By Robert Rice, Senior Writer, All Habs Hockey Magazine
TORONTO, ON — This week in review (November 12 – 18) the Quebec League’s prospects rise to prominence.
Your comments are most welcome. If you have a question about any of the prospects email me, and perhaps it will be answered in the weekly All Habs mailbag feature that appears on these pages on Thursdays.
The Three Stars
1. LW Olivier Archambault
Olivier Archambault has not been an exceptional prospect since being selected by Montreal, but it is hard to overlook his exploits at the moment. Archambault began his week with a standout performance for the Drummondville Voltigeurs against the Gatineau Olympiques, scoring two goals and two assists in a 5-2 victory. Archambault would next add two more goals to his totals in a 6-3 losing effort to the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada. Archambault finished his efforts with an assist in a 4-2 victory for Drummondville over Chicoutimi, which also improved his points streak to 5 straight games. Archambault has now scored 6 goals and 5 assists in his last 5 games. Archambault was drafted in the 4th round, 108th overall in the 2011 NHL Draft.
2. RW Danny Kristo
The road to victory for North Dakota this season will likely come off the stick of it’s most skilled player and this year, that’s Danny Kristo. Kristo began his weekend with a two-goal effort against University of Minnesota-Duluth, helping North Dakota to earn a 4-4 tie. Kristo would take a step further on Saturday, scoring a goal and two assists, including on the game-tying and game-winning goals to gain a 5-4 victory over Minnesota-Duluth. Kristo’s 5-point weekend has also vaulted him to the scoring lead on North Dakota with 12 points on his season. Kristo was drafted in the 2nd round, 56th overall in the 2008 NHL Draft.
3. LW Charles Hudon
Charles Hudon is quickly finding his legs after time off recovering from a concussion. Hudon began his week with the Chicoutimi Saguenéens with a goal and assist in 7-2 victory over the Victoriaville Tigres. Hudon would next pick up an assist and than score in the shootout to help earn a 4-3 victory over Rimouski Oceanic. Hudon would end his week scoring a goal and assist in an eventual 4-2 loss to the Drummondville Voltigeurs. Hudon is enjoying a 5-game points streak of 3 goals and 6 assists at present and is only two points out of his team’s scoring lead, despite playing six fewer games. Hudon was drafted in the 5th round, 122nd overall in the 2012 NHL Draft.
On The Radar: 
– LW Tim Bozon scored a goal and three assists.
– RW Sebastian Collberg scored two goals and one assist.
– D Morgan Ellis scored his first pro goal, and his first pro assist.
– C Alex Galchenyuk scored three assists this week.
– C Mark MacMillan scored two goals and one assist.
– D Magnus Nygren scored three assists.
– RW Aaron Palushaj scored two goals and one assist.
– C Brady Vail scored three goals.
Question Marks:
– LW Blake Geoffrion is out indefinitely while recovering from a depressed skull fracture.
– RW Louis Leblanc is out with a right ankle injury.
– D Greg Pateryn is out indefinitely with a fractured elbow..
– D Dalton Thrower is out with a lower body injury.
Complete Statistics for the week of November 12, 2012
Legend
Skaters: Games Played, Goals, Assists, +/-, Penalty Minutes
Goalies: Wins, Losses, Overtime Losses, Shootout Losses, Goals Against Average, Save Percentage
Teams: Wins, Losses, Overtime Losses, Shootout Losses. For NCAA, Wins, Losses, Ties. For Elitserien/Allsvenskan/Extraliga, Wins, Losses, Overtime Losses.
Season Stats: Season scoring prior to the past week.
The AHL Report: The Hamilton Bulldogs have been the AHL affiliate of the Montreal Canadiens since 2002. It is the most common route for developing Montreal Canadiens prospects into full-time members of the organization. There are currently 15 members of the Hamilton Bulldogs that can be thought to have future consideration for an NHL position. The Hamilton Bulldogs are 5-6-1-1 this season, 5th in the North Division, 28th overall in the AHL.
D Nathan Beaulieu: 19 years old, 6’2”, 194 pounds, LH shot.
| Season Stats | 10GP | 0G | 1A | -1 | 6 PIM |
| Weekly Stats | 2GP | 0G | 0A | -2 | 9 PIM |
| Complete Stats | 12GP | 0G | 1A | -3 | 15 PIM |
C Michaël Bournival: 20 years old, 5’11, 191 pounds, LH shot.
| Season Stats | 10GP | 1G | 3A | -3 | 8 PIM |
| Weekly Stats | 3GP | 0G | 2A | +1 | 2 PIM |
| Complete Stats | 13GP | 1G | 5A | -2 | 10 PIM |
C Gabriel Dumont: 22 years old, 5’10”, 189 pounds, RH shot.
| Season Stats | 10GP | 2G | 2A | -1 | 13 PIM |
| Weekly Stats | 3GP | 0G | 2A | +2 | 9 PIM |
| Complete Stats | 13GP | 2G | 4A | +1 | 22 PIM |
D Morgan Ellis: 20 years old, 6’1″, 202 pounds, RH shot.
| Season Stats | 7GP | 0G | 0A | -6 | 4 PIM |
| Weekly Stats | 3GP | 1G | 1A | -1 | 12 PIM |
| Complete Stats | 10GP | 1G | 1A | -7 | 16 PIM |
RW Brendan Gallagher: 20 years old, 5’9″, 182 pounds, RH shot.
| Season Stats | 10GP | 3G | 3A | -3 | 15 PIM |
| Weekly Stats | 3GP | 2G | 0A | 0 | 16 PIM |
| Complete Stats | 13GP | 5G | 3A | -3 | 31 PIM |
LW Blake Geoffrion: 24 years old, 6’1”, 190 pounds, LH shot.
| Season Stats | 10GP | 4G | 2A | -3 | 9 PIM |
| Weekly Stats | 0GP | 0G | 0A | 0 | 0 PIM |
| Complete Stats | 10GP | 4G | 2A | -3 | 9 PIM |
RW Patrick Holland: 20 years old, 6’, 175 pounds, RH shot.
| Season Stats | 10GP | 1G | 4A | -5 | 2 PIM |
| Weekly Stats | 3GP | 0G | 0A | -1 | 0 PIM |
| Complete Stats | 13GP | 1G | 4A | -6 | 2 PIM |
C Louis Leblanc: 21 years old, 6’, 190 pounds, RH shot.
| Season Stats | 3GP | 2G | 0A | +1 | 9 PIM |
| Weekly Stats | 0GP | 0G | 0A | 0 | 0 PIM |
| Complete Stats | 3GP | 2G | 0A | +1 | 9 PIM |
D Brendon Nash: 23 years old, 6’3″, 206 pounds, LH shot.
| Season Stats | 8GP | 0G | 4A | +3 | 10 PIM |
| Weekly Stats | 1GP | 0G | 0A | 0 | 7 PIM |
| Complete Stats | 9GP | 0G | 4A | +3 | 17 PIM |
C Joonas Nattinen: 21 years old, 6’2”, 187 pounds, RH shot.
| Season Stats | 7GP | 0G | 2A | +1 | 2 PIM |
| Weekly Stats | 3GP | 2G | 0A | +1 | 0 PIM |
| Complete Stats | 10GP | 2G | 2A | +2 | 2 PIM |
RW Aaron Palushaj: 22 years old, 6′, 188 pounds, RH shot.
| Season Stats | 10GP | 3G | 2A | -4 | 2 PIM |
| Weekly Stats | 3GP | 2G | 1A | 0 | 12 PIM |
| Complete Stats | 13GP | 5G | 3A | -4 | 14 PIM |
D Greg Pateryn: 21 years old, 6’2”, 219 pounds, RH shot.
| Season Stats | 7GP | 0G | 1A | -3 | 0 PIM |
| Weekly Stats | 0GP | 0G | 0A | 0 | 0 PIM |
| Complete Stats | 7GP | 0G | 1A | -3 | 0 PIM |
LW Steve Quailer: 22 years old, 6’4”, 209 pounds, LH shot.
| Season Stats | 10GP | 1G | 3A | -1 | 11 PIM |
| Weekly Stats | 3GP | 0G | 0A | +2 | 2 PIM |
| Complete Stats | 13GP | 1G | 3A | +1 | 13 PIM |
D Jarred Tinordi: 20 years old, 6’6″, 218 pounds, LH shot
| Season Stats | 10GP | 0G | 2A | -8 | 9 PIM |
| Weekly Stats | 3GP | 0G | 0A | +1 | 4 PIM |
| Complete Stats | 13GP | 0G | 2A | -7 | 13 PIM |
The Juniors Report: The Canadiens currently feature prospects playing in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL), the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) and the Western Hockey League (WHL). These leagues can be considered the primary conduit towards professional hockey in North America.
QMJHL:
LW Olivier Archambault: 19 years old, 5’11”, 184 pounds. LH shot.
Junior Club: Drummondville Voltigeurs
Team Record: 13-11-0-0
| Season Stats | 21GP | 9G | 10A | -1 | 14 PIM |
| Weekly Stats | 3GP | 4G | 3A | 0 | 2 PIM |
| Complete Stats | 24GP | 13G | 13A | -1 | 16 PIM |
LW Charles Hudon: 18 years old, 5’10”, 171 pounds, LH shot.
Junior Club: Chicoutimi Saguenéens – Alternate Captain
Team Record: 10-11-2-1
| Season Stats | 15GP | 10G | 10A | +8 | 24 PIM |
| Weekly Stats | 3GP | 2G | 3A | +2 | 2 PIM |
| Complete Stats | 18GP | 12G | 13A | +10 | 26 PIM |
OHL:
C Alex Galchenyuk: 18 years old, 6’0”, 194 pounds, LH shot.
Junior Club: Sarnia Sting – Team Captain
Team Record: 12-9-0-2
| Season Stats | 20GP | 13G | 19A | +6 | 14 PIM |
| Weekly Stats | 2GP | 0G | 3A | +1 | 0 PIM |
| Complete Stats | 22GP | 13G | 22A | +7 | 14 PIM |
C Brady Vail: 18 years old, 6’, 195 pounds, LH shot.
Junior Club: Windsor Spitfires – Alternate Captain
Team Record: 9-9-1-4
| Season Stats | 19GP | 7G | 15A | -1 | 16 PIM |
| Weekly Stats | 3GP | 3G | 0A | 0 | 2 PIM |
| Complete Stats | 22GP | 10G | 15A | -1 | 18 PIM |
WHL:
LW Tim Bozon: 18 years old, 6’0”, 183 pounds, LH shot.
Junior Club: Kamloops Blazers
Team Record: 19-5-0-1
| Season Stats | 22GP | 14G | 18A | +16 | 22 PIM |
| Weekly Stats | 2GP | 1G | 3A | +3 | 0 PIM |
| Complete Stats | 24GP | 15G | 21A | +19 | 22 PIM |
D Darren Dietz: 19 years old, 6’1”, 195 pounds, RH shot.
Junior Club: Saskatoon Blades – Alternate Captain
Team Record: 10-10-0-1
| Season Stats | 19GP | 6G | 5A | -11 | 31 PIM |
| Weekly Stats | 2GP | 0G | 1A | +1 | 2 PIM |
| Complete Stats | 21GP | 6G | 6A | -10 | 33 PIM |
D Dalton Thrower: 18 years old, 5’11”, 200 pounds, RH shot.
Junior Club: Saskatoon Blades
Team Record: 10-10-0-1
| Season Stats | 13GP | 2G | 4A | +1 | 25 PIM |
| Weekly Stats | 0GP | 0G | 0A | 0 | 0 PIM |
| Complete Stats | 13GP | 2G | 4A | +1 | 25 PIM |
US College Hockey (NCAA) Report: The Canadiens have drafted a number of college players in recent years, these are generally ‘project players’ who benefit from additional years in lower level hockey to develop their skills.
D Mac Bennett: 21 years old, 6′, 180 pounds, LH shot.
NCAA Team: University of Michigan Wolverines – Alternate Captain
Team Record: 4-6-1
| Season Stats | 9GP | 3G | 7A | +8 | 2 PIM |
| Weekly Stats | 2GP | 0G | 0A | -2 | 2 PIM |
| Complete Stats | 11GP | 3G | 7A | +6 | 4 PIM |
RW Danny Kristo: 22 years old, 5’11”, 188 pounds, RH shot.
NCAA Team: University of North Dakota Fighting Sioux – Alternate Captain
Team Record: 5-3-2
| Season Stats | 6GP | 1G | 6A | +1 | 2 PIM |
| Weekly Stats | 2GP | 3G | 2A | +2 | 2 PIM |
| Complete Stats | 8GP | 4G | 8A | +3 | 4 PIM |
C Mark MacMillan: 20 years old, 6’, 183 pounds, LH shot.
NCAA Team: University of North Dakota Fighting Sioux
Team Record: 5-3-2
| Season Stats | 8GP | 3G | 3A | +2 | 4 PIM |
| Weekly Stats | 2GP | 2G | 1A | +1 | 0 PIM |
| Complete Stats | 10GP | 5G | 4A | +3 | 4 PIM |
Czech Extraliga Report: The Extraliga is the top professional league in the Czech Republic.
C Daniel Pribyl: 19 years old, 6’3”, 193 pounds, RH shot.
Extraliga Team: HC Sparta Praha
Team Record: 8-13-0
| Season Stats | 8GP | 1G | 3A | +3 | 2 PIM |
| Weekly Stats | 3GP | 1G | 1A | +2 | 2 PIM |
| Complete Stats | 11GP | 2G | 4A | +5 | 4 PIM |
European Trophy Tournament:
| Tournament Stats | 6GP | 2G | 1A | +1 | 0 PIM |
Elitserien Report: The Elitserien or Swedish Elite League is the top professional league of Sweden. A prospect playing well in this league is a typical indication they may be ready for the NHL. The Allsvenskan is the secondary professional league of Sweden, playing directly under the Elitserien.
RW Sebastian Collberg: 18 years old, 5’11”, 180 pounds, RH shot.
Elitserien Team: Frölunda HC
Team Record: 10-10-3
| Season Stats | 16GP | 0G | 2A | +2 | 2 PIM |
| Weekly Stats | 0GP | 0G | 0A | 0 | 0 PIM |
| Complete Stats | 16GP | 0G | 2A | +2 | 2 PIM |
Allsvenskan Team: Örebro HK
Team Record: 13-6-3
| Season Stats | 6GP | 2G | 0A | +1 | 2 PIM |
| Weekly Stats | 3GP | 2G | 1A | +1 | 0 PIM |
| Complete Stats | 9GP | 4G | 1A | +2 | 2 PIM |
D Magnus Nygren: 22 years old, 6’1”, 191 pounds, RH shot.
Elitserien Team: Färjestads BK
Team Record: 12-7-4
| Season Stats | 20GP | 6G | 6A | +4 | 12 PIM |
| Weekly Stats | 2GP | 0G | 3A | +2 | 4 PIM |
| Complete Stats | 22GP | 6G | 9A | +6 | 16 PIM |
European Trophy Tournament:
| Tournament Stats | 8GP | 4G | 0A | 0 | 6 PIM |
Yes Robert, it is nice to see Archambault do well. I already got him pigeoned holed as good AHLer but unlikely to make NHL (similar to a Dumont who did super in the Q and is a ballsy small player but).
Kristo i had hoped for a super 25 goal season, as the senior and leader on highly rated team. He may not reach 25 goals, but he is off to a super start anyways and should be good addition to Hamilton next fall.
Hudon at 1.4 PPG is just behind Bozon at 1.5 and Gaalchenyuk at 1.6, but hope ocncussion is behind him and he has a good shot at team canada eh?
I’d give Dumont the edge over Archambault for the NHL as Dumont is the better two-way player + I’ve read/heard some ill thoughts towards Archambault being a team player, he’s not that good to get away with that sort of thing. Both are still in tough against the depth the organization has these days though.
Kristo I’m interested to see what he does, he’s probably going to run it up this season being the go-to man for North Dakota, finding I like the chemistry he has shown with MacMillan, another skinny, but shifty skater.
Hudon’s looking like he is back in form and given what I’ve read from what Team Canada thinks of him, he has a chance to break into the Bottom-6, albeit if the lockout is on, he’ll be facing a ton of competition to work his way in.
Robert,
Amazing stuff as always. This may not be the forum for it but I would like your opinion on Kristo going the route of Justin Shultz. I am under the impression that if he isn’t signed by the Habs this season then he will become a Free Agent and can walk for nothing.
With the season locked out it seems likely this can occur. Do you know have any information about this and if the season started what might Kristo’s value be on the trade market?
I will address that in full in this week’s mailbag Owen, short story, I’m pretty sure Kristo still ends up pulling on the CH.