by Robert Rice, Senior Writer, All Habs Hockey Magazine
TORONTO, ON — This week in review (November 26 – December 2), it’s a face you may already know leading the Three Stars.
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. C Alex Galchenyuk
If there is a list of players who can keep up with Alex Galchenyuk in the Ontario Hockey League, you can likely count it with one hand. Galchenyuk would run up an impressive 8 points in three days for the Sarnia Sting while guiding them to a perfect weekend, allowing them to reclaim first place in their division. Galchenyuk began his campaign scoring a goal and two assists on Friday night helping Sarnia to a 7-4 victory over the Saginaw Spirit. Galchenyuk would guide a rout of the Peterborough Petes on Saturday night, scoring two goals and an assist, than adding an empty-net goal for his first hat trick of the season in a 5-2 victory. Galchenyuk would finish his weekend scoring a goal to edge a 3-2 win on Sunday over the Oshawa Generals. Galchenyuk has scored a notable 6 goals and 6 assists in his last four games and with a season total of 20 goals and 29 assists and is 3rd overall in OHL scoring. Galchenyuk was drafted in the 1st round, 3rd overall by the Montreal Canadiens in the 2012 NHL Draft.
2. LW Charles Hudon
Charles Hudon is continuing to make a case he was underappreciated in the NHL Draft while he continues to ride the longest points streak for any Canadiens prospect this season. Hudon began a heavy 4-game schedule with the Chicoutimi Saguenéens on Wednesday, scoring a goal in a 5-2 victory over the Cape Breton screaming Eagles. Hudon would next pick up a lone assist as Chicoutimi would find themselves hammered on Friday night in a match against the Halifax Mooseheads. Chicoutimi would find themselves in for another tough game against the Moncton Wildcats on Saturday, dropping a 4-1 decision as Hudon picked up another assist. Hudon would do his best on Sunday to help Chicoutimi snap the losing streak, scoring two goals and one assist, but ultimately falling short in a 7-4 loss to the Acadie-Bathurst Titan. Hudon has now scored at least one point in twelve straight games, with a total of 8 goals and 11 assists over that period and now leads Chicoutimi in scoring. Hudon was drafted in the 5th round, 122nd overall by the Montreal Canadiens in the 2012 NHL Draft.
3. C Gabriel Dumont
It hasn’t been a very good season for the Hamilton Bulldogs, but Gabriel Dumont has been doing his best along the way to help out. Dumont scored the only goal for Hamilton in a 5-1 loss to the Abbotsford Heat on Saturday night, a shorthanded effort that was the lone highlight for the team that night. Dumont would chip in an assist in a 3-0 victory for Hamilton the following evening in a rematch with Abbotsford. Dumont was drafted in the 5th round, 139th overall by the Montreal Canadiens in the 2009 NHL Draft.
On The Radar:
– D Darren Dietz scored a goal and assist.
– C Brady Vail scored a goal and assist.
Question Marks:
– LW Blake Geoffrion is out indefinitely while recovering from a depressed skull fracture.
– D Magnus Nygren was suspended for four games by the Elitserien for a head-checking penalty this past week.
– 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 26, 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 7-9-1-1 this season, 5th in the North Division, 27th overall in the AHL.
D Nathan Beaulieu: 19 years old, 6’2”, 194 pounds, LH shot.
Season Stats | 15GP | 0G | 2A | -5 | 19 PIM |
Weekly Stats | 2GP | 0G | 1A | +2 | 0 PIM |
Complete Stats | 17GP | 0G | 3A | -3 | 19 PIM |
C Michaël Bournival: 20 years old, 5’11, 191 pounds, LH shot.
Season Stats | 16GP | 1G | 5A | -2 | 12 PIM |
Weekly Stats | 1GP | 0G | 0A | 0 | 0 PIM |
Complete Stats | 17GP | 1G | 5A | -2 | 12 PIM |
C Gabriel Dumont: 22 years old, 5’10”, 189 pounds, RH shot.
Season Stats | 16GP | 2G | 5A | +2 | 22 PIM |
Weekly Stats | 2GP | 1G | 1A | +2 | 2 PIM |
Complete Stats | 18GP | 3G | 6A | +4 | 24 PIM |
D Morgan Ellis: 20 years old, 6’1″, 202 pounds, RH shot.
Season Stats | 13GP | 1G | 2A | -6 | 25 PIM |
Weekly Stats | 2GP | 0G | 0A | +1 | 0 PIM |
Complete Stats | 15GP | 1G | 2A | -5 | 25 PIM |
RW Brendan Gallagher: 20 years old, 5’9″, 182 pounds, RH shot.
Season Stats | 16GP | 6G | 4A | -3 | 31 PIM |
Weekly Stats | 2GP | 0G | 1A | +1 | 2 PIM |
Complete Stats | 18GP | 6G | 5A | -2 | 33 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 | 16GP | 1G | 4A | -8 | 2 PIM |
Weekly Stats | 2GP | 1G | 0A | +1 | 0 PIM |
Complete Stats | 18GP | 2G | 4A | -7 | 2 PIM |
C Louis Leblanc: 21 years old, 6’, 190 pounds, RH shot.
Season Stats | 4GP | 2G | 0A | -1 | 9 PIM |
Weekly Stats | 2GP | 1G | 0A | +1 | 0 PIM |
Complete Stats | 6GP | 3G | 0A | 0 | 9 PIM |
D Brendon Nash: 23 years old, 6’3″, 206 pounds, LH shot.
Season Stats | 12GP | 0G | 4A | +2 | 19 PIM |
Weekly Stats | 1GP | 0G | 0A | 0 | 0 PIM |
Complete Stats | 13GP | 0G | 4A | +2 | 19 PIM |
C Joonas Nattinen: 21 years old, 6’2”, 187 pounds, RH shot.
Season Stats | 12GP | 2G | 2A | +3 | 2 PIM |
Weekly Stats | 1GP | 0G | 0A | 0 | 0 PIM |
Complete Stats | 13GP | 2G | 2A | +3 | 2 PIM |
RW Aaron Palushaj: 22 years old, 6′, 188 pounds, RH shot.
Season Stats | 16GP | 6G | 3A | -7 | 18 PIM |
Weekly Stats | 2GP | 0G | 0A | -1 | 0 PIM |
Complete Stats | 18GP | 6G | 3A | -8 | 18 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 | 16GP | 2G | 3A | +1 | 13 PIM |
Weekly Stats | 2GP | 1G | 0A | 0 | 2 PIM |
Complete Stats | 18GP | 3G | 3A | +1 | 15 PIM |
D Jarred Tinordi: 20 years old, 6’6″, 218 pounds, LH shot
Season Stats | 16GP | 0G | 2A | -7 | 15 PIM |
Weekly Stats | 2GP | 0G | 0A | +1 | 0 PIM |
Complete Stats | 18GP | 0G | 2A | -6 | 15 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: 16-12-0-1
Season Stats | 26GP | 12G | 14A | -3 | 16 PIM |
Weekly Stats | 3GP | 1G | 1A | +1 | 0 PIM |
Complete Stats | 29GP | 13G | 15A | -2 | 16 PIM |
LW Charles Hudon: 18 years old, 5’10”, 171 pounds, LH shot.
Junior Club: Chicoutimi Saguenéens – Alternate Captain
Team Record: 14-14-2-1
Season Stats | 21GP | 14G | 15A | +13 | 26 PIM |
Weekly Stats | 4GP | 3G | 3A | -4 | 2 PIM |
Complete Stats | 25GP | 17G | 18A | +9 | 28 PIM |
OHL:
C Alex Galchenyuk: 18 years old, 6’0”, 194 pounds, LH shot.
Junior Club: Sarnia Sting – Team Captain
Team Record: 16-11-0-2
Season Stats | 25GP | 15G | 26A | +6 | 18 PIM |
Weekly Stats | 3GP | 5G | 3A | +2 | 0 PIM |
Complete Stats | 28GP | 20G | 29A | +8 | 18 PIM |
C Brady Vail: 18 years old, 6’, 195 pounds, LH shot.
Junior Club: Windsor Spitfires – Alternate Captain
Team Record: 11-12-1-5
Season Stats | 26GP | 10G | 15A | -2 | 18 PIM |
Weekly Stats | 3GP | 1G | 1A | +1 | 0 PIM |
Complete Stats | 29GP | 11G | 16A | -1 | 18 PIM |
WHL:
LW Tim Bozon: 18 years old, 6’0”, 183 pounds, LH shot.
Junior Club: Kamloops Blazers
Team Record: 21-7-1-2
Season Stats | 27GP | 16G | 22A | +21 | 24 PIM |
Weekly Stats | 3GP | 0G | 1A | -1 | 2 PIM |
Complete Stats | 30GP | 16G | 23A | +20 | 26 PIM |
D Darren Dietz: 19 years old, 6’1”, 195 pounds, RH shot.
Junior Club: Saskatoon Blades – Alternate Captain
Team Record: 13-13-0-1
Season Stats | 24GP | 6G | 7A | -18 | 35 PIM |
Weekly Stats | 3GP | 1G | 1A | -2 | 6 PIM |
Complete Stats | 27GP | 7G | 8A | -20 | 41 PIM |
D Dalton Thrower: 18 years old, 5’11”, 200 pounds, RH shot.
Junior Club: Saskatoon Blades
Team Record: 13-13-0-1
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: 5-8-2
Season Stats | 13GP | 4G | 7A | +7 | 4 PIM |
Weekly Stats | 2GP | 0G | 0A | 0 | 0 PIM |
Complete Stats | 15GP | 4G | 7A | +7 | 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: 7-5-2
Season Stats | 10GP | 5G | 9A | +4 | 4 PIM |
Weekly Stats | 2GP | 0G | 0A | 0 | 0 PIM |
Complete Stats | 12GP | 5G | 9A | +4 | 4 PIM |
C Mark MacMillan: 20 years old, 6’, 183 pounds, LH shot.
NCAA Team: University of North Dakota Fighting Sioux
Team Record: 7-5-2
Season Stats | 12GP | 6G | 4A | +4 | 4 PIM |
Weekly Stats | 2GP | 0G | 1A | 0 | 2 PIM |
Complete Stats | 14GP | 6G | 5A | +4 | 6 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: 11-15-0
Season Stats | 14GP | 2G | 5A | +5 | 4 PIM |
Weekly Stats | 2GP | 0G | 0A | -1 | 0 PIM |
Complete Stats | 16GP | 2G | 5A | +4 | 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: 13-12-3
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: 14-9-3
Season Stats | 11GP | 4G | 1A | +1 | 2 PIM |
Weekly Stats | 2GP | 1G | 0A | +1 | 0 PIM |
Complete Stats | 13GP | 5G | 1A | +2 | 2 PIM |
D Magnus Nygren: 22 years old, 6’1”, 191 pounds, RH shot.
Elitserien Team: Färjestads BK
Team Record: 17-8-4
Season Stats | 26GP | 6G | 10A | +7 | 16 PIM |
Weekly Stats | 1GP | 0G | 1A | +1 | 25 PIM |
Complete Stats | 27GP | 6G | 11A | +8 | 41 PIM |
European Trophy Tournament:
Tournament Stats | 8GP | 4G | 0A | 0 | 6 PIM |
Will AG get to 100 points? He has missed a couple games already and will miss about 10 during WJC, so likely will just fall short eh (barring injury)?
21 forwards at Canadian junior camp, will Hudon make the cut? I say he still is likely to remain and will be off to Russia.
Too bad Avtsin-Berger-Blunden didnt have the heart of and effort level of Dumont! If Desharnais-Gionta-Gallagher-Gomez werent smallish and ahead of Dumont he may have a crack at NHL, but not the case.
Hudon is expected to make the cut, HC of Team Canada Steve Spott really likes him and TSN’s Bob Mckenzie is all over the kid.
Not sure Dumont gets the crack regardless as it’s not just size but the other guys you mentioned are much more skilled than Dumont is.
Will cover Gally’s pace in the Mailbag, short answer, he’s paced for it regardless of WJC time.