staff.

George Burnett, Head Coach and General Manager of the OHL’s Belleville Bulls and National Junior Team Assistant, believes that there are plenty of opportunities for these types of players to shine in – what really turns out to be – a one-game tryout.

“Last year one that comes to mind is Marcus Foligno, who wasn’t in the summer camp but played in Sudbury and not only did he get himself an opportunity to go to the final selection camp but he became an integral part of the team in Buffalo,” Burnett said.

Of the players looking to make an impression is Soo Greyhound forward Nick Cousins, who was selected in the 3rd-round of last year’s NHL Entry Draft by the Philadelphia Flyers.

Sitting 13th in league scoring through 19 games with 11 goals and 24 points, Cousins is showing that he belongs on Team OHL and at Team Canada’s Selection Camp in December, and Burnett believes has a realistic opportunity to be there.

“He’s had a great start to his season,” Burnett said. “I know how hard he worked out and prepared himself for the [NHL] draft testing last summer. They [Greyhounds] are a young, and much improved team in the East and he’s a huge part of the success they’re enjoying right now.”

Cousins himself is relishing the opportunity.

“There’s going to be a lot of scouts there especially for Team Canada,” he said. “I’m going to do what got me drafted, keep it simple and try to open some eyes. I really want to crack a spot on the World Junior squad in December.”

Other players in game four who weren’t invited to Team Canada Summer Camp who will be looking to make an impact including the OHL’s leading scorer Tanner Pearson, Brampton Battalion’s Sam Carrick, and Mississauga St. Michael’s Majors’ forward Riley Brace.

Another Greyhound standout will also be in the lineup. Defenseman Ryan Sproul, who has been solid on the backend scoring 3 goals and 13 points with an impressive +13, will be looking to squeeze his way into World Junior consideration. Forward Andrew Fristch will also play against the Russians on home ice.

Cousins is looking forward to playing in the series with both Sproul and Fritsch.

“It’s exciting to be a part of something like this, and to have some of my teammates along with me makes things fun,” he said. “Especially having it here in Sault Ste. Marie, I’m looking forward to it.”

But, as always with these mini-series, there’s always the question of who the players look forward to playing with, rather than against.

“I’d have to say Ryan Murphy,” Cousins said, hoping the Kitchener Rangers’ defenceman is healthy enough to suit up on Monday. “Having him on your backend is pretty good. He’s a good puck moving defenseman and he’s going to help us out a lot.”

Game four is scheduled for Monday November 14 and can be seen live on Sportsnet at 7:00 PM Eastern.

They’ll get their chance in game three, as the series shifts from Quebec, over the Champlain Bridge, and into Ottawa.

It won’t be an easy task, as four picks from the first round of last year’s NHL Entry Draft will be in the line up (Dougie Hamilton, Matt Puempel, Ryan Strome, Mark Scheifele) , as well as four players taken in the first two rounds of the 2010 Draft (Mark Visentin, Ryan Spooner, Christian Thomas, and Tyler Toffoli).

Game three will also have a ton of hometown flavour, as three 67’s will suit up against the Russians, including defenseman Cody Ceci, and forwards Tyler Graovac and the aforementioned Toffoli.

All three have been having great season’s so far for Ottawa, who entered this past week first place overall in the Eastern Conference.

Ceci has become one of the main attractions of this game however, as he’s the only NHL Draft Eligible player for the 67’s in the game.

He has lived up to the expectations set out for him coming into the season, as he is second behind Dougie Hamilton in defenseman scoring with five goals and 18 points in 17 games.

“Cody is draft eligible with a late birthday so he’s had that extra time in our league and he’s amongst the elite defenseman,” said Belleville Bulls Head Coach and General Manager George Burnett who will also serve behind the bench for Team OHL Thursday night in Ottawa. “He brings it every night.”

Ceci also feels that it’s important to try and make an impression in the series.

“It’s certainly something that could help you out if you play a good game,” he said. “You’re playing with the best players in your league and you need to separate yourself from the rest of the top draft picks from this year, from the year before, and the prospects going into this year’s draft.”

Sometimes however, when a player feels the pressure to perform, they over exude themselves and try to do too much to catch the eyes of the scouts or coaches.

To counteract this, the players have been given a simple message since day one of Team Canada’s Development camp this past summer.

“They told us that we were selected for a reason,” said Ceci. “They said to just go out there, play our own game and show them that you deserve to be there and play at that level.”

A big blow to Team OHL, and to the 67’s as well, is the loss of forward Sean Monahan, who will be unable to play in game three on Thursday due to an injury.

Burnett believes Monahan is one of the more special players in the OHL right now, and that his loss will be felt against the Russians.

“There aren’t many 94’s in our league who are in situations like he is,” said Burnett. “He’s playing with top players but also playing in critical roles for his club and producing very effectively on a regular basis for a first place team.”

But, for the players who are in the line up, they’re looking forward to getting another taste of international hockey, especially against one of the country’s biggest rivals in the Russians.

“It’s a big thrill for me and a good opportunity to represent the OHL,” said Ceci. “It gives a glimpse into the Russian style of hockey and acts as a tryout for the World Junior hockey team. I’m extremely happy.”

He’s also excited to be playing at home in front of his home fans in Ottawa.

“We have some great fans, a huge fan base, and they’re very loyal,” Ceci continued. “I’m sure we’ll get a lot of people out because it’s such a big game and there’s a lot of hockey lovers here in Ottawa.”

Game three goes Thursday, November 10th, and can be seen live on Sportsnet One beginning at 7 PM Eastern

Unlike fellow regional league teams in the CHL, Team OHL will be looking to continue perfect SUBWAY Super Series success aiming for an 18-0 record as they get set to face the tough Russian National Junior Team.

Last year after a pair of QMJHL losses Team OHL brought the series to an even 2-2 after wins in both game three in London by a 4-0 score, and a 2-1 shootout win in Sudbury in game four.

“Both games were very competitive,” said Belleville Bulls Head Coach and General Manager George Burnett, who will also coach Team OHL and serve as an Assistant Coach for Team Canada this winter. “The London game, they [the Russians] had come from the East, and I’m sure were a little more fatigued for game three of the series where despite being 4-0, it was a very competitive game that saw good quality chances at both ends of the rink.”

Team OHL scored by committee in the 2010 series, and were committed to a solid defensive effort, as no player recorded more than one point in the two games against the Russians. There were 14 players in total that registered either a goal or an assist.

This year, a different crew of players have their eyes on continuing the streak, including seven first-round draft picks from last year’s NHL Entry Draft: Niagara Ice Dogs’ Ryan Strome and Dougie Hamilton, Mark Scheifele of the Barrie Colts, Ryan Murphy of the Kitchener Rangers, Jamie Oleksiak of the Saginaw Spirit, Matt Puempel of the Peterborough Petes, and Stuart Percy of the Mississauga St. Michael’s Majors.

Burnett feels as though this is a great test to see how the team can come together and gel as a unit in such a short period of time.

“The kids need to come in and get together quickly,” he said. “There’s a very simple message, a simple system of play and there will be a lot of things that were touched on this summer as many of these kids were at the summer camp.”

Burnett believes that the question of chemistry can be solved fairly easily through the way they’ve built this team.

“We have some kids playing together presently on their own clubs,” he said. “I’m sure we can take advantage of some chemistry there.”

Some would think that there would be added pressure on this version of Team OHL with their attempt to continue the perfect record, but Ottawa 67’s defenseman Cody Ceci believes they won’t be overly concerned with it.

“We haven’t talked about it much,” he said. “We’ve talked about our own team and our own game. Once we all get together on Wednesday I’m sure it will come up at one point and it’ll make us hungrier to keep the streak going.”

Ottawa is the host for game three on November 10, and it will have some hometown flavour, as three 67’s will be in the lineup including Ceci, and forwards Tyler Graovac and Tyler Toffoli. Ceci is second in defenseman scoring with five goals and 18 points, and is eligible for the 2012 NHL Entry Draft.

Other notables playing in Ottawa include leading scorer Tanner Pearson of the Barrie Colts, who has 13 goals and 37 points playing on a line with Scheifele and Colin Behenna. Pearson was passed over in the last NHL Entry Draft, but is making a good case to not be overshadowed again this year.

The series will then make its way across Ontario to Sault Ste. Marie, home of the Soo Greyhounds, for game four on November 14.

Three Greyhounds will be in the lineup for the match up, including defenseman Ryan Sproul, and forwards Andrew Fritsch, and Nick Cousins. Cousins was drafted in the 3rd round of the NHL Entry Draft last year by the Philadelphia Flyers, and is 13th in league scoring with eleven goals and 24 points.

Cousins is excited for the opportunity to play in front of the Sault Ste. Marie fans.

“It’s going to be cool playing in my hometown and having the home ice advantage,” he said. “We have big support of the fans here in the Soo. It’s a big hockey town and I’m looking forward to it.”

And there shouldn’t be a problem getting the home team up to play the Russians for either game, just like in years past.

“I’m sure both buildings will be electric,” Burnett said. “We have to take advantage of the home ice, build off the energy in the buildings and play good, sound, Canadian hockey.”

Both games three and four of the SUBWAY® Super Series can be seen live on S

portsnet.

With that, here’s a look at five players that you will need to keep your eye on for the 2011-12 season in the CHL.

Daniel Altshuller

He was definitely one of the stand outs from not only the NHL’s Research and Development camp, but was named the starter at this summer’s Under-18 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament.  Altshuller lead his team to gold against Sweden 4-1.

Last season, Altshuller played for the Nepean Raiders Junior ‘A’ team in the Central Canadian Hockey League.  He finished fourth in wins (19) and in the top ten in GAA (3.22).

Altshuller will be looking to take over the number one spot in Oshawa with the Generals of the OHL, as the Belleville Bulls – who have Malcolm Subban as their number one – traded Altshuller in the off-season.

Mathew Campagna

The speedy, 5′10″, 170lbs center from the Sudbury Wolves of the Ontario Hockey League should be a fun one to watch this upcoming season.  He has solid acceleration, slick hands, and has a knack for scoring some timely goals.

Like Altshuller, Campagna competed in both the Under-18 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament, and the 2011 World Under-17 Challenege, winning gold in both.

He will have a larger role on this year’s version of the Wolves, and should ultimately improve on his seven goals and 25 point campagin from a year ago.

Martin Frk

The 6′0, 203 lbs right winger from the Czech Republic showed some flashes of brilliance at the 2012 R&D camp, and will look to continue his strong off-season play with the Halifax Mooseheads of the QMJHL.

As a rookie in Halifax, Frk scored 22 goals, and 50 points – good enough for second on the team – while tacking on 75 PIMS.  He has the physical ability to push guys around if he wants to, and can use his big frame to his advantage digging for pucks in the corner, or in front of the net.

He will be counted on in his sophomore season with the Mooseheads to produce at a higher level than he did last season.  While he doesn’t have a ton of support up front, he can be so dominant at times that the points will come to him.

Ryan Murray

This kid is an absolute stud defenceman.  When you talk about the combination of size, speed, and all around natural ability, Murray fits the description.

Born as a late 1993, which makes him eligible for the 2012 draft, Murray is the type of player you notice as soon as he steps onto the ice.  He has the ability to slow the game down, and control the pace.  He was very impressive at the R&D camp in what was my third look at him, and should only get better as the season goes on.

A late cut from the 2010-11 World Junior squad, watch for him and fellow late cut Ryan Murphy of the Kitchener Rangers to be named to this years’ squad, either as the 1A/1B or 1A/2A power play quarterbacks.

Andreas Athanasiou

Not the biggest guy standing at 6′0, 165 lbs, but there is nothing but upside for this OHL’s London Knights forward.  After notching 11 goals, and 22 points in 57 games last season, Athanasiou will look to improve upon those totals as a sophomore this season.

Athanasiou will have the chance to stand out this season on a Knights team that will be sure to have plenty of eyes watching them come puck drop on opening night.  Former NHL enforcer Tie Domi’s son, Max, was traded in the off-season to the Knights, which will be sure to draw a lot of attention away from the draft eligible Athanasiou.

He will be leaned on as one of the key contributors to the Knights lineup, as he should get some playing time on the first line beside 2011 draftee Vladislav Namestnikov.

According to Terry Doyle at www.loosepucks.com, the choices going the other way are “Guelph’s second in 2012, Erie’s second in 2012 and London’s second in 2015. Kingston is also scheduled to receive the ninth overall pick in the 2012 OHL Priority Selection.”

Max scored 27 goals and 57 points in 30 games for the Don Mills Flyers minor midget team last season.  He is the son of former NHL enforcer Tie Domi, who lead the world to believe that Max was headed the college route (minus a few on the inside track that really knew what he was doing all along).

It will be interesting to see how he and ninth overall pick Bo Horvat fit into the lineup this year.  Both tore up the AAA minor midget league last season, but with some veterans still lingering in London, expect that these two will see third and/or fourth line ice.  They should get looks on the second power play unit as well.

Either way, this sets up the Knights to become one of the power houses of the league in the next two years, providing both Domi and Horvat pan out as top end OHL’ers.

Let’s start  by taking a look at some of the rules that could get a look during NHL exhibition matches.

Verification Line

Definition: The verification line is a yellow line parallel to the goal line, set back slightly more than 3″ inches (size of the puck) from the goal line.  The thought was that the line would aide the off ice officials during goal reviews when trying to determine if the puck has crossed the goal line. In the event there is something (water bottle, glove, pad, etc) blocking the view of the goal line, this line could be used to “verify” that the puck has completely crossed the goal line.

Prognosis: There were two lines used; a green in one end, and a yellow in the other, which was a little less noticeable than the green, and the one I believe they should use in exhibition play.  Combined with the new HD net cameras, this line is a no-brainer and should help determining whether pucks cross the goal line.

Shallow Back Nets

Definition: The shallow net features a 40″ inch deep frame compared to the 44″ inch frame that is currently used.  What the NHL found was that the shallow net provided more ice behind the net, and ultimately improved passing angles and made it easier for wrap around attempts.

Prognosis: After speaking with the goalies, even though they did notice the shallower nets, they weren’t bothered by it, which pretty well is the green light for the NHL to try and test it.  It should also give defencemen a better view of what’s coming around the corner at them.

“Hybrid” Icing

Definition: A “hybrid” of no touch icing and touch icing. During a potential icing, the linesman, by the time the first man reaches the face-off dot,  would determine which player would reach the puck first. If it is determined to be the attacking player, icing is waved off. If it is the defending player, icing is blown immediately. (Tie goes to the defender) It enables on-ice officials to whistle the play dead avoiding a dangerous collision at the end boards.

Prognosis: This seemed to have worked well, however the no-touch icing was really the only clear definitive way of killing the unwanted race to the puck by forwards and defenceman.  Although this rule may not be tried in pre-season play, I believe it is one the NHL will try and implement sooner rather than later.

Rules that really didn’t work….

Allow Hand Passes in All Zones

Definition: Allow hand passes in the offensive and neutral zones as they do in the defensive zone with the thought that there would less whistles and keep the rules consistent.

Prognosis: The problem with this, even though there wasn’t many examples of it, was that you’d have guys passing the puck to each other with gloves or batting the puck to each other through the different zones.  It may work one day, but it’s such a drastic change to the game that it probably won’t be implemented for quite some time, if ever.

Delayed Penalty Rule

Definition: A team who has committed an infraction of the rules but does not have possession of the puck, needs to not only gain possession of the puck but also get the puck out of their zone before the referee blows his whistle to stop play and impose the penalty on the offending player.

The thought was that the extra time it took for a team to clear their zone, would be more time the non offending team would have with an extra attacker which would ultimately provide more offense.

Prognosis: The players I spoke with seemed to not enjoy this rule as much as I thought they would.  They found it difficult to get used to the fact that they had to have possession outside of the zone rather than just simply touching the puck.  This rule may catch on with some more research, however for now it seems like one they won’t explore further.

No-Icing Permitted While Shorthanded

Definition: Teams will be whistled for icing and therefore not permitted to make player substitutions, even while short-handed.

Prognosis: This one seemed to have backfired and not turned out how the NHL expected it would.  In one instance, team white’s coach Dan Bylsma decided to pull his goalie since team black was unable to ice the puck, making it a 6-on-4 advantage.  However, one of the defenceman on team white blew a tire, and black scored on the empty net.

Shannahan made it clear in his post-game press conference that he really couldn’t imagine the NHL attempting to try this in a real game situation, which makes it sound like they’ve seen enough to scrap the idea for now.

Line Changes Permitted Only On-The-Fly

Definition: No line changes to be made after the whistle except after goals and changes in man power.

Prognosis: As Matthew Campagna of the OHL’s Sudbury Wolves told me after, “the guys got tired a lot faster, it made it harder to recover.”  Although it was an interesting concept to try and speed up the game, even the coaches – Bylsma and Dave Tippett, both said they thought it was a challenge for the players.  Safe to say this one will stay out of the game for a while.

But what makes Gauthier so funny is not that he’s a prankster or that he sometimes mixes his English with his French – which some have been known to call Franglais.

No, it’s his post-game celebrations and online videos that have had his teammates laughing hysterically on many occasions throughout their MasterCard Memorial Cup championship season.

“He’s not afraid to dance after games,” Thomas went on to say.  “You can check out some of his videos on Facebook and Youtube.  He’s got some sick dance moves like the robot going on as well.”

Zack Phillips agreed with his captain’s assessment of the 19-year old.

“Gauthier can take any situation or anything he has and turn it into a funny thing to make the boys laugh,” he said.  “He’s one of the funniest guys I’ve ever played with.”

While Thomas said that he felt Gauthier’s go to move was the robot – including how he made a robot head for one particular video – Gauthier gave another opinion on his favourite dance step.

“The running man is my best but I don’t think I have it really good,” he said.  “I made it [the robot helmet] because of the LMFAO video.  I just created one and put it on my head.

But the curiosity in me wanted to know more, and asked him if the public could see the video.

“Yeah, it’s on Youtube.” he said.  “There’s a part where me and [Nathan] Beaulieu are in the car singing Party Rock.  It was a lot of fun.”

So another cat is out of the bag.

While Gauthier is busy being the funny man of the team, apparently he has a dancing accomplice in Beaulieu.

“I like to dance every now and then, especially on the rides to the rink,” the 18-year old and NHL prospect Beaulieu said.  “Party Rock just gets me going a little bit.  My legs start moving and my body starts grooving.”

And not only is he an avid dancer – in which he says his go to move is the shovel – but he also loves to rap and has branded himself with a slick nickname.

“My rap name is Wizzy Natedog,” he said.  “I can’t give you a rap right now because I’m still working on a deal and it’s against my contract.  At a later date I will because I need [Jonathan] Huberdeau for a beat, he gives the best one.”

But overall, it’s Gauthier who is the ultimate funny guy, and along with his solid dance moves, mixes in a little “Franglais” just to change it up a bit.

“He yells things in the middle of his dance moves in French, but I don’t understand what he’s saying,” said Phillips.  “He’s funny in no matter what language he’s talking.”

Whatever the case may be, after their championship victory, you know that they – and the whole team – will be party rockin’ into the off-season.

If you missed the link above to the video, check it out here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ozqYqbjwiXY

With the win, the Sea Dogs move to 2-0 in round robin play, while the Attack fall to 1-1.

“They’re a great team,” said Attack goalie Jordan Binnington.  “They know how to use their skill and find each other on the ice so you have to be aware that the puck can go anywhere.”

Tomas Jurco was the leading scorer for Saint John in the game with a goal and an assist.  He also made some of the defenders look silly, with countless amazing dekes to avoid them.

“He’s a really skilled guy and is a fast player,” said defenseman Matt Petgrave.  “It’s tough especially as a defenseman to defend him.”

The Attack started well as Matt Petgrave’s shot from the side boards deflected off of defenseman Gabriel Bourret’s stick and between the legs of Jacob De Serres.

Bourret continued his unlucky play later in the period, taking a hooking penalty as he couldn’t handle captain Garrett Wilson’s speed to the outside.

The Attack didn’t take long to capitalize, as a shot from Michael Halmo at the point was tipped in front by Andrew Shaw, bringing the puck back across his body and by the outstretched pad of De Serres for the 2-0 lead.

The chippiness picked up near the end of the first after a huge save by De Serres on Michael Halmo with 11 seconds left keeping the game at 2-0.  Halmo then jumped on De Serres, starting a huge scrum with the only penalty going to Sea Dogs’ Simon Despres.

The Sea Dogs managed to kill this off, and after a penalty to Cameron Brace, Jurco continued to impress, as he made a great pass to Stanislav Galiev in front, who – on his off-hand – roofed it over the glove of Binnington, cutting the lead to 2-1.

Saint John continued to press towards the end of the period, but Binnington, with some help from his goal post, managed to keep them from scoring and give his team a lead heading into the third.

The Sea Dogs’ persistency finally paid off with 3:27 left in the game, as Jurco was able to pull the puck out from behind the net, flicking it into the upper half behind Binnington, ultimately sending the game to overtime.

Despres said that they were confident heading into the second intermission that they would come back in the game.

“We’ve been down before during the season,” he said.  “We knew what we had to do, just to push the pace and play a little more risky.  It worked out for us today.”

After a back-and-forth overtime frame, it was Huberdeau who made no mistake, taking a pass in the slot and putting it up top over top of Binnington’s blocker in the final few minutes.

“I felt we deserved better,” said a deflated Binnington.  “But that team played well and their goalie kept them in the game.”

Final shots were 49 to 44 in favor of Owen Sound.

However for Saint John Sea Dogs defenseman and Strathroy, Ontario native Nathan Beaulieu, his move was quite a bit different.

“My dad got a job in Saint John [as GM and head coach] so my family moved out there,” Beaulieu told OpenIceHockey.  “I was there a couple of years including my midget year so that’s why I was drafted into the Quebec league.”

Beaulieu went on to explain that it wasn’t exactly the easiest move for his family to make, but necessary since it was a business decision.

“The whole family went,” he said. “It was tough at first leaving your friends and family back home but we knew it was for work. It was an easy move and there are a lot of nice people out there [in Saint John].”

For the next week however, Beaulieu is back home in Ontario, and says he was very excited about the chance to play in front of the people who supported him growing up.

“It’s always good to come home,” he said.  “I have a lot of support here from friends and family. I was very fortunate for the Memorial Cup to be in Ontario.”

Some of those friends include current Ontario Hockey League players Greg McKegg of the Erie Otters, Steven Shipley of the Niagara IceDogs and Derrick Hartwick of the Soo Greyhounds.

“I keep in touch with those guys and they’re still close buddies,” he said.  “It’s good seeing them have success in the OHL and me in the QMJHL.  We can swap ideas and stuff like that so I have the best of both worlds.”

Growing up playing as a forward for the Elgin-Middlesex Chiefs, Beaulieu had just completed another difficult transition in his life during his peewee season; moving from his natural position, to defense.

“There was a shortage of guys on the back end so I got thrown back there,” he explained. “And ever since I fell in love with it and stuck to it.”

Both moves have worked out well for Beaulieu, as he is one of the top rated defenseman heading into this year’s NHL entry draft.

This season, he not only led all Sea Dogs’ defensemen in scoring with 12 goals and 45 points, but he set a team record with a plus-44 rating, which surpassed his own record of plus-43 set the season prior.

Asked if he thinks about the upcoming draft and playing in the pressure cooker that is the Memorial Cup, Beaulieu was humble with his response.

“A little bit, but right now it’s mostly about winning,” he said.  “With team success comes personal success.  So if the team is winning I think I’ll get noticed some more. The team comes first and hopefully I’ll continue to contribute.”

As for his future goals, Beaulieu knows that his focus needs to be on what he’s doing now, rather than what will take place after his name is called on June 24^th in Minnesota.

“I’ll probably make those after the draft, deciding where I want to be next year and what I want to accomplish,” he said.  “My main goal right now is winning this trophy.”

Follow Jesse Michael on Twitter @OpenIceHockey