QMJHL: Paper Tigre

The Victoriaville Tigres had a season from hell in 2003/2004, winning a measly 20 games. One of the bright lights for the struggling club was goalie Josh Tordjman who stole the show more than once, eventually establishing himself as the club’s starter between the pipes.

Josh Tordjman (2004), G

Someone at the draft should really pick him up; the kind of kid who stops what he sees .. one of the lightest players in the Canadian Hockey League at 144 lbs .. playing for the awful Victoriaville Tigres isn’t helping his stock, but he battles night in and night out .. a two-time QMJHL defensive player of the week .. an excellent positional goalie who plays his angles very well .. an above-average skater who adjusts quickly to the shifting position of the puck carrier .. very poised .. likes playing beyond the confines of his own crease to challenge the shooter .. pad movement and glove hand are lightning quick .. doesn’t flop around, unlike many smaller, quick goalies .. on the downside, he needs to recover better; he’ll look for the first shot, but often loses his bearings thereafter .. his aggressiveness sometimes costs him, as goals up close tend to embarrass him, as he’s too far out to stop them .. needs to get stronger so he can handle the harassment from pesky opponents .. played well enough to replace Daniel Manzato mid-way through the season; Manzato did not return after the World Juniors in January.

Ryan Jenner (2004), D

A defensive defenseman who plays a style that seems more suited to the OHL or WHL style of game .. downsides include extremely sluggish backwards skating and positional struggles in the neutral zone .. relies heavily on defensive partner, the speedy Mario Scalzo Jr., to help out .. on the positive side, with his huge body, he can angle that frame to take away any look at open ice from the opposition .. possesses the strength to clear the crease with easy .. stands up his man with the best of them in the league .. doesn’t showcase much in terms of offensive skills, but is quite adept at handling the puck .. very good at clearing the puck .. you will never see him carry it past the center-ice redline .. plays a safe, stay-at-home style .. should train himself to be a greater physical force to be reckoned with .. doesn’t make enough truly big hits.

Benoit Doucet (2004), C

Victoriaville’s first-line centre; they were brutal, so that may or may not be a valuable fact .. a project; skating has improved all year long, but his balance is hurting him a bit .. gets knocked off the puck way too easily .. effective backchecker, but his lack of size hurts in that respect .. makes his living as a playmaker .. displays impressive imagination and dangle .. vision is very good, which means that he’s worthy of a late-round flyer.

Renaud Des Alliers (2004), D

Good stickhandler ; can control the pace with impressive smoothness .. offensive awareness is above-average; knows where to be to receive a pass or chip in .. stands out because he goes to the net and creates traffic .. feisty in the crease; stands firm and battles .. quite strong; outmuscles other kids .. gets involved after the whistle as well .. in his own end he knows to take the body instead of the puck .. downside lies in confidence issues, consistency and his skating stride .. too often pressured into making premature passes, but has shown more poise as the season got older .. skating stride is too short, which seems to slow him down .. needs to show up every night.