Written by Robert Rice, AllHabs.net
Catching the Torch, December 26th – January 1st edition
The Three Stars of the Week
1. C Olivier Fortier leaves the bubble category behind to become a regularly featured player on Catching the Torch with a notable performance that also brings in top honours for the week. Fortier scored a total of three goals and two assists to build up a points streak of three goals and four assists over six games. Fortier would score the first and third goals of a 6-goal comeback by the Hamilton Bulldogs against the Toronto Marlies on Monday as they rallied from an early 3-0 deficit. Fortier would pick up an assist on the only Hamilton goal in a 3-1 loss on Wednesday to the Saint John IceCaps. On Friday, Fortier would assist on the game-winning goal in a 5-4 victory over the Rochester Americans. Fortier’s 3rd goal of the week would allow the Bulldogs to force a tie with the Lake Erie Monsters allowing for a point in an eventual shootout loss. Fortier was drafted in the 3rd round, 65th overall by the Montreal Canadiens in the 2007 Entry Draft.
2. RW Brendan Gallagher has taken a break from starring for the Vancouver Giants to don the colours of Team Canada for the World Junior Hockey Championships this year. Gallagher would open his tournament with what would be the eventual game-winning goal and added an assist later in Canada’s opening 8-1 win over Finland on Monday. Gallagher would add a shorthanded goal to his scoring totals in a 10-2 domination of Denmark on Thursday. While Gallagher would go without a point on New Year’s Eve, he was named the Player of the Game for Team Canada in a 3-2 victory. Gallagher was drafted in the 5th round, 147th overall by the Montreal Canadiens in the 2010 Entry Draft.
3. RW Aaron Palushaj makes the honours list with key contributions in bringing life to a struggling Hamilton Bulldogs team. To begin his week, Palushaj scored the game-winner in a 6-goal rally from an early deficit of 3-0 against the Toronto Marlies on Monday. In a see-saw battle with the Rochester Americans on Friday, Palushaj would assist on the opening goal of the game for Hamilton and later on scored the game-winning goal in a 5-4 victory for the Bulldogs. Palushaj would later collect an assist on a game-tying goal that allowed the Bulldogs to gain a point in their final game of the week on Saturday in an eventual shootout loss to the Lake Erie Monsters. Palushaj was drafted in the 2nd round, 44th overall by the St Louis Blues in the 2007 Entry Draft, he was acquired by the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for Matt D’Agostini.
On The Radar: C Gabriel Dumont recorded two goals and one assist while tying his goals output from his rookie AHL season of 5, in 42 fewer games. D Morgan Ellis was traded to the Shawinigan Cataractes, the hosts of the 2012 CHL Memorial Cup. C Andreas Engqvist scored three goals and two assists with Hamilton. RW Danny Kristo scored two goals and an assist. C Mark MacMillan had a goal and assist for his first multi-point game in NCAA Hockey. D Magnus Nygren scored a goal and two assists. LW Steve Quailer has extended his points streak to 9 straight games with another goal and assist for a total of 6G, 8A in the longest streak by any Canadiens prospect this season. D Frédéric St-Denis recorded three assists to tie for the team lead in points with the Hamilton Bulldogs. C Dustin Walsh scored a goal and assist for Dartmouth in his return from injury this week.
Question Marks: Despite being 3rd overall in team scoring, LW Olivier Archambeault is a team-worst -16 with Drummondville, one of only two skaters on the team to be a double-digit minus player. RW Alexander Avtsin has only 2 points in his last 16 games. C Michaël Bournival has been battling flu and missed a game with Team Canada in the World Junior Championships because of it. G Peter Delmas suffered a concussion and is out indefinitely. D Brendon Nash is recovering from shoulder surgery. C Daniel Pribyl has been in and out of the Czech Republic lineup at the World Junior Championships with a laceration on his right leg.
World Juniors:
D Nathan Beaulieu: 19 years old, 6’3”, 191 pounds, LH shot.
Team Canada
| Tournament Stats | 4GP | 0G | 1A | 0 | 16 PIM |
C Michaël Bournival: 19 years old, 6’, 187 pounds, LH shot.
Team Canada
| Tournament Stats | 3GP | 0G | 1A | 0 | 2 PIM |
RW Brendan Gallagher: 19 years old, 5’8″, 175 pounds, RH shot.
Team Canada
| Tournament Stats | 4GP | 2G | 1A | +4 | 8 PIM |
D Jarred Tinordi: 19 years old, 6’7″, 215 pounds, LH shot.
Team USA – Alternate Captain
| Tournament Stats | 4GP | 1G | 0A | +1 | 4 PIM |
C Daniel Pribyl: 18 years old, 6’3”, 190 pounds, RH shot.
Team Czech Republic – Alternate Captain
| Tournament Stats | 2GP | 0G | 1A | +3 | 0 PIM |
Complete Statistics for the week of December 26th, 2011
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, Ties (for NCAA teams only)
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 10 members of the Hamilton Bulldogs that can be thought to have future consideration for an NHL position. The Hamilton Bulldogs have a record of 13-14-1-4 and are 5th in their Division, 13th in their Conference, 25th overall in the AHL.
RW Alexander Avtsin: 20 years old, 6’2″, 199 pounds, RH shot.
| Season Stats | 28GP | 4G | 5A | -11 | 16 PIM |
| Weekly Stats | 4GP | 0G | 0A | 0 | 0 PIM |
| Complete Stats | 32GP | 4G | 5A | -11 | 16 PIM |
C Philip DeSimone 24 years old, 6’1”, 188 pounds, LH shot.
| Season Stats | 28GP | 6G | 7A | -10 | 24 PIM |
| Weekly Stats | 4GP | 1G | 0A | -2 | 2 PIM |
| Complete Stats | 32GP | 7G | 7A | -12 | 26 PIM |
C Gabriel Dumont: 20 years old, 5’10”, 189 pounds, RH shot.
| Season Stats | 19GP | 3G | 2A | -6 | 19 PIM |
| Weekly Stats | 4GP | 2G | 1A | -1 | 2 PIM |
| Complete Stats | 23GP | 5G | 4A | -7 | 21 PIM |
C Andreas Engqvist: 23 years old, 6’4″, 191 pounds, RH shot.
| Season Stats | 15GP | 6G | 3A | +3 | 14 PIM |
| Weekly Stats | 4GP | 3G | 2A | +3 | 4 PIM |
| Complete Stats | 19GP | 9G | 5A | +6 | 18 PIM |
C Olivier Fortier: 22 years old, 6’, 185 pounds, LH shot.
| Season Stats | 16GP | 3G | 3A | -5 | 0 PIM |
| Weekly Stats | 4GP | 3G | 2A | +3 | 2 PIM |
| Complete Stats | 20GP | 6G | 4A | -2 | 2 PIM |
RW Aaron Palushaj: 22 years old, 6′, 188 pounds, RH shot.
| Season Stats | 13GP | 4G | 7A | -1 | 18 PIM |
| Weekly Stats | 4GP | 2G | 2A | +1 | 2 PIM |
| Complete Stats | 17GP | 6G | 9A | 0 | 20 PIM |
D Frédéric St-Denis: 25 years old, 5’11”, 193 pounds, LH shot.
| Season Stats | 19GP | 3G | 10A | -2 | 6 PIM |
| Weekly Stats | 4GP | 0G | 3A | 0 | 0 PIM |
| Complete Stats | 23GP | 3G | 13A | -2 | 6 PIM |
Called up to Montreal:
RW Mike Blunden: 25 years old, 6’4”, 218 pounds, RH shot.
| Season Stats | 16GP | 3G | 4A | 0 | 8 PIM |
C Louis Leblanc: 20 years old, 6’, 180 pounds, RH shot.
| Season Stats | 14GP | 4G | 6A | -5 | 4 PIM |
Injured:
D Brendon Nash: 23 years old, 6’3″, 210 pounds, LH shot.
| Season Stats | 0GP | 0G | 0A | 0 | 0 PIM |
Assigned to the ECHL:
G Peter Delmas: 21 years old, 6’2”, 188 pound, Catches Left.
AHL:
| Season Stats | 0GP | 0-0-0 | GAA | % |
ECHL:
| Season Stats | 11GP | 6-3-0 | 2.40 GAA | .902% |
| Weekly Stats | 0GP | 0-0-0 | GAA | % |
| Complete Stats | 11GP | 6-3-0 | 2.40 GAA | .902% |
The Juniors Report: The Canadiens currentlyfeature 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 Archambeault: 18 years old, 5’11”, 184 pounds. LH shot.
Junior Club: Drummondville Voltigeurs
16W, 19L, 2OTL, 3 SOL – 13th of 17th overall in the QMJHL.
| Season Stats | 31GP | 10G | 17A | -12 | 12 PIM |
| Weekly Stats | 3GP | 1G | 1A | -4 | 5 PIM |
| Complete Stats | 34GP | 11G | 18A | -16 | 17 PIM |
D Nathan Beaulieu: 19 years old, 6’3”, 191 pounds, LH shot.
Junior Club: Saint John Sea Dogs – Alternate Captain
28W, 12L, 0 OTL, 2 SOL- 2nd of 17th overall in the QMJHL
| Season Stats | 30GP | 8G | 18A | +20 | 57 PIM |
C Michaël Bournival: 19 years old, 6’, 187 pounds, LH shot.
Junior Club: Shawinigan Cataractes – Team Captain
26W, 10L, 2 OTL, 2 SOL – 3rd of 17th overall in the QMJHL.
| Season Stats | 16GP | 15G | 9A | +5 | 4 PIM |
D Morgan Ellis: 19 years old, 6’2″, 204 pounds, RH shot.
Junior Club: Shawinigan Cataractes
26W, 10L, 2 OTL, 2 SOL – 3rd of 17th overall in the QMJHL
| Season Stats | 32GP | 7G | 17A | -2 | 16 PIM |
| Weekly Stats | 2GP | 0G | 1A | -1 | 2 PIM |
| Complete Stats | 34GP | 7G | 18A | -3 | 18 PIM |
OHL:
D Jarred Tinordi: 19 years old, 6’7″, 215 pounds, LH shot.
Junior Club: London Knights – Team Captain
27W, 8L, 0 OTL, 1 SOL – 1st of 20th overall in the OHL
| Season Stats | 20GP | 0G | 7A | +18 | 49 PIM |
WHL:
D Darren Dietz: 18 years old, 6’1”, 195 pounds, RH shot.
Junior Club: Saskatoon Blades – Alternate Captain
22W, 16L, 0 OTL, 1 SOL – 11th of 22nd overall in the WHL
| Season Stats | 34GP | 5G | 13A | +13 | 53 PIM |
| Weekly Stats | 4GP | 0G | 1A | -2 | 10 PIM |
| Complete Stats | 38GP | 5G | 14A | +11 | 67 PIM |
RW Brendan Gallagher: 19 years old, 5’8″, 175 pounds, RH shot.
Junior Club: Vancouver Giants – Alternate Captain
(24W, 13L, 1 OTL, 1 SOL – 6th of 22nd overall in the WHL)
| Season Stats | 28GP | 24G | 22A | +12 | 39 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: 20 years old, 6′, 180 pounds, LH shot.
NCAA Team: University of Michigan Wolverines
(11W, 8L, 3T)
| Season Stats | 20GP | 3G | 10A | +8 | 6 PIM |
| Weekly Stats | 2GP | 0G | 1A | -1 | 0 PIM |
| Complete Stats | 22GP | 3G | 11A | +7 | 6 PIM |
D Scott Kishel: 22 years old, 6’, 190 pounds, LH shot.
NCAA Team: University of Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs
{12W, 3L, 3T)
| Season Stats | 18GP | 2G | 12A | +12 | 14 PIM |
| Weekly Stats | 0GP | 0G | 0A | 0 | 0 PIM |
| Complete Stats | 18GP | 2G | 12A | +12 | 14 PIM |
RW Danny Kristo: 21 years old, 5’11”, 188 pounds, RH shot.
NCAA Team: University of North Dakota Fighting Sioux
(10W, 8L, 2T)
| Season Stats | 18GP | 9G | 11A | +5 | 12 PIM |
| Weekly Stats | 2GP | 2G | 1A | -2 | 0 PIM |
| Complete Stats | 20GP | 11G | 12A | +3 | 12 PIM |
C Mark MacMillan: 19 years old, 6’, 170 pounds, LH shot.
NCAA Team: University of North Dakota Fighting Sioux
(10W, 8L, 2T)
| Season Stats | 18GP | 2G | 4A | -9 | 8 PIM |
| Weekly Stats | 2GP | 1G | 1A | +3 | 0 PIM |
| Complete Stats | 20GP | 3G | 5A | -6 | 8 PIM |
D Greg Pateryn: 21 years old, 6’3”, 222 pounds, RH shot.
NCAA Team: University of Michigan Wolverines
(11W, 8L, 3T)
| Season Stats | 20GP | 2G | 9A | +6 | 12 PIM |
| Weekly Stats | 2GP | 0G | 1A | 0 | 14 PIM |
| Complete Stats | 22GP | 2G | 10A | +6 | 26 PIM |
LW Steve Quailer: 22 years old, 6’4”, 200 pounds, LH shot.
NCAA Team: Northeastern University Huskies
(8W, 7L, 3T)
| Season Stats | 14GP | 6G | 10A | +8 | 12 PIM |
| Weekly Stats | 2GP | 1G | 1A | +2 | 4 PIM |
| Complete Stats | 16GP | 7G | 11A | +10 | 16 PIM |
C Dustin Walsh: 20 years old, 6’3”, 190 pounds, LH shot.
NCAA Team: Dartmouth College Big Green
(6W, 5L, 2T)
| Season Stats | 5GP | 2G | 5A | +3 | 2 PIM |
| Weekly Stats | 2GP | 1G | 1A | 0 | 0 PIM |
| Complete Stats | 7GP | 3G | 6A | +3 | 2 PIM |
Czech Extraliga Report: The Extraliga is the top professional league in the Czech Reppublic. The First League is the league that plays under it.
C Daniel Pribyl: 18 years old, 6’3”, 190 pounds, RH shot.
Extraliga Team: HC Sparta Praha
23W, 5L, 6 OTL – 2nd of 14th overall in the league
| Season Stats | 15GP | 2G | 0A | +1 | 2 PIM |
Czech First League Team: HC Berountsi Medovi
(16W, 18L, 1 OTL – 10th of 14th overall in the League)
| Season Stats | 8GP | 5G | 3A | 0 | 2 PIM |
Elitserien Report: The Swedish Elite League is the top professional league of Sweden.
D Magnus Nygren: 21 years old, 6’1”, 191 pounds, RH shot.
Elitserien Team: Farjestads BK
(17W, 9L, 7 OTL – 5th of 12 overall in the League)
| Season Stats | 30GP | 5G | 7A | -8 | 2 PIM |
| Weekly Stats | 2GP | 1G | 2A | 0 | 2 PIM |
| Complete Stats | 32GP | 6G | 9A | -8 | 4 PIM |
Robert,
Any chance Ian Shultz will ever make it back to being a prospect?
Habitall, I am waiting for his points production to go up. To me, his puck skills seem too limited at present to make an effective NHL player outside of his ability to throw ’em and role of the pure enforcer is fading out so he’s going to have to bring more than a willingness to fight.
Thanks Robert.
I thought he put up some good numbers in junior — seemed to be more than just a goon.
Also … how would you rate Fortier’s prospects on making the big league, in relation to Leblanc and Bournival? Does he bring anything different to the table?
Issue is the numbers weren’t that notable and he played as an overager and if an overager can’t add up points, it’s pretty much a death knell for a pro career. Why I was cautious RE Alain Berger when I contributed to Top 25 under 25 At Eyes on the Prize earlier this year.
As per Fortier, I’d say top upside is maybe a 3rd-line skater, he’s a former Guy Carbonneau Trophy Winner in the QMJHL as top defensive forward so he could potentially offer up a checking line role with some offence. Leblanc has potential 2nd line upside in my view and I think Bournival is a more skilled, more durable player with a 3C potential in the NHL. He’s a step behind them right now in my view, but if he keeps building on his season he may surprise even my expectations. I had not expected to be tracking him, Kishel or St Denis this season.
Thanks for the great info, Robert. We seem to be deep in French Canadian forwards (esp. centremen).
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