New Brunswick Presence Greater Than Ever in QMJHL N Local Playersgain More Exposure Since League’Sarrival in Moncton

New Brunswick presence greater than ever in QMJHL n Local playersgain more exposure since league’sarrival in Moncton

By Jamie Ross year on Hull’sroster. Times &TRanscRipT sTaff His 25 years in the QMJHL has also u included stints as ascout forHalifax and NewBrunswickreached newheights with 25 the Trois Rivieres Draveurs.He’ssplit the players from this province selected in the 2008 Que- past four years between being Saint John bec Major Junior HockeyLeague draft. Sea Dogs general managerand Halifax’sas- Theroad to recognition has been along one, sistantgeneral manager. pavedbythe gradual emergence of major junior LeBlanc remembers the days when the around the Maritimes since the mid 1990s.There onlyreal option forNew Brunswickminor arenow six QMJHL clubs in the region and it all hockeyplayers looking to continue their beganwith the arrivalofthe Halifax Mooseheads in career was to join the junior Aranks.Rarely 1994-95. did kids from this province dream of playing ``Now, we’vearrived,’’ said Halifax assistant major junior beforethe QMJHL’s arrivalinthe general managerBob (Tipper) LeBlanc in reference region. to the number of NewBrunswickers playing major TheQMJHL’s lackofMaritime scouts in the junior.``Our slice of the pie is muchbiggerthan it old days allowedLeBlanc to basicallypursue has ever been and Ithink rightfullyso.’’ anyplayerhewanted without competition from LeBlanc,aMoncton native, was the ﬁrst-ever others.Hesent whatever players he could to the QMJHL scout in the Maritimes when he brokeinto team he was working for, butthereweremany the league with the Hull Olympiques in the mid other good prospects in the region whowent 1980s.Backthen, he had afreerun of the territory untouched. and routinelylanded three to four Maritimers per ➤ See Serge, 21 Serge Bourgeois

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Serge Bourgeois recalls life beforeQMJHL hockey

Continued from 20 ``So muchhas changed over the years when it comes to scouting in the Maritimes,’’ said LeBlanc.``Now, every team in the league pays attention to scouting the Maritime kids and most teams have ascout in the region.’’ Derek Cormier and SergeBourgeois were among the talented New Brunswickers whomissed the opportunity to playinthe QMJHL. Both suited up forthe Moncton Beavers of the Maritime Junior AHockey League and both were named Canadian Junior APlayerofthe Year. Cormier,ahigh-scoring centre, is nowinthe midst of alengthyca- reer playing in the European professional ranks. Bourgeois,anoutstanding two-waydefenceman, helped Moncton capturethe Fred Page Cup as EasternCanadian champion in 1995-96. He’s the newhead coachofthe Universite de Moncton Aigles Bleus. ``Without adoubt, both of those guys could’ve playedQuebec major Patrice junior and been stars in the league,’’ said LeBlanc. Cormier Cormier and Bourgeois aretwo former Maritime junior Astars who were simplyinthe wrong place at the wrong time.They weren’tonthe QMJHL’s radar at atime when the league lackedpresence in the region. Bourgeois recalls having one conversation with aQMJHL team, but thatwas the onlytime the opportunity presented itself.Although he’snot surehow muchimpact playing in the QMJHL would have had on his career, he believesthe professional mentality of major junior could have changed things foranumber of his former Beavers teammates. ``Lots of good players around heredidn’t reallyhavethatopportunity to go playmajor junior,’’ said Bourgeois,who went on to playuniversity and minor prohockey. `Ì don’t think Iwould have made it alot further,but thereweresome good players whomaybe could have gone abit further if they had the chance to playmajor junior.Ithink things could have been different for(brothers) Mario and Luc Cormier if they had the major junior opportunity.’’ TheQMJHL arrivedinNew Brunswickwhen the expansion Moncton Alpines were founded in 1995-96. Thefranchise was purchased by Robert Irving after the first season and renamed Wildcats. LeBlanc believesthatNew Brunswickplayers used to getpsyched out about travelling out of province to try out with amajor junior team. That goal has become steadilybecome moreattainableoverthe years. In 1995-96, youcould count on one hand the number of NewBrunswickers in the QMJHL. Therewere24players from all corners of the province who suited up in the league this past season, including several stars. Some standout NewBrunswickers in the league this past season were goaltender Jake Allen (Montreal), defencemen Remi Blanchard(Acadie- Bathurst) and Michael Ward (Cape Breton, and forwards Patrice Cormier (Rimouski), Kelsey Tessier (Quebec), NickLayton (Montreal), Matt Eagles (Moncton) and DevonMacAusland (Moncton). Allen (St. Louis), Ward (Tampa Bay), Cormier (NewJersey) and Tessier (Colorado) areall National HockeyLeague draft picks.Cormier helped Canada capturethe gold medal at the 2009 WorldJunior HockeyChampion- ship. Some other NewBrunswickers in the QMJHL with apromising future aredefenceman Garrett Clarke (Lewiston) and forwards Sean Couturier (Drummondville) and JessykoBernard(Halifax). Couturier and Clarke were first-round picks in the 2008 QMJHL draft. Thefuturealso looks bright when youconsider thatCentral Scouting projects thatnine NewBrunswickers will go in the top fiverounds of this year’sQMJHL draft. ``Since we’vehad (QMJHL) teams establish themselves in the Maritimes, kids at avery young age have achance to see what the league is all about and they realizethey can playinit,’’ said LeBlanc.`Ànd now, evidently, thereare moreand moreMaritime kids playing.’’