Phoenix drafts Magog standout with first overall pick
The Sherbrooke Phoenix selected Éthan Gauthier with the first overall pick in the 2021 Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) draft on Friday evening.
Gauthier was a member of the Magog Cantonniers last season, however due to the pandemic he was unable to suit up in any games. Sherbrooke head coach Stéphane Julien said the team’s scouts based a lot of their reports on the 16-year-old’s previous season.
“I think of the year we went through with all of those guys, they haven’t practiced much, they haven’t played much, either, so we took a lot of information from Bantam AAA and there was no doubt from every coach, and last year’s season, that he was the best player,” he said.
As an assistant captain for the Bantam AAA Bois-francs Cascades in 2019-2020, Gauthier put up 40 points in 23 games, 13 goals and 27 assists, respectively. According to Julien, it was a fairly easy decision for the Phoenix.
Gauthier’s father played professionally, and his brother also played in the QMJHL. Hockey runs in the family, Julien explained, it is in his blood, and Gauthier has already shown maturity and professionalism for his age. But Julien admitted there will be an adjustment period for him.
“To be honest with you being 16 in junior is very hard, but I think he is going to have a major role to play this year. We’re going to give him a lot of ice time, he is going to play the power play, but I don’t have any expectations on points or consistency of his game,” said Julien.
The Phoenix head coach saw it with former captain Samuel Poulin. Poulin, who was selected by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the first round of the 2019 National Hockey League draft, played in Sherbrooke for three seasons before getting traded to Val-d’or last year.
He excelled early on with the Phoenix, Julien said, but Poulin tapered off a little bit near the tail end of his first season. He struggled to adapt, he continued, but it is normal, these players go from playing against 15-yearolds, to taking on 18, 19 and 20-year-old men.
When asked about the draft process this year, and the hurdles caused by the pandemic, Julien said the team’s scouts put in a lot of hours covering every region in Quebec. Julien also joined the Phoenix’s draft team after the season, driving over 4,000 KM around the province.
Sherbrooke picked Jesse Carrière with their second round pick, 24th overall. Carrière, a tall and heavy defenseman for the Châteauguay Grenadiers, was predicted to go in the first round. However, he fell into the second round, much to the pleasure of the Phoenix.
“I watched him three, four times, and he is a very talented player on defense and I think he is going to be a top two defenseman,” said Julien. “He has to work on his 200-foot game, but pure talent I think he is going to surprise a lot of people.”
Sherbrooke is still going through a slight rebuild, though, and Julien understands they probably won’t turn any heads next season. The team shipped off a few draft picks for former QMJHL first overall pick Joshua Roy last season, and they also lost a lot of veteran depth.
“This year we’re in a transition year, I think we’re going to be middle of the pack, high, and we have a lot of guys that will be 18 next year. We’re going to have a competitive training camp,” Julien said, adding there aren’t enough spots for all the interested players.
He also spoke to The Record about the Montreal Canadiens improbable run to the Stanley Cup Final. Julien, who played professional hockey overseas, said it has been a special journey, led by a team that bought into the system, and stellar goaltending from Carey Price.
“Well it is impressive, honestly, nobody saw the Canadiens going to the final, but they play a humble game. I repeat myself when people ask me, but when you see them play right now there is something, something around the Canadiens right now,” said Julien.