Quebec Midget Hockey Report: Lac Saint-Louis Lions

Based in the West-Island of Montreal, the Lac Saint-Louis Lions have been a part of the Quebec midget AAA league since 1976 and have had a good amount of success winning the league championship five times. McKeen's correspondent Rick Springhetti looks at some of their young talent that could be making some noise in a few years.

Michael Matheson (2012), D, Lac Saint-Louis

Team captain, Matheson sees a ton of minutes for Lac Saint-Louis in all situations .. excellent skater who has good mobility in all directions .. needs just a few quick strides to pick up his top speed .. has a hard shot that needs to hit the net just a little more often .. quarterbacks the powerplay well, he's hard to defend because he can both skate the puck up the ice or pass it efficiently .. physical player when playing the body, he can be a little nasty at times .. defensively, he sometimes loses patience and starts chasing opponents .. however, he is able to simplify his game in his own zone and make the right decisions .. confirmed that he will be going the NCAA route, although his CHL rights belong to Shawinigan.

Anthony Duclair (2013), C, Lac Saint-Louis

Good frame, should be able to fill-out well once he grows into his body .. very good overall effort on every shift .. picks-up speed quickly and is not afraid to push through traffic to get to the puck .. stride is powerful and his turns are controlled, although a little wide .. good hands, he handles the puck well and his passes can be hard or soft depending on the situation .. draws a ton of penalties when he attacks the net .. even though he is often victim of dirty play, he doesn't retaliate much .. backchecks hard but has to learn the finer points of positioning .. always a treat if opponents lose possession of the puck, as he is quick to move the puck up the ice .. very good overall talent that just needs time to develop.

Anthony Cortese (2012), D, Lac Saint-Louis

Offensive defenseman .. tends to run a little in his own zone .. fine straight-ahead skater .. has to improve his backwards skating .. moves the puck very well from the point .. seems as comfortable dishing the puck on either side of him .. always in movement at the opposing blueline and looks for openings to take a shot .. has a solid wristshot that he is not afraid to use .. willing to block shots .. handles big minutes well.

Jonathan Drouin (2013), C, Lac Saint-Louis

Excellent puckhandler even at top speed, although he has a tendency to get too cute at times .. solid skater who can make sharp turns, which he likes to do when coming into the offensive zone to not only confuse opposing defensemen, but help give his linemates the edge in terms of positioning .. average shot on net .. can distribute the puck quickly and shows a lot of creativity .. aggressive to the puckcarrier defensively .. not afraid to jump into the crease if he smells a scoring chance .. gives opposing defensemen a tough time when cycling the puck .. strong lower-body.

Kurt Etchegary (2013), RW, Lac Saint-Louis

Energy player who is excellent on the forecheck .. creates space for his team by his relentless work in the corners .. gives a good effort on every shift, yet doesn't seem to tire even when on longer shifts .. backchecks hard to support in defense .. doesn't have great hands to fully take advantage of all the scoring chances he creates .. able to battle along the boards against bigger opponents usually taking advantage of his solid lower-body strength .. moves his feet quickly but stride is a little choppy .. effective at getting under opponents' skin.

Andrew Rossy (2012), D, Lac Saint-Louis

Safe defenseman who doesn't do anything spectacular but plays an effective overall game .. doesn't get rattled when pressured or even after he makes mistakes .. patient with one-on-one situations and will make sure his opponents commit first .. not a very smooth skater .. doesn't make great breakout passes but knows his limits and tries to get the puck to his defense partner safely .. has to improve his strength, as he can get beat in one-on-one situations.