QMJHL: Remparts Building a Winning Tradition

The Quebec Remparts are usually near the top of standings season after season. Not very surprising when you consider that the team is able to attract some very good talent with such incentives for players as having Patrick Roy as a head-coach and GM and fan support averaging over 10,000 people per game. McKeen's correspondent Rick Springhetti looks at several players from the Remparts. (Mikhail Stefanovich pictured).

Jonathan Audy-Marchessault (2009), C/RW, Quebec

Small forward who plays within his limits .. won't impress anyone with his clever passes but does move the puck forward safely .. needs to backcheck harder at times .. gives up too quickly when he loses the puck, especially in the neutral zone .. buys himself some time to make a play due to his ability to stop quickly while retaining control of the puck .. opponents have to be careful when passing the puck around him, as his lateral movement is very quick so he can pick-off a pass regularly

David Gilbert (2009), C/LW, Quebec

Lanky build makes him look taller than he actually his .. smart player, he does not waste any movement .. he knows where he needs to be and what has to be done in all three zones .. he is usually the defensive conscience of his line holding back so that his linemates can go on the attack more freely .. does a very good job in the faceoff circle .. started to show more offense in his game, especially in terms of holding on to the puck more .. not a very effective skater, but his hockey IQ partially makes up for it .. surprises opponents with his stickhandling but can't take advantage of this because he plays a little too much on the perimeter ..would like to see him initiate contact a little more especially on the forecheck .. inconsistency is a major problem, as he tends to disappear for long stretches .. will tangle up opponents but does not play with any bite physically.

Mikael Tam (2009), D, Quebec

Undersized defenseman, he is not intimated by bigger opponents .. opponents that underestimate his ability to play a physical style usually get an unpleasant surprise by his hitting ability, especially in open ice .. moves the puck out of his zone quickly .. starting to support the forwards in the offensive zone a little more .. holds his position well when defending and does not give up his blueline easily .. starting to play a more economical style by using his stick and teammates better .. he will still take advantage of every opportunity to hit a player, he just does not get out of position as much as he used to .. never takes a shift off .. improving his judgement on the ice knowing when to take a chance or when to play it safe .. his willingness to never quit on a play frustrates opponents leading to penalties.

Sebastien Trudeau (2009) RW, Quebec

Smart defensive player who augments his efficiency in his own zone by using his body well .. although not very big, he is solid on his skates .. uses his legs when playing the body in open ice .. not much of a skater, he has a tough time with his turns .. very little explosiveness when taking off and takes too many strides to hit top speed .. blocks shots intelligently .. very hard worker on the forecheck and along the boards, he can force opposing defensemen to make mistakes .. started initiating contact more regularly as the season progressed, but does not do this enough for a player who basically plays on the fourth line.

Jean-Simon Allard (Buf), C, Quebec

Average skater in terms of speed but what he does well is change gears regularly when he is holding on to the puck giving him some extra time and space to make a play .. has a tendency to give up on the play at times .. not much of a goal scorer, more of a playmaker that has the ability to pass the puck when you least expect it .. he should try to shoot more often, as he does become predictable at times .. shies away from the physical game at times .. this may improve a little if he could improve his physical strength, as right now, he is too easy to push of the puck .. tends to get caught flat footed in the defensive zone .. loses too many faceoffs to be used in important situations.

Benjamin Breault (Buf), C, Quebec

Quick skater with very good forward and lateral movement .. moves his feet well and his all-around mobility helps make him effective shorthanded .. doesn't give up on the play leading to unexpected scoring chances .. can shoot the puck as well as distribute it .. likes to get into the slot and try for the one timer .. mindful of his defensive play not taking shortcuts in the attempt to create low percentage chances on offense.. does well taking faceoffs, usually winning them but if not, he tries to quickly tie-up his man.

Samuel Groulx (SJ), D, Quebec

Defensive defenseman that plays a very smart game on the ice .. not the most graceful skating style but he does get the job done moving himself in all directions fairly effectively .. keeps his stick low and well positioned to cut down on passing options for opposing forwards .. not a very big player but balance and coordination make it possible for him to play the body .. blocks shots intelligently getting down on one knee giving him the possibility to stay in the play .. not afraid to move up the ice if he sees an opportunity .. has a tough time handling opponents along the wall or in front of the net physically at times, but smart enough to neutralize them by playing his position properly.

Dmitri Kugryshev (Wsh), RW, Quebec

Scoring forward with very good vision .. capable of making passes to anyone on the ice and does this while drawing opponents to him and then releasing the puck at the last second giving his teammates some extra room .. has the ability to start and stop quickly while holding on to the puck .. these factors plus his stickhandling ability make him a difficult player for defensemen to play against .. where he has trouble is against players that can engage him physically .. he does not have the upper body strength to win these types of battles .. defensively, he does not do too much for his team .. rarely supports his defensemen, instead he will try and wait for a teammate to get the puck and go on the offence as soon as possible.

Kevin Marshall (Phi), D, Quebec

Very dependable player in his own zone .. not rattled by pressure situations .. will flatten an opponent when he has the chance .. underrated skater he is usually fast enough to handle quicker opponents .. will not take any chances with the puck .. go-to guy against opposing teams best lines .. pretty hard shot on net that he keeps low, windup could use some improvement .. makes a first good pass effectively because he is calm with the puck and keeps his head up when skating up the ice .. able to settle the play down if need be or step up the intensity.

Guillaume Monast (Dal), D, Quebec

Signed as a free agent by the Dallas Stars at the beginning of the season .. defenseman with good size that sees regular time on the powerplay due to his ability to move the puck up the ice very quickly, find the open spaces and take advantage of it .. skates well and does not slow down when handling the puck .. hesitates for too long before taking a shot on net eliminating some decent scoring chances at times .. when he does shoot the puck, he has a hard wristshot and is capable of using players in front of him to screen his shots .. plays the body intelligently hitting opposing players and trying to get the puck off them quickly .. not afraid to defend his teammates in need be, even dropping the gloves at times.

Mikhail Stefanovich (Tor), RW, Quebec

Excellent shooting ability, he can get a shot off in a second from any position on the ice .. wristshot is especially impressive .. would be a more dangerous scorer if he went closer to the net but unfortunately, spends too much time on the perimeter .. good skating ability when he decides to move his feet .. big frame but does not use it enough .. needs to work a lot harder on his defensive game .. spends too much time looking for a teammate to get him the puck .. general play is very individualistic .. has shown some improvements in his overall intensity since last season.

Kelsey Tessier (Col), C, Quebec

Not a great skater but has shown some improvement this season .. stickhandling ability and vision help create some extra time and space to compensate for his skating deficiencies .. where he gets into trouble is when he is stuck one on one against opposing defenders .. will do the things needed for the team to win, like block shots, backcheck effectively and fight for the puck in the corners .. constantly in the face of opposing goaltenders .. low center of gravity makes his body checking better than it should be .. excellent in the faceoff circle winning 54 percent of his faceoffs .. team captain that has the respect of his teammates and the coaching staff.