The QMJHL teams are back on the ice

QUEBEC CITY, P.Q. — With the summer almost over, and mid-August here, the fans of junior hockey begin to come back to the arena. On Sunday,

August 14^th most QMJHL teams welcomed their players to the traditional medical exam marking the opening day of junior training camp.
 
In Quebec, Patrick Roy, the Remparts general manager, welcomed 46 players at le Colisee Pepsi with the first on ice session on Monday. The former Colorado Avalanche goaltender lost several veterans from last year.
 
Players like Joel Champagne, John Audy-Marchesseault (Signed as free agent with New York Rangers organization), Ryan Bourque (also with the Rangers), Tomas Filippi (traded to Baie-Comeau Drakkar) are gone, but like every year others come and earn their place with hard work and perseverance in hope to make as good an impression as the ones who left.
 
With the departure of their two Europeans, Filippi and Mirko Hoefflin, Quebec has had to draft two others at the CHL Europeans draft. Thanks to a trade with the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies (Quebec traded their eleventh pick overall in the 2011 Europeans draft, a 3^rd round pick in 2013 and a 2^nd round pick in 2014 to Rouyn-Noranda in return of first Huskies Europeans selection 2^nd overall.
 
With that selection Roy opted for Mikhail Grigorenko, a center who will certainly be one of the higher selections in the next NHL entry draft. With their second European selection, Quebec went for Swedish right winger NickSorensen, another player expected to play great hockey with the organization.
 
Beside the Europeans, the fans in Quebec will have the occasion to keep an eye on other interesting players. Anthony Duclair, a third round selection 41^st overall will attract lots of attention. At the last QMJHL draft, the left winger advised all teams that he preferred to go to college hockey instead of going to QMJHL, but Quebec took the chance of selecting the former Lac ST-Louis Midget AAA. In the end, Duclair decided to come to Quebec training camp and the team confirmed at the end of first day of training camp that he will stay with the team.
 
Another trade with the Halifax Mooseheads brought another young prospect to the organization. Quebec acquired young 16-year-old Adam Erne, a right winger who shoots left. The Remparts gave three first round selections (2012, 2013, 2014).
 
Lots of young kids will try to impress the coaching staff during the next couple days and it will be interesting to see who will stay and who will have to go. Players will have to work hard, giving all they got during next couple days but pre-season games will be the last chances for some to stick with the team.
 
Time will tell.
 
The Quebec Remparts regular season will begins September 9^th, 2011 at home against the Victoriaville Tigres.
  Contact the author at: serge.poulin@prohockeynews.com