The QMJHL pre-season began this past weekend with one game on Saturday as Christophe Losier lead the way for the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies with one goal and one assist in a 5-3 win over the Val-d’Or Foreurs.

All 18 teams saw action on Sunday with Mathieu LeDuc adding one goal and an assist in the Chicoutimi Sagueneens’ 5-3 victory over the Baie-Comeau Drakkar, Jean-Christophe Gauthier added the game winner in the shootout to give the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles a 3-2 win over the Halifax Mooseheads, while Michael Kirkpatrick and Steven Anthony (1G, 1A each) led the Saint John Sea Dogs past the PEI Rocket 5-2.

Rouyn-Noranda swept their pre-season weekend series with Val-d’Or as Etienne Boutet had two helpers in the 3-1 win; Maxime Tanguay had two goals and Maxime Robichaud assisted three times as the Victoriaville Tigres skated past the Lewiston MAINEiacs 5-3; Drummondville Voltigeur Andrew Randazzo was the only player to scored in the shootout in his teams’ 4-3 win over the Shawinigan Cataractes; Julien Tremblay’s two goals and Brandon Gormley’s two helpers helped the Moncton Wildcats to a 6-4 win over New Brunswick rivals the Acadie-Bathurst Titan; Gerrit Fauser’s two goals saw the Gatineau Olympiques welcome the Montreal Juniors to the Centre Robert Guertin with a 6-5 win; and the Quebec Remparts defeated the Rimouski Oceanic as Dmitri Kugryshev topped the scoresheet with two goals and two assists.

Trade Wins Blow

There were a few players who changed teams this past week as Saint John sent left winger Brad Gallant to Lewiston for their 2009 QMJHL entry draft sixth round pick.

Gallant broke into the league with the Sea Dogs in the 2005-06 season. Over 140 games, he scored eight goals and added six assists while racking up 587 penalty minutes. In one playoff game in the 2007-08 season, Gallant added one goal and 15 penalty minutes.

Chicoutimi also acquired Dave Bouchard from Halifax for a 2010 QMJHL entry draft fifth round pick. Bouchard began his QMJHL career with Drummondville in the 2003-04 season. He spent three seasons there before going to Acadie-Bathurst for the 2005-06 season and the Sea Dogs for the 2006-07 campaign. Over the course of 305 regular season games, he has scored 57 times, assisted on 62 others, and has 787 penalty minutes.

Halifax acquired Scott MacDonald from Saint John for the Sea Dogs’ 2010 QMJHL entry draft eighth round pick. MacDonald played 21 games for Saint John last season and finished with one assist.

Francis Boulianne went from Val-d’Or to Chicoutimi for Jean-Daniel Turgeon. Boulianne began his QMJHL career with Shawinigan in the 2005-06 sesason and played with them for two years. He spent the next two seasons in the QJAHL with St. Felicien Multiconcessionai.

Maxime Gratchev is also on the move as he goes from Rimouski to Lewiston along with the Oceanic’s 2010 QMJHL entry draft sixth round pick. In return, Rimouski receives the MAINEiacs’ 2009 fourth round pick and 2010 second round pick.

Gratchev was drafted by the NY Islanders in the fourth round of the 2007 NHL entry draft. He broke into the QMJHL entry draft with Quebec in the 2004-05 season before moving on to Rimouski where he played from 2005-08. Over a 218 game time-frame, he has scored 62 times while assisting on 89 others. In nine playoff games in the 2007-08 season, he added two goals.

The trade period ends on September 2, at noon.

Alberta Will Host the World in 2012

The 2012 World Junior Hockey Championships will take place in Calgary and Edmonton from December 2011-January 2012 at the Pengrowth Saddledome and Rexall Place. The exact dates will be announced at a future time. A total of 31 games will take place.

The bid was led by the Calgary Flames, Edmonton Oilers, Calgary Sport Tourism Authority, Edmonton Events International, Edmonton Oil Kings, Calgary Hitmen, Northlands and Hockey Alberta.

The other Canadian bid came from a Toronto group. Saskatoon, and Regina, SK were also bidding but withdrew their bid when they were awarded the 2010 tournament. It is expected that season and partial ticket holders of the Hitmen and Oil Kings will have the first chance at the tournament ticket packages when the ticket campaign is officially launched. The coming together of all levels of Alberta Hockey will also insure a legacy that will have a long lasting impact for years to come as the bid also includes a strong partnership with the Hitmen, Oil Kings, Lethbridge Hurricanes, Medicine Hat Tigers, and the Red Deer Rebels.

When profits are divided up, Hockey Canada will get 50%, the CHL 35%, and the host committee, Hockey Alberta, and the remaining 12 Hockey Canada member branches will get the final 15%.

The host committee will then turn their share over to the Hockey Alberta Development Leadership Strategy to provide national hockey development leadership opportunities to every Hockey Canada branch. Canada will also host the World Junior Championship in Ottawa in 2009 and 2010 in Saskatoon and Regina.

Hébert signs NHL Contract

Ghislain Hébert is now an NHL referee. Most recently, Hébert was referee at the 2006 C.I.S National Championship as well as the 2007 QMJHL semifinals. He is the 11th former QMJHL official to make it to the NHL joining referees Stéphane Auger, David Banfield, Gord Dwyer, Eric Furlatt, Dave Jackson, Marc Joannette, Frederick L'Ecuyer, Chris Lee, Francois St. Laurent, and Justin St. Pierre as well as linesmen Pierre Champoux, Michel Cormier, Jean Morin, Jonny Murray and Pierre Raçicot.

Pre-Season Continues

The pre-season games continue Monday night with all nine teams in action as Rouyn-Noranda hosts Val-d’Or, Lewiston is at home to Victoriaville, Montreal welcomes Gatineau, Moncton travels to Acadie-Bathurst, Cape Breton travels to Halifax, Rimouski hosts Quebec, PEI makes their way to Saint John, Chicoutimi takes on Baie-Comeau at home, and Drummondville hosts Shawinigan.

The lone games on Tuesday features Chicoutimi at Shawinigan.

Two games will take place on Wednesday as Saint John faces New Brunswick rivals Moncton in Moncton, and Rimouski travels to Bathurst to take on the Titan.

Chicoutimi takes on Quebec at home on Thursday.

Six games kick off weekend action on Friday as Cape Breton faces PEI in Sydney, NS; Halifax is at home to Moncton for the first of a home-and-home series that will conclude on Saturday, Quebec hosts Chicoutimi, Rimouski travels to Baie-Comeau for a two games series that finishes on Saturday; Lewiston makes their way into Granby to face Drummondville with the second game of the home and home series taking place in Lewiston on Saturday night; Gatineau takes on Montreal in Gatineau; and Shawinigan is in Victoriaville.

The other three games on Saturday has Victoriaville in Grand-Mere, QC to face Shawinigan, Val-d’Or playing a home game in La Sarre, QC against Rouyn-Noranda, and Saint John facing Acadie-Bathurst at home in Harbour Station.

The weekend will conclude with three contests on Sunday as PEI plays host to Cape Breton; Gatineau is in Verdun, QC to take on Montreal; and Saint John is at Acadie-Bathurst.

Pre-season play concludes on Monday, September 8th with Moncton traveling the Trans Canada Highway to Bathurst to face the Titan.