Story About 26 former Moncton Wildcats playing professional Hockey including Guest Instructor Mark Barberio
Look around the NHL. You will find 13 former Moncton Wildcats playing for a dozen different teams.
Look around the American Hockey League. You will come across 13 more former Wildcats suiting up for 10 different teams.
That’s 26 former Quebec Major Junior Hockey League players who are now making a living in the top two professional leagues in North America. Pretty impressive stuff. And there are plenty more former Wildcats now earning a paycheque in other professional leagues on this continent and in Europe.
“For sure, one of the best ways to sell your program to prospects you’re trying to recruit is when you can point to not only team success, but also the success that players have upon leaving your program,” said Wildcats director of hockey operations Danny Flynn.
“The fact our organization has been able to do a good job of developing players is something we certainly take a lot of pride in. We look at the number of players that we’ve helped develop for the NHL and other professional leagues. We look at our record of developing a lot of high-end defencemen for pro hockey.”
Two former Moncton players have captured the Stanley Cup — defenceman Francois Beauchemin with the Anaheim Ducks in 2007 and forward Brad Marchand with the Boston Bruins in 2011.
Corey Crawford, who spent his four-year QMJHL career with the Wildcats, was a third goaltender for the Chicago Blackhawks when they won the Stanley Cup in 2010. He played one game for Chicago in the regular season that campaign and didn’t get into a playoff game. He became a full-time NHLer the next season.
Beauchemin (Anaheim), Marchand (Boston) and Crawford (Chicago) are among the 13 former Wildcats currently in the NHL.
The others are defencemen Johnny Oduya (Chicago), Andrew MacDonald (New York Islanders), Keith Yandle (Phoenix Coyotes), Jason Demers (San Jose Sharks), Mark Barberio (Tampa Bay Lightning) and David Savard (Columbus Blue Jackets) and forwards Pierre-Alexandre Parenteau (Colorado Avalanche), Gabriel Bourque (Nashville Predators), Steve Bernier (New Jersey Devils) and Dmitrij Jaskin (St. Louis Blues).
Jaskin led Moncton and finished fifth in QMJHL scoring this season with 99 points, including 46 goals, in 51 games. He made his NHL debut with St. Louis on Tuesday night.
In addition to the above list of names, there’s Tampa Bay assistant coach Daniel Lacroix and Tampa Bay goaltending coach Frantz Jean. They held those same titles in Moncton and used the QMJHL as a launching pad to the NHL.
Defenceman Jonathan Racine (San Antonio Rampage) and forwards Phillip Danault (Rockford IceHogs) and Yannick Veilleux (Peoria Rivermen) are among the 13 former Moncton players currently in the AHL. They began their pro careers as soon as the Wildcats were eliminated from the QMJHL playoffs.
Other former Wildcats now in the AHL are defenceman Brandon Gormley (Portland Pirates) and forwards Jerome Samson and Matt Marquardt (both Charlotte Checkers), Marek Hrivik and Kelsey Tessier (both Connecticut Whale), Philippe Dupuis and Zach Sill (both Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins), Kirill Kabanov (Bridgeport Sound Tigers), Nicolas Deschamps (Hershey Bears) and Tim Spencer (Springfield Falcons).
John Torchetti was Chicago’s assistant coach when it won the Stanley Cup in 2010 and he’s now head coach of the AHL’s Houston Aeros. He was Moncton’s head coach in 2006-07.
“We’ve helped put a lot of players into professional hockey in our (18-year) franchise history and the current crop is evidence of that,” said Flynn.
“It’s a signal to players and their parents that our organization does a good job of developing players. You hope that helps attract players to your program.”
The two highest-profile players that Moncton is now trying to recruit are defencemen Michael Matheson and Anthony Florentino. Matheson will be 19 years old and Florentino will be 18 next season.
Matheson, who’s from Pointe Claire, Que., is coming off an impressive rookie season with Boston College. He was selected in the first round, 23rd overall, by the Florida Panthers in the 2012 NHL draft. It seems the only real chance the Wildcats have of landing him is if Florida signs him and pushes him to come here.
Matheson was the consensus top player available in the 2010 QMJHL draft, but he slipped to the second round because he made clear his intention to go the U.S. college hockey route. Moncton acquired his QMJHL rights from the Shawinigan Cataractes in a trade.
Moncton selected Florentino in the 10th round of the 2012 QMJHL draft knowing full well that he intended to pursue U.S. college hockey. The American has committed to Providence College for next season.
“We’ve had our former players in the pros get in touch with players we’re trying to bring to Moncton,” said Flynn. “It sometimes really helps in the recruiting process when one of your former players that went on to the pros contacts someone on your behalf and recommends the Moncton Wildcats.
“We’ve also been fortunate that some former members of the Wildcats organization have gone on to win the Stanley Cup. That certainly helps legitimize your program, especially for kids in the United States.”
■ Eight teams remain alive in the East Coast Hockey League playoffs. Three former Moncton players are in the championship hunt — goaltender Louis Dominque and defenceman Jonathan Narbonne (both Gwinnett Gladiators of Georgia) and defenceman David Walker (Ontario Reign).
Other former Moncton players who were in the ECHL this season are goaltender Shane Owen (Utah Grizzlies), defenceman James Sanford (Orlando Solar Bears) and forwards Phil Mangan (Bakersfield Condors in California) and David-Alexandre Beauregard (Elmira Jackals in New York).
Four teams are alive in the Central Hockey League playoffs. Former Wildcats forwards Adam Pineault (Allen Americans in Texas) and Josh Hepditch (Missouri Mavericks) have a shot at the championship.
Former Wildcats forwards Scott Brannon (Rapid City Rush in South Dakota) and Jean-Philipp Chabot (Denver Cutthroats) also suited up in the CHL this season.
■ Four former Moncton players made a living this season in the Kontinental Hockey League in Russia. They are defencemen Dmitri Kalinin and Oskars Bartulis and forwards Martins Karsums and Patrick Thoresen.
Other former Wildcats in professional leagues overseas this season are goaltenders Nicola Riopel (England) and Josh Tordjman (Italy) and forwards Bruce Graham (England), Stephane Goulet (Denmark), Patrick Yetman (Sweden) and Martin Bartek (Czech Republic).
Former Wildcats head coaches Ted Nolan and Tom Coolen are now working together behind the bench of the Latvian national senior men’s team.
■ Neil Hodge is a Times & Transcript sports reporter who covers the Moncton Wildcats
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