QMJHL: Rebuilding the Olympiques

After winning the Presidents cup last season and representing the QJMHL at the Memorial Cup with a veteran lineup, the Gatineau Olympiques are now in rebuilding mode and the results have been up and down. Already, one coach resigned from the team after a few months on the job but there is reason for optimism. New coach Jerome Dupont has the team playing over .500 hockey. McKeen's correspondent Rick Springhetti has notes on a few prospects helping to rebuild the Olympiques including Hubert Labrie, Vincent Barnard, Spencer Metcalfe, Nicholas Mayer and Maxime Clermont.

Hubert Labrie (2009), D, Gatineau

Assistant captain, Labrie is not the biggest player but tries to create things by being especially feisty physically or by talking to anyone within earshot .. used in all shorthanded situations .. very fluid skating style that makes him effective at getting the puck out of his own zone quickly .. can make a quick pass effectively but he does not possess the vision or creativity to find the open man that can lead to a good scoring opportunity .. not at all afraid of the physical game, he uses a low center of gravity and strong legs to give out surprisingly hard hits .. can be beat when forwards skate in hard from the outside .. does not possess a very strong shot .. also, his all-out-style-of-play coupled with his lack of size makes him susceptible to errors as the game wears on, as he seemed to get a little tired at times.

Vincent Barnard (2009), D, Gatineau

Decent skater, he can move around very well, but does not possess enough imagination or vision with the puck to make much happen offensively .. he seems to be a little light on his feet and is easily knocked off the puck by opposing players .. has a decent shot that he gets on net .. what he needs to work on is his release, as it is a little slow and telegraphed .. he wins the battles for the puck around the corners when he uses his frame to lean into opposing players with authority .. has trouble with hand-eye coordination at times, especially pucks that are at his feet .. is most effective when he keeps the play simple and tries to play a safe, positionally sound game.

Spencer Metcalfe (2009), D, Gatineau

Good skater, he can surprise opponents with a deceiving burst of speed .. very heavy shot, he keeps it low and to the net leading to good rebound opportunities for his teammates .. shows good judgment in the offensive zone, knowing when to pinch in and when to back off .. could use some of that judgment in his own zone, as he gets very nonchalant at times .. not a physical player, he tries to use proper positioning to defend in his own zone .. needs to improve his on-ice vision, as he takes time to spot the players around him.

Nicholas Mayer (2009), LW, Gatineau

First-step quickness could be improved, but he is a quick skater once he gets going .. needs to improve his reads, as he tends to over commit at times making it easy for players to skate by him .. ball of energy, he never seems to get tired .. goes to the net hard when there is a scoring opportunity in the offensive zone .. hard player to pry the puck off in the corners, as he will fight hard at all times to keep control of it .. very little imagination or vision on the ice .. looks after things in his own zone backchecking diligently but often does not cover the right man .. was returned to his midget team at the end of October for more seasoning but the organisation is high on him and he could be brought back up at any time.

Maxime Clermont (2010), G, Gatineau

Goaltender with some decent size, he has very quick foot speed, especially when moving from side to side .. at his best when he gets a lot of shots on net, as he tends to lose focus when he is not occupied .. quick glove particularly with high shots .. not very adept at handling the puck .. can handle pressure situations, something that is important with the low-scoring team in front of him.