The Cape Breton Eagles will have the chance to decide first in the amateur draft of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (LHJMQ), they who won the lottery on Tuesday.
The logic was thus respected, since the Nova Scotia organization ended the 2021-2022 campaign in last place in the Courteau circuit, due to a harvest of 35 points in 68 games. The Eagles had nine of the 21 balls in the abacus.
This is the third time in their history that the Eagles will have the privilege of choosing before the others, those who got their hands on Nicolas Roy in 2013 and James Sheppard in 2004.
The Victoriaville Tigres, penultimate in the standings, received the second choice, they who had six balls.
The Chicoutimi Saguenéens were the luckiest, climbing two positions, from fifth to third, despite only one ball among the 21. The Baie-Comeau Drakkar, who had five in total, three with their own choice and two thanks to that of the Val-d’Or Foreurs, obtained in a trade, will thus speak twice in a row, in fourth and fifth place.
Defender Tomas Lavoie is considered the best prospect for the upcoming auction by the QMJHL Recruiting Support Centre. The Esther-Blondin College Phénix product had 21 points in 36 games last season, in addition to adding six points in as many playoff games.
Rather rare, a goalkeeper is considered the second best prospect. Gabriel D’Aigle, of the Gauls of Saint-Hyacinthe, is the goalkeeper in question. Born in November 2006, D’Aigle is only 15 years old. He went 15-9-0 with a 2.59 goals-against average and .919 save percentage.
