Eagles draft
Cape Breton selects 20 players at QMJHL Entry Draft, American Draft on Saturday
SYDNEY, N.S. — If the cupboards of the Cape Breton Eagles depth chart were getting low, the team certainly restocked them over the weekend.
Cape Breton selected 18 players in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League Entry Draft on Saturday, while also adding two U.S.-based players in the league's American Draft.
The Eagles drafted nine forwards, six defencemen and three goaltenders at the standard draft, while adding a forward and a goaltender in the American event.
The Sydney-based franchise, which will celebrate its 25th anniversary this season, used its first-round pick to select Gatineau defenceman Émile Perron with the No. 8 overall selection on Friday.
The 16-year-old becomes the fifth defenceman since 2011 to be drafted by the Eagles in the first-round, joining Jean-Simon Deslauriers (2011), Jason Bell (2013), Noah Laaouan (2017), and Jérémy Langlois (2019).
'IT'S AMAZING'
When reached by phone shortly after the selection, Perron said he was still shaking with excitement.
“It's an incredible feeling — it's amazing,” said Perron. “I talked with Cape Breton a little bit before the draft, so I was waiting for them. It came as a surprise, but I was pretty confident they were going to take me.”
The five-foot-11, 157pound Perron appeared in 21 games with the Outaouais Intrépide of the Quebec Under15 ‘AAA' Hockey League in 2019-20, posting two goals and seven points.
Last season, Perron served as the captain of the Gatineau L'Intrépide of the Quebec Under-18 ‘AAA' Hockey League. No under-18 games were played in Quebec in 2020-21 due to the COVID19 pandemic.
Despite no games, Perron used the time to improve on his weaknesses.
“I took the opportunity to work on some things that in a normal season I wouldn't have time to do,” said Perron. “I took the practice time to work on my shot and off the ice I worked on my strength, so I feel confident.”
Perron, who was ranked No. 9 overall by QMJHL Central Scouting, considers himself to be a two-way defenceman who enjoys joining the offensive rush.
“I'm very good defensively and I'm a great defenceman in my own zone,” said Perron. “I want to bring my good defence and some offense to Cape Breton and I will work towards that goal.”
Perron isn't the only member of his family to be drafted by Cape Breton. His father, Luc, was selected by the Eagles in the seventhround, No. 96 overall, at the 1998 QMJHL Entry Draft. He never reported to the team.
As for Émile Perron, he's looking forward to reporting to Cape Breton in August and feels he can make the jump to major junior next season.
“I have a big summer in front of me, so I'll work hard and do all the things I can to be with the Eagles next season."
JOINING THE TEAM
Meanwhile, on Saturday, the Eagles began the day with a pair of selections in the second round. The team picked Charlottetown forward Cam Squires at No. 22 overall, and defenceman Xavier Daigle of Saint-Apollinaire, Que., at No 34 overall.
Squires, the brother of current Eagle Jacob Squires, couldn't have been happier to join the rebuilding Eagles' organization.
“I am thrilled for this opportunity to be drafted by Cape Breton. It's pretty special too to have the guy sitting beside me, knowing that he could be my teammate here in the near future,” said Squires in an interview with SaltWire Network.
“I'm looking to go to the Eagles and make an impact right away. I'm a smart, fast, skilled forward, and I play with pace.”
After not having a pick in the third round, Cape Breton drafted forward Luke Patterson of the Moncton Flyers in the fourth round, No. 59 overall, before taking forward Maxence Albert, and Brady Wambolt of Eastern Passage, N.S. with picks No. 77 and No. 83, respectively.
Cape Breton had three straight picks in the sixth round at No. 95, 96, and 97. The team took forwards Colby Morin of the Fredericton Caps, and Lane Lochead on the Weeks Majors of Pictou County at No. 95 and No. 97, while picking Moncton goaltender Xavier Farrah at No. 96.
After a 30-minute break between the sixth and seventh rounds, Cape Breton used its seventh-round pick at No. 113 overall to select 17-year-old forward Jérôme Gilbert, before taking forward Wynston Iserhoff in the eighth round at No. 131 overall.
NET GAIN
The Eagles added to their goaltending depth in the ninth round, drafting Bedford product Noah Blanchard of the Cole Harbour Wolfpack at No. 159 overall, and later added Sydney River defenceman Preston Pattengale in the 10th round at No. 167.
In the 11th-round, Cape Breton added goaltender Thomas Pigeon at No. 185 overall, while selecting forwards Blake Pilgram-Edwards (No. 203) and Liam Travis (No. 205) in the 12th round.
The club finished the draft by taking Sydney Mines defenceman Tyson LeFrense in the 13th round, No. 221 overall, and Isaac Tremblay in the 14th round, No. 239.
In the American Draft, Cape Breton took 17-yearold forward Kurt Gurkan with the No. 2 overall pick, and later selected 16-year-old goaltender Sam Scopa with the No. 20 overall pick.
The Cape Breton Eagles are expected to begin its 2021-22 training camp in August. No dates were released at publication time.