QMJHL: Remember the Titans

The Acadie-Bathurst Titans finished the season with a losing record but an honourable one at that. The organisation did not have a wealth of pure talent, They had a large amount of rookies in their lineup, had to put up with distractions in the form of major financial difficulties and rumours of a move to another city. Nonetheless, the team showed up to play every night making their opponents work for every victory. McKeen's contributor Rick Springhetti looks at some Acadie-Bathurst Titans

Francis Hevey (2009), RW, Acadie-Bathurst

Undersized forward, he manages to play the body reasonably well without getting into penalty problems .. low center of gravity helps him win some battles in the corners or against the boards .. surprising considering his skating is not a strong point, especially his first few steps .. willing to take a hit to make a play .. didn't really show any offensive skills but would dump the puck in, try to get it and then go to the front of the net looking for loose pucks.

Jonathan Lessard (2009) LW, Acadie-Bathurst

Straightforward player who tries to make room for his linemates by going to the front of the net .. good shot, with a quick release but has to shoot the puck more often, especially on the powerplay .. tries to play a physical game but will only be effective at it once he improves his upper body strength and lateral movement .. needs to keep his feet moving, especially when playing in his zone so he can better cover his man .. decent skater that has the ability to anticipate opponents intentions very well, which is why he is used on the PK by the coaching staff .. needs to have a teammate who can create offensively to be effective.

Daniel Tanel (2009), D, Acadie-Bathurst

Very big defenseman who can smother his opponent with his long wingspan .. stickhandles fairly well but keeps his head low when doing so .. this is not so dangerous for a player his size but it limits his ability to find the open man when moving the puck out of his own zone .. aware of his limitations so he stays back and tries to let his defence partner be the one to move the puck up the ice .. balance is pretty good for such a tall player but speed is a major weakness .. uses his body well to shield the puck in the corners .. can stop opponents well in the crease but lack of mobility causes him to give up the blueline fairly easily and makes him a target for quicker opponents who want to beat him from the outside.

Jeremie Blain (2010), D, Acadie-Bathurst

Very young defenseman who plays a lot of minutes for the Titans after being picked-up in a trade with the Victoriaville Tigres .. like most players his age, his game is inconsistent at times .. not a great skater, but that should improve as he grows into his tall frame and improve his overall strength .. pivots are especially difficult .. covers his man very well when an opponent is near the crease .. can help out on the powerplay due to his ability to pass the puck quickly and the ability to move around quickly in open areas freeing up some room for his teammates .. not a whole lot of power behind his shot but he does get it through traffic .. needs to step-up his physical play, as right now he too easy to play against.