QMJHL: Fog Devils Grenache and Co.

During the course of the 2007-2008 QMJHL season, both St. John's Fog Devils center Luke Adam, and goaltender Jake Allen received the majority of the attention from scouts and media alike, but they were not the only draft-eligible players that skated with the team this past season. Forwards Samuel Grenache (via trade), Chris Thorne (drafted), Taylor MacDougall (drafted) and rearguard Tyler Gale (invitee) also skated with the Fog Devils and are eligible for the upcoming 2008 NHL Entry Draft this summer. Despite not being ranked in the Top 150 on the NHL Central Scouting list, there is no doubt that these players have been scouted. McKeen's will take a further look at all four players and what they brought to the table this past season in the QMJHL.

Samuel Grenache (2008), RW, St. John's

The 6-foot, 182-pound Windsor, QC native was selected in the ninth round, 159th overall, in the 2006 QMJHL draft by the Acadie-Bathurst Titan .. things did not work out for the pesky forward with the Titan, and as a result, the young right-winger left the team and returned home during the early part of the 2007-2008 season .. Grenache got a new start when he was exchanged to the St. John's Fog Devils on 2007-12-17, along with rearguard Mathieu Labrie for forward Ryan Graham and rearguard Kyle Stanley .. played his first game for the St. John's Fog Devils on 07-12-28 against the PEI Rocket .. finished the regular season with the following overall totals: 10 goals, 13 assists for 23 points, 86 PIM's, a plus-five rating, four powerplay goals, three game-winning goals, 100 shots on goal and 95 hits .. finished the season with St. John's with five goals, eight assists for 13 points, 36 PIM's, an even-rating, two powerplay goals, three game-winning goals, 48 shots on goal and 60 hits in 30 games .. finished the playoffs with one goal, one assist for two points, six PIM's, a minus-four rating, four shots on goal and threw six hits .. was used at even strength, on the powerplay, on the penalty kill and four-on-four throughout the regular season and playoffs .. skated mostly on the third line throughout the regular season, but did see time on the top two lines, especially in the playoffs .. one thing that stands out about Grenache is that he is usually involved physically .. has displayed on a number of occasions that he is capable of playing a full 60 minutes with high energy, but it is his inconsistency in this area that needs work .. no doubt that he is competitive, but he needs to bring that competitiveness into each game .. definitely confident in his ability to play the game and it is evident when watching him play .. trusts teammates .. was clear on many occasions that he is willing to battle and meet his challenges head on .. played hard for the most part, not overly vocal with his teammates, although he is no stranger to chirping with the opposing players either on the ice or on the bench .. was used in different situations throughout his time with the Fog Devils and accepted his role in the lineup .. solid skater, skates low to the ice, hunched-over stride, provided team with energy and speed .. quick and shifty and has the ability to escape a check and coverage .. demonstrated that he is capable of skating east-west, north-south .. worked well with linemates, knows his role and is comfortable on the ice in all three zones .. in control of his hockey stick for the most part, but was careless at times .. strong on the forecheck, playing along the boards, working the cycle, battling in front of the net and displayed good puck protection skills .. used a variety of shots: slap, wrist, snap and backhand .. displayed a willingness and ability to backcheck, but was over aggressive and undisciplined at times .. was involved in the physical department and has the ability to change the momentum of a game with a big hit, but again playing this style doesn't always help his positioning, leads to going over the edge (undisciplined) .. moved the puck well with crisp passes, displayed ability to receive a pass in stride, both on his forehand and backhand .. his over-aggressive play without the puck needs work .. displayed speed, ability to fend off defending players .. displayed good anticipation in all three zones for the most part .. ability to read and react clearly evident in his game .. willing to defend teammates, involved in scrums, not a stranger to dropping his gloves .. can play an agitator/pest role, but no denying that he can skate with the offensive players as well .. will likely be a member of the team when they hit the ice in Verdun, QC for the 2008-2009 season .. he should have more of an impact offensively and in the leadership department, both on and off the ice.

Chris Thorne (2008), C, St. John's

Selected in the fifth round, 79th overall, in the 2006 QMJHL draft by the St. John's Fog Devils .. the 5-foot-11, 201-pound center hails from Paradise, NL .. finished the regular season with two goals, nine assists for 11 points, collected 44 PIM's, a minus-six rating, one powerplay goal, 46 shots on goal, took 247 faceoffs (44%) and had 33 hits given in 64 games .. finished the playoffs with no points, five PIM's, a minus-one rating, one shot on goal, took seven faceoffs (71%) and threw three hits in six games .. used mostly on the third and fourth lines this season, at both the center and on the wings .. was used in all situations: regular shift, powerplay, penalty killing and four-on-four, with limited icetime on the powerplay .. strong lower and upper body strength is evident and he is not afraid to get involved in the physical play (including dropping his gloves) .. has the ability to work hard each and every shift, game in and game out, and that is exactly what he did, never takes a night off .. has a businesslike approach to the game, a low maintenance player who plays many roles .. involved in every shift, initiates contact, doesn't wait for the play to come to him .. takes his role on the team seriously, works hard and has the drive to succeed .. confident in his ability and trusts teammates .. in order to be successful he needs to work hard .. without a doubt a team player, doesn't complain, accepts his role and the system the team plays .. a solid skater who has good speed and balance .. displayed quickness, moves well around the ice, has the ability to avoid contact if necessary .. works well with linemates, keeps the flow going .. in full control of his hockey stick at all times, uses stick effectively and smartly .. plays more of a dump-and-chase game overall, but has shown that he is capable of skating with the puck and gaining the attacking zone .. solid on the forecheck and can muck-and-grind with the best of them .. strong along the boards, on the cycle, puck protection skills evident .. finds open ice, provides traffic and screens .. his setback in the offensive zone is his lack of finish .. when the puck is turned over, Thorne definitely understands his role without the puck .. solid positioning and help defense .. solid on the backcheck, blocks shots, identifies trouble areas .. he hits hard, finishes his checks, solid one-on-one or in scrums .. moves the puck well, nothing flashy, simple and safe plays .. not considered an offensive threat, definitely not a defensive liability .. has displayed speed, strength and ability to battle through traffic .. makes quick decisions, reads and reacts to the play .. does the little things right: chips pucks out and in, covers points/assignments, picks up the high man .. one would have to assume that this role player will not be making the move to Verdun, QC for the 2008-2009 season .. if this is indeed the case, then this versatile forward could end up playing in the Maritime Junior "A" Hockey League with the Miramichi Timberwolves, who selected Thorne in the second round, 10th overall, in the 2007 MJAHL draft.

Taylor MacDougall (2008), C, St. John's

The 6-foot-3, 200-pound pivot hails from The Pas, MB .. was selected in the second round, 25th overall, in the 2006 QMJHL draft by the St. John's Fog Devils .. finished the regular season with seven goals, six assists for 13 points, collected 57 PIM's, had a minus-18 rating, scored one powerplay goal, fired 84 shots on goal, took 785 faceoffs (45.4%) and threw 41 hits in 70 games .. finished the playoffs with one assist, two PIM's, a minus-one rating, five shots on goal, took 27 faceoffs (51.9%) and threw three hits in six games .. skated at center and on the wings, mostly on the third and fourth lines throughout the regular season and playoffs .. was used at even strength, on the powerplay, on the penalty kill and four-on-four .. limited time on the powerplay and four-on-four .. size and strength is evident, big body presence .. worked hard during the games, seemed to tire at times, but recovered quickly .. definitely has hockey smarts and is able to adapt to different situations .. competes and takes challenges head on .. is confident in his ability to play the game .. his teammates are confident in his ability as well .. struggled at times during the course of the season, but never complained or made excuses, just continued to battle hard and work through the struggles .. the qualities are there to be a leader on the team, just a matter of getting more playing time and having more responsibilities on the team .. definitely accepted the team play concept and was willing to do whatever was asked of him from the coaching staff .. solid skater, good balance, not overly fast, but managed to get the job done .. moved around the ice well for a big man, not the smoothest skater, but effective .. displayed that he is capable of playing a puck possession game or a dump-and-chase game .. was in control of his hockey stick, active both on offence and defense .. not considered an offensive threat, doesn't possess much finish or soft hands .. good on the forecheck, pressuring the puck .. strong along the boards, needs to battle even more in front of the net and on the cycle .. used in a checking role on the third line and was able to eat up some minutes on the fourth line .. aware of his defensive responsibilities .. displayed a willingness and ability to backcheck, but had trouble catching the faster skaters .. a little slow on occasion and his positioning suffered as a result .. not overly physical for a big man, but did a good job of containing players along the boards .. slow moving/passing the puck at times and had trouble receiving passes on occasion .. willing to block shots and cover his assignments .. doesn't possess breakaway speed, hard to get going, but once in control of the puck his puck protection skills are solid .. reads the play well, hits the open lanes .. unsure whether or not Taylor MacDougall will be with the team when it moves to Verdun, QC for the 2008-2009 season, but one would have to assume that he will find a game at the QMJHL level, if not he could continue playing hockey in the Maritime Junior "A" Hockey League, as the Amherst Ramblers selected the center in the seventh round, 7th overall, in the 2007 MJAHL draft .. nevertheless, MacDougall seems destined to make the jump to Atlantic University Hockey, as his father Gardiner MacDougall is the head coach of the UNB Varsity Reds.

Tyler Gale (2008), D, St. John's

Gale was not drafted, but was an invitee to the St. John's Fog Devils training camp in 2007 .. the 6-foot, 168-pound rearguard hails from Mount Pearl, NL .. finished the regular season with three helpers, 14 PIM's, a plus-five rating, six shots on goal and 18 hits in 30 games .. was a healthy scratch on many occasions during the regular season .. was a healthy scratch for all six playoff games .. when the young rearguard was inserted into the lineup, he usually conducted himself well .. usually paired on the third defense unit or dressed as the extra rearguard, with limited playing time overall .. needs to work on overall strength .. limited icetime as a result of his positioning on the teams depth chart more so then his ability to play the game .. an easygoing individual, who did not complain or whine about lack of playing time .. no doubt, he gave 100 percent and competed to the best of his ability when inserted into the lineup .. continued to work hard in practice despite lack of playing time and continued to work at improving his overall game .. was supportive of his teammates .. hard to talk about Gale without mentioning the fact that he was not drafted, but was an invitee to training camp in 2007 .. made the team out of training camp .. set a great example for other players that are having a hard time trying to break into the lineup .. never put himself ahead of the team and accepted not only his role, but what the team was trying to accomplish as well .. skates well, smooth skater with and without the puck .. displayed that he was willing and able to play a stay-at-home style, as well as a puck moving and rushing rearguard .. tried to keep things simple, but was a step behind on occasion, especially in his defensive zone coverage and play .. rushed decisions and forced the play at times, but it is indeed hard not playing for long periods and then trying to jump into the lineup and be up to speed .. was a stay-at-home rearguard for the most part .. tried to keep things simple in the offensive zone like keeping pucks deep, the play alive and not pinching at the wrong times .. used his hockey stick effectively when defending one-on-one or against the attack .. never really created much in the way of offence and rarely looked to shoot the puck .. in the defensive zone, he kept plays simple and safe, using both the glass and boards effectively .. made an effort to stay between himself and his goal at all times .. was overmatched physically at times, but battled through it .. not a physical rearguard with respect to hitting, more of a contain type rearguard, but struggled doing it at times .. was a little slow on occasion moving the puck, but for the most part, he used his partners effectively .. ability to think the game was evident, but as a result of lack of game situations/playing time, the rust showed .. one would be safe in assuming that Tyler Gale will not be with the club when it moves to Verdun, QC for the 2008-2009 season .. not sure if he will catch on with another team in the QMJHL .. it might be a safer bet to assume that he could continue his hockey career in the Maritime Junior "A" Hockey League, as a member of the Restigouche Jr. A Tigers, who selected the rearguard in the first round, 5th overall, in the 2007 MJAHL draft .. although going the University route could be an option as well for Gale down the road.