Where I would like to see the QMJHL expand

 The QMJHL has a big footprint in Canada when it comes to junior hockey. So much that there are many options that could be explored as some have come and gone; back and forth -- Most notably Sherbrooke. But I won't go as far as Boston because I believe it's too far and more teams should be added before they're in consideration. 

HM: Bathurst, New Brunswick - Years after winning the Memorial Cup led by Noah Dobson, the franchise has recently relocated to the Atlantic to become the Newfoundland Regiment after their ECHL team the Newfoundland Growlers (my favourite ECHL team) had folded. But I think there's no rush for a team to be in Bathurst just yet. 

5. Concord, New Hampshire - Considering Manchester has an ECHL team I think Concord would be a lot more ideal because the population could totally maintain a QMJHL team. Also, it is the capital of New Hampshire

4. Lewiston, Maine - Lewiston once had a QMJHL team and had suddenly folded, but they managed to support the team well and would be wrong if they weren't given a second chance. 

3. Burlington, Vermont - This would be an excellent place for a QMJHL team to expand given they have something extra for Vermont to gain. 

2. Portland, Maine - They had an AHL team known as the Portland Pirates once affiliated with the Washington Capitals, Anaheim Ducks, Buffalo Sabres, Arizona Coyotes, and the Florida Panthers. In 2016, they had relocated to Springfield, Massachusetts to become the Springfield Thunderbirds. They have been host to the Maine Mariners of the ECHL since 2018, but I've said this once and I'll say it again you never know with the ECHL. It also means the bus rides will be easy on the players if they are to bring Lewiston back into the QMJHL and have a battle of Maine.

1. Fredricton, New Brunswick - They support their CIS team well and is the top destination for CHL players who want to do college studies while also wanting to further their hockey career. They could do both, but adding a QMJHL team to Fredricton adds a lot more excitement to the city. The city needs a lot more hockey if you ask me. But the reason I mainly want to see this is because the CIS is likely going to change drastically due to the CHL making it eligible to play in the NCAA, but that's another topic for another time. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Dakota Joshua traded to Toronto

Where do I begin... maybe that I wrote how he was one of the underrated players in the NHL. Except the thing is it's no longer Vancouver. Now, for all I know maybe Dakota Joshua wanted out, but this return is beyond brutal and unacceptable by the Canucks. With Toronto, I think we'll see Dakota Joshua's true potential as he truly is an underrated player who can do a lot more than your average hockey fan thinks. Vancouver getting a forth for Joshua, this is just like the Silovs trade but maybe worse given they were key players for the Canucks. If I'm trading Dakota Joshua away I'm expecting something as high as a second-round pick and a player with a good contract.  As for Toronto, this is an excellent pick-up for the Leafs and this is going to improve their penalty kill a lot which in my opinion is something that could use work this off-season. Toronto is the clear winner of the trade.
Read more

The curious case of Elias Pettersson

I think Elias Pettersson is still a good player who can return to his full form one day and still has potential to be an offensive threat in the NHL. Based on what I've seen he does work hard, but there's parts he needs to learn to improve his game. He was well on track once upon a time, but I think locker room issues soured things for him last season. It may take one or two seasons, but I think he has a similar comeback Marcus Naslund did.  Pettersson had an outstanding season before they brought JT Miller in. In Miller's defense, he was not one for a young core but needed to be on a team he could do a lot more on. But if the Canucks never traded for Miller I think Pettersson would've been the producer every single season. In 2019-20 he finished second in scoring after JT Miller; in the playoffs that year in the bubble, he and JT Miller both tied the lead in team scoring with eighteen points. In 2020-21 he missed most of the season but had twenty-one points in twenty-s...
Read more

PWHL Draft First-Round Recap and Predicting the 2026 PWHL Season

 The third ever PWHL Draft had happened recently held at the Hard Rock Casino and Resort in Ottawa, Ontario, which was special considering they introduced two new teams: PWHL Vancouver and PWHL Seattle, both of which held the final picks of the draft.  1. New York Sirens -  Kristýna Kaltounková - F - Colgate University - A consistent point producer from the Czech Repbulic, the Sirens took what is believed to be the best player in this draft. Can be looked to either make plays and has a promising shot bringing what is believed to be a long PWHL career. What  Kaltounková also has in her game is height which is a huge advantage in this sport. I think this pick instantly improves the Sirens and gives Sarah Fillier a line-mate for a long time. 2. Boston Fleet - Haley Winn - D - Clarkson University - The Boston Fleet take an offensive defenseman from Clarkson and defender of the year. But another key highlight of her career is winning various gold medals in junior tourname...
Read more