Memorial Cup

[seattleblue]

Pekarcik had an assist and then tied the game at 2-2 with a goal en route to a 6-2 Moncton win yesterday. I hope to see the start of Moncton-London tomorrow, for the right to play Medicine Hat for the title. (Friday night when it's 15+ hrs of daylight is not an indoor night.)

In the post above, we learned Jake Neighbours is best friends with one of the boys from the Weisblatt family and is such a good person that he learned sign language so their mom wouldn't be left out of their conversations. That is from a story 6 years ago, about nine months before the Blues drafted him. It deserves to be known about him among Blues fans. That is just a good human being. So mature for his age, we are lucky he is part of the core.

[thegibby.]

London definitely making things tough on themselves. doubling up on the shots; but 2-2 after 2.

[SameOldBlues]

Didnt know there was a thread for the game…my post in another thread…

Close, exciting game so far. I didnt realize how much skill alot of these kids have.

First time ive seen Dale Hunter in ages too, he’s a character.

[thegibby.]

The game might come down to this P.P.

[thegibby.]

I don't see what others see in Desnoyers. maybe a good P.P. guy, but.... -7

[thegibby.]

The game might come down to this P.P.

[STL fan in MN]

I don't see what others see in Desnoyers. maybe a good P.P. guy, but.... -7

He’s clearly injured. Was very good all season and most of the Q playoffs. Then halfway through the series with Rimouski he instantly looked like cr@p. Has continued to look like cr@p in the Memorial Cup but has a goal tonight.

In any event, his performance the last few games don’t concern me. But it also doesn’t matter as we’re not getting him unfortunately.

[STL fan in MN]

London ices it with an empty netter. 5-2 Final. Pekarcik with a really nice feed for a tap-in before that but Vivicek just missed it.

London vs Medicine Hat 6pm for the championship Sunday night.

[thegibby.]

I don't see what others see in Desnoyers. maybe a good P.P. guy, but.... -7

He’s clearly injured. Was very good all season and most of the Q playoffs. Then halfway through the series with Rimouski he instantly looked like cr@p. Has continued to look like cr@p in the Memorial Cup but has a goal tonight.

In any event, his performance the last few games don’t concern me. But it also doesn’t matter as we’re not getting him unfortunately.

IF Moncton and Rimouski are the cream of the crop (cr@p); I'm wondering if the league is just not that good.... and he has inflated numbers. Obviously, JMO MN.

I just don't think I would pick him; if we were in range.

fm article below:
The last Québécois to be drafted in the top-5 are Alexis Lafrenière (#1 in 2020) and Pierre-Luc Dubois (#3 in 2016).
Mathias Brunet has his own opinion on Desnoyers’ potential.
He thinks he’ll be better than PLD and Lafrenière.

https://dose.ca/2025/05/27/caleb-desnoy ... afreniere/

article does also mention how the QMJHL isn't the best development league at junior.

[seattleblue]

I watched quite a bit of Moncton and Desnoyers is the real deal. That is a difference maker, period

[thegibby.]

Good evaluation. IMO

https://www.drteescouting.com/blog/2025 ... n-wildcats

[Pierre McGuire]

I don't see what others see in Desnoyers. maybe a good P.P. guy, but.... -7

He’s clearly injured. Was very good all season and most of the Q playoffs. Then halfway through the series with Rimouski he instantly looked like cr@p. Has continued to look like cr@p in the Memorial Cup but has a goal tonight.

In any event, his performance the last few games don’t concern me. But it also doesn’t matter as we’re not getting him unfortunately.

IF Moncton and Rimouski are the cream of the crop (cr@p); I'm wondering if the league is just not that good.... and he has inflated numbers. Obviously, JMO MN.

I just don't think I would pick him; if we were in range.

fm article below:
The last Québécois to be drafted in the top-5 are Alexis Lafrenière (#1 in 2020) and Pierre-Luc Dubois (#3 in 2016).
Mathias Brunet has his own opinion on Desnoyers’ potential.
He thinks he’ll be better than PLD and Lafrenière.

https://dose.ca/2025/05/27/caleb-desnoy ... afreniere/

article does also mention how the QMJHL isn't the best development league at junior.

The Q has always been considered overall inferior to the OHL and WHL. It used to be a totally different game back in the day compared to the other leagues but that has changed. Good players are what they are…..good players. Doesn’t matter if they play in the CHL, NCAA, or overseas.
Desnoyers is a very good player and will be a good NHL player.

[seattleblue]

I don't see what others see in Desnoyers. maybe a good P.P. guy, but.... -7

He’s clearly injured. Was very good all season and most of the Q playoffs. Then halfway through the series with Rimouski he instantly looked like cr@p. Has continued to look like cr@p in the Memorial Cup but has a goal tonight.

In any event, his performance the last few games don’t concern me. But it also doesn’t matter as we’re not getting him unfortunately.

IF Moncton and Rimouski are the cream of the crop (cr@p); I'm wondering if the league is just not that good.... and he has inflated numbers. Obviously, JMO MN.

I just don't think I would pick him; if we were in range.

fm article below:
The last Québécois to be drafted in the top-5 are Alexis Lafrenière (#1 in 2020) and Pierre-Luc Dubois (#3 in 2016).
Mathias Brunet has his own opinion on Desnoyers’ potential.
He thinks he’ll be better than PLD and Lafrenière.

https://dose.ca/2025/05/27/caleb-desnoy ... afreniere/

article does also mention how the QMJHL isn't the best development league at junior.

The Q has always been considered overall inferior to the OHL and WHL. It used to be a totally different game back in the day compared to the other leagues but that has changed. Good players are what they are…..good players. Doesn’t matter if they play in the CHL, NCAA, or overseas.
Desnoyers is a very good player and will be a good NHL player.

The writer of the Desnoyers scouting report wrote one on Lakovic too
https://www.drteescouting.com/blog/2025 ... w-warriors

[STL fan in MN]

I don't see what others see in Desnoyers. maybe a good P.P. guy, but.... -7

He’s clearly injured. Was very good all season and most of the Q playoffs. Then halfway through the series with Rimouski he instantly looked like cr@p. Has continued to look like cr@p in the Memorial Cup but has a goal tonight.

In any event, his performance the last few games don’t concern me. But it also doesn’t matter as we’re not getting him unfortunately.

IF Moncton and Rimouski are the cream of the crop (cr@p); I'm wondering if the league is just not that good.... and he has inflated numbers. Obviously, JMO MN.

I just don't think I would pick him; if we were in range.

fm article below:
The last Québécois to be drafted in the top-5 are Alexis Lafrenière (#1 in 2020) and Pierre-Luc Dubois (#3 in 2016).
Mathias Brunet has his own opinion on Desnoyers’ potential.
He thinks he’ll be better than PLD and Lafrenière.

https://dose.ca/2025/05/27/caleb-desnoy ... afreniere/

article does also mention how the QMJHL isn't the best development league at junior.

The Q absolutely has a talent problem. Simply not as much top end talent coming out of the Q as the OHL and WHL. But the Q also trends a little older as a result. So not as much top end talent but a little more experienced on average, which tends to bridge the gap when the Q teams play the other 2 leagues.

Obviously there’s quality players that come out of the Q - MacKinnon, Crosby, Dobson, Marchand, Marchessault, Kucherov, Hischer and of course a guy on our team - Zack Bolduc. But there’s simply much fewer kids from the Q getting drafted as compared to the other 2 CHL leagues and fewer becoming impact NHLers. Some of that is sheer numbers - the Q has 18 teams, the OHL 20 teams and the WHL 22 teams (pretty sure the OHL is planning to expand to 22 here soon as well) but that doesn’t account for all of the difference. The Q is pretty far behind in terms of NHL caliber talent.

But Pierre is right in that the cream rises to the top regardless. And the Q trending a bit older makes the level of play pretty much on par. A Q team won’t win the Memorial Cup this season but they’ve actually won 4 out of the last 5 Memorial Cups.

2024: Saginaw - OHL
2023: Quebec- QMJHL (Bolduc one of the top players on this team)
2022: Saint John Sea Dogs - QMJHL
2021: Canceled - Covid
2020: Canceled - Covid
2019: Rouyn-Noranda - QMJHL (who beat host Halifax in an all Q Final)
2018: Arcadie-Bathurst - QMJHL

I’ll also note that all 3 CHL leagues are about to get decimated IMO. With the NCAA deciding 6ish months ago that they’d allow CHL players, a ton of the top ones are now jumping to the NCAA. It hasn’t been announced yet but I’ve heard Desnoyers is likely to commit to a NCAA team. I’d guess he was waiting for his Q season to be over before it’s announced so maybe that’ll come out sometime over the next few days.

Reschny (projected to go in the 10-20 range of this draft) and his teammate, a d-man projected to go top-5 next season just committed to North Dakota yesterday. Last year’s 4th overall Caden Lindstrom (plays for Medicine Hat) is going to Michigan State. Malcom Spence and top goalie prospect Jack Ivankovic are going to Michigan and it hasn’t been announced yet but I’ve heard pretty solid rumors of both McKenna and Martone heading to Michigan as well. The CHL has a HUGE problem on its hands.

[seattleblue]

So basically you're telling me not only are the Blues going to draft Cootes ... but then he's going to play at BU or something next year lol

[STL fan in MN]

So basically you're telling me not only are the Blues going to draft Cootes ... but then he's going to play at BU or something next year lol

lol maybe! Wouldn’t be surprised.

It seems like Michigan, Michigan State and some of the Big East teams are getting most of these guys. Oddly enough, it’s been absolute crickets for the Golden Gophers.

Was somewhat surprised NoDak was able to land both Reschny and Verhoeff. NoDak has probably the best arena/facilities in the NCAA but they’ve been trending down the last few years. It’s cold as balls there and I’d imagine a tough sell. And a lot of their top players just transferred out, namely Sasha Boisvert (to BU) and Jayden Perron (to Michigan). So them getting these 2 guys is probably a godsend to them. …and absolute disaster for the Victoria Royals.