(Nashville) For the first time in 15 years, no player from the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League found a taker in the first round of the NHL Draft, Wednesday night in Nashville.
The number of QMJHL players drafted in the first round has fluctuated from two to five per year since 2015.
The last time a single prospect was selected was in 2014, when the Winnipeg Jets picked Nikolaj Ehlers. However, the QMJHL hadn’t drawn a blank in the first round of the NHL amateur auction since 2008.
Sherbrooke Phoenix forward Ethan Gauthier and Moncton Wildcats defenseman Étienne Fortin were the two players who had the best chances of being chosen in the first round according to several observers. The NHL teams, however, decided to go elsewhere.
The son of former Montreal Canadiens forward Yanic Perreault, Gabriel Perreault, was selected in the 23e rank by the New York Rangers. However, he has American nationality and plays with the United States hockey development program.
The OHL, which usually produces several top players each year, didn’t have a particularly good night either. Only five players from the Ontario Tour were drafted and none among the first 17 players selected.
On the side of the Western League, six players were able to take the stage at Bridgestone Arena and live their dream by donning an NHL jersey.
This affront against the QMJHL comes as Hockey Quebec is thinking about bringing fun back to the sport and improving its structure across the province.
The QMJHL is also in a period of transition. Longtime steward Gilles Courteau resigned this spring amid years of demeaning initiation scandals on the circuit. Mario Cecchini is the new commissioner of the league.