- Forward of the Month
Cam Squires – Cape Breton Eagles – 10GP, 6G, 13A, 19Pts
The Cape Breton Eagles finished the regular season on a winning note and one of the key players behind this was winger Cam Squires. The 19-year-old from Charlottetown, PEI was held off the scoresheet just once during the final month of the season while posting six multi-point outings. Among his highlights were a four-point outing against the Saint John Sea Dogs on March 2, a three-assist game against the Drakkar in Baie-Comeau on the 8th and two assists as well as a +5 rating versus the Halifax Mooseheads on the 14th. Squires ended his fourth QMJHL campaign in fine style, sniping his 100th career regular season goal in Saint John on the 21st before notching his fourth career hat trick the following afternoon against those same Sea Dogs. Squires has historically been a top-tier performer in the month of March, posting 70 points in 46 career games during the month.
Squires finishes the year as the Eagles’ leading scorer with a career high 75 points in 58 games. He was selected by the New Jersey Devils in the fourth round of the 2023 NHL Entry Draft.
Honorable Mention
Mavrick Lachance – Sherbrooke Phoenix – 8GP, 6G, 7A, 13Pts
- Defenseman of the Month
Alex Carr – Rouyn-Noranda Huskies – 9GP, 1G, 8A, 9Pts
The Rouyn-Noranda Huskies have relied on the leadership and defensive abilities of Alex Carr for several years now. This year, Carr kicked things up a notch offensively as well. The 20-year-old from Hammonds Plains, Nova Scotia recorded points in seven March contests. Included in that run were a pair of two-assist outings, both against the Val-d’Or Foreurs, on the 5th and 12th respectively. And, as usual, the fourth-year veteran’s poise away from the puck spoke for itself. Not only did Carr complete the final month of his QMJHL regular season career with a rating of even or better in every game, he posted an impressive +14 rating in the process. The Huskies’ captain played a pivotal role in his team’s 8-1-0-0 run during the month.
Originally drafted by the Halifax Mooseheads in the fourth round of the 2020 QMJHL Draft, Carr, wrapping up his fourth campaign in Rouyn-Noranda, finished tied for seventh among all blueliners with a career best 45 points in 62 games.
Honorable Mention
Tomas Lavoie – Cape Breton Eagles – 10GP, 4G, 6A, 10Pts
- Goaltender of the Month
Mathis Rousseau – Moncton Wildcats – 5-0-0-0, 1.58 GAA, .933 SV%, 1 SO
Another month, another unbeaten Wildcats goaltender as Mathis Rousseau completed the regular season portion of his overage year in memorable fashion. The 20-year-old from Boisbriand, Quebec posted a .931% save percentage or better on three occasions, including a 28-save game against the Sherbrooke Phoenix on the 7th, a 27-save effort versus the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada on the 8th and a 17-save shutout, the 12th of his QMJHL regular season career, against the Saint John Sea Dogs on March 15. And that’s not including an 18-save triumph over the Armada to start the month, which represented the fourth-year veteran’s 100th regular season victory in the ‘Q’. Add it all up and Rousseau’s contributions helped lead the Cats to new regular season records for wins, points and fewest goals against.
Rousseau, who spent the first three and a half seasons of his junior career with the Halifax Mooseheads, completed his time with the Wildcats with an 11-4-0-0 record, a 2.33 GAA and a pair of shutouts.
Honorable Mention
Alexis Cournoyer – Cape Breton Eagles – 4-2-0-0, 2.06 GAA, .941 SV%
- Rookie of the Month
Samuel Meloche – Rouyn-Noranda Huskies – 6-1-0-0, 2.12 GAA, .927 SV%, 2 SO
While the veteran blueliners on the Huskies were leading the club to a sizzling finish down the stretch, it was a rookie, Samuel Meloche, acting as the last line of defense. The 17-year-old from Les Cèdres, Quebec posted six straight wins to start the final month of the regular season, allowing two goals or less in half of those outings. Included in that streak were a pair of shutouts, a 22-save outing against the Val-d’Or Foreurs on the 5th and a 31-save effort versus the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada on the 21st. That gave Meloche five whitewashes on the season, the second highest total for a rookie in league history. Thanks in large part to Meloche’s work between the pipes, the Huskies earned their second consecutive West Division crown.
Meloche, who spent the previous two seasons with the U18 AAA Chateauguay Grenadiers, was a second-round selection of the Huskies at the 2023 QMJHL Draft. His 30 wins placed him in a tie for second among all ‘Q’ netminders and set a new benchmark for a Huskies rookie.
Honorable Mention
Matvei Gridin – Shawinigan Cataractes – 7GP, 7G, 6A, 13Pts
