Wildcats' Desnoyers nominated for QMJHL rookie award

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Caleb Desnoyers, who had an excellent first season with the Moncton Wildcats after he was taken with the No. 1 pick in the 2023 QMJHL draft, was named a finalist for the league’s Michel-Bergeron Trophy, presented to the offensive rookie of the year.

Desnoyers, who turns 17 on Thursday, finished his 16-year-old season with 20 goals and 36 assists for 56 points in 60 games. Among rookies, he finished third in points, power-play assists (18) and face-off efficiency (53.9%).

Raoul Boilard of the Baie-Comeau Drakkar and Emile Guite of the Chicoutimi Sagueneens were also nominated for the award, with Guite being crowned the winner.

Guite, who was Desnoyers’ teammate in the Quebec under 18 league last year and the No. 2 pick in last year’s QMJHL draft, finished second in the league among rookies with 25 goals and 57 points in 61 games. His 11 power-play goals also earned him second place among first-year players.

Chicoutimi eliminated the Wildcats in four straight games to start the league playoffs.

Boilard, a 17-year-old, led all QMJHL rookies with 40 assists and 62 points, finishing third in scoring for the Drakkar. He led all first-year players with a +27 differential, 563 face-off wins and 57.6% efficiency in the face-off circle. He was also the most valuable player of the CHL Top Prospects game in Moncton in January.

Meanwhile, defenceman Etienne Morin is expected to head to Calgary and join the organization. Morin, who just wrapped his third year with the club, will be assigned to the AHL’s Calgary Wranglers with several other CHL Prospects who were eliminated from the playoffs in junior.

Morin was taken in the second round of the 2023 NHL draft last summer.

This past season, he recorded 12 goals and 49 points and after three seasons, the defenceman has 154 points in 189 regular season games with the Wildcats, good for third all time in franchise history behind James Sanford, who recorded 181.

Additionally, Moncton rookie defenceman Ales Zielinski has joined team Czechia’s training camp roster that began preparations for the World Under 18 hockey championship in Finland, which begins April 25.

Zielinski, who turned 18 in March, is a six-foot native of Havirov, Czechia, recorded two goals and nine assists in 59 games with the Wildcats last year.