QMJHL Top Prospects Game Recap

QMJHL Prospects Game Recap: Lafleur 7, Crosby 2

Oct 30, 2026 · Rocco Zappia

Team Lafleur beat Team Crosby 7-2 at the QMJHL Prospects Game at Centre Slush Puppie in Gatineau, behind a hat trick from Zack Arsenault and two goals from Alexis Joseph.

Lafleur controlled the game from the first shift. Joseph opened the scoring on the power play at 2:28 of the first, and Arsenault made it 2-0 before the period was half over, though shots were even at 9-9. Joseph and Arsenault scored again in the second, with Alexey Vlasov answering for Crosby, for a 4-1 lead after 40 minutes (shots 18-17 Lafleur). Phenwick MacLean, Frédéric Bergeron and Arsenault's third goal stretched it to 7-1 before Dérik Morin scored late for Crosby.

Both teams switched goalies at about the midpoint of the game. What follows is drawn from live notes taken in the building, grouped by each player's NHL Central Scouting preliminary rating (A = 1st round, B = 2nd/3rd, C = 4th/5th, W = 6th/7th).

A-rated prospects
Alexis Joseph (C, Lafleur) — 2G, 1A. Joseph was the game's top scorer. His first goal was a pretty power-play finish off a feed from Antoine Provencher. His second came after a nice move to the outside on the defender to open a shooting lane, though the shot went through the goalie, and he probably wants to have that one back. He added the secondary assist on Arsenault's power-play goal from the half wall. And in the third, he showed why everyone is so high on him as he dangled through the offensive blue line and forced the goalie to make a great save. His pace of play looked better than at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup this summer, though it still isn't high-end. He had a game-high six shots on goal.

Carter Meyer (C, Lafleur) — 2A. Meyer had a great showing on a line with Paul Sintschnig and Arsenault. His primary assist on Arsenault's first goal was a great play. He looked off the goalie, faked the shot, and left Arsenault an open net. He was involved in battles behind the net, showed some playmaking ability on the power play, and added another assist on the hat-trick goal. He also intercepted a Malik L'Italien pass up the middle and took a heavy hit from Bastien Michaud in the third.

Jamie Glance (RW, Crosby). Glance was Crosby's most dangerous forward off the rush. He beat Fedor Andreev clean with speed and fed Maxmilian Mares for a near-miss, ripped a shot just over the net on another rush, set up Louis-Étienne Halley on a 2-on-1 and forced a shoulder save from Jan Larys. He also threw a big hit in the first and created chaos with a hard drive to the net in the third.

Malik L'Italien (D, Crosby) — 1A. L'Italien was involved all night. He stole a puck behind his own net and led a rush in the first, then had a dangerous one-timer on goal from the slot. His assist on Vlasov's goal showed his compete level as well as his speed: after his pass to the side of the net didn't lead to a goal and was turned over the other way, he hustled back, stole the puck, and then sent Vlasov in alone. He showed shiftiness and puck skills at the offensive blue line and stepped up in the neutral zone. The one blemish was a soft pass up the middle that Meyer picked off, although L'Italien did recover the puck himself. Overall, he showed why he should be one of the first names from the Quebec League called in the draft.

B-rated prospects
James Scantlebury (C, Crosby). No points, but he was noticeable. He carried the puck through the neutral zone repeatedly, beat Filip Kovalcik wide for a quick pass through the slot, and found space for a one-timer that just missed on the power play. He also made good plays without the puck: taking away an angle at his own blue line, forcing a turnover in the slot and setting up Vlasov, and forechecking hard in the third. The effort level and drive showed up here, and when the offense isn't clicking that's what you are hoping to see. He looked good amongst the top players in this game.

Maxmilian Mares (C, Crosby). Mares played a simple, effective game. He threw a big hit in the first, won a defensive-zone puck battle to spring Glance on the 2-on-1, and nearly scored off Glance's cross-ice feed. When Joseph beat him to a loose puck, he recovered and stayed with Joseph at the side of the net. Mares didn't wow offensively, but the details and strong play that he's become known for were evident throughout this game. We still believe this is a first-round talent despite the B rating, although his ultimate offensive upside remains the question that needs to be answered throughout the rest of the season.

Paul Sintschnig (LW, Lafleur) — 1A. Sintschnig was dangerous whenever he got to full speed, and he came down the wing with pace several times. He had the secondary assist on Arsenault's first goal and was all over the ice in the final minute of the first, though he missed the net on his chance and fanned on a power-play one-timer in the second. The speed absolutely plays for him, and he knows how to use it. This is a player who has a lot of outs to develop into a quality pro because of his speed, his motor, and the pace at which he plays. This is someone I wasn't super familiar with coming into the game, but I came away impressed.

Vladimir Shtyrkhunov (D, Lafleur) — 1A,. Shtyrkhunov's game was mixed. He made a great play at the point on Joseph's power-play goal, ripped a hard one-timer off a faceoff that the goalie couldn't control, made a nice saucer pass off the boards, and had the feet to defend the speed of some of the faster forwards. He also tried to do too much at times, including an offensive-zone turnover in the first. This game was a good example of what to expect from Shtyrkhunov. The highs are very high, but the lows can leave him in vulnerable defensive positions. The skill and skating are obvious; it's just a matter of tightening up the details in his game.

C-rated prospects
Cohen Paquet (D, Lafleur) — 1A. Paquet was the biggest riser of the night and impressed every time he was watched. He showed real poise with the puck, waiting for forecheckers to commit before moving it to the open man. He spun off a forechecker along the boards, lit up a forward at his own blue line and delivered a hard cross-check behind the net. In the third, his cross-crease feed set up Arsenault's hat trick. At 6'3" and 198 lb, he is worth a follow-up. This is exactly the type of performance that scouts hope to see from some of the non-marquee names at events like this. It gives them a chance to show up against the best players in the league, and Paquet absolutely made the most of that opportunity.

Ilya Kolmakov (LW, Lafleur) — 1A. Kolmakov showed high-end puck skill, highlighted by a strong rush in the second that produced a shot and then a feed to the front of the net. He had the primary assist on Arsenault's power-play goal, taking Joseph's pass down low and finding Arsenault in the slot. His decision-making was uneven. He forced a shot on the power play early, trying to thread one on goal.

Louis-Étienne Halley (RW, Crosby). Halley was noticeable at times. He got a decent shot on goal off a toe drag, then nearly finished a two-on-one that Glance set up in the second period. Halley was effective when his feet were moving and he was playing physical. There were instances of him gliding too much, but there's an intriguing package here if he's able to play with some pace consistently.

W-rated standouts
Zack Arsenault (RW, Lafleur) — 3G. The W-rated winger was the story of the night. He finished Meyer's look-off into an open net, scored a power-play goal from the slot off Kolmakov's feed, and completed the hat trick just under the bar off Paquet's cross-crease pass. Much like Paquet, this is exactly the type of performance that Arsenault needed. He was given the opportunity to play with some highly touted players, and he made the most of it. That's all you can ask of players in this situation, and this will absolutely force scouts and draft pundits to take another look at his game throughout the season.

Michel Myloserdnyy (D, Crosby). At 6'6.75" and 229 lb, Myloserdnyy was a consistent defensive presence on the ice. He was strong below his goal line, used a good stick along the boards, and won battles easily, once even after losing his stick. In the third, he got his stick on a Joseph shooting chance after a blue-line steal. The puck didn't look out of place on his stick, and he moves well enough for his size, although he isn't quick off the line. This is a player who requires a lot of projection. However, the package is enticing, and teams gravitate toward players like this at the draft. I was impressed.

Antoine Provencher (C, Lafleur) — 1A. Provencher made the feed of the first period on Joseph's power-play goal, showing excellent vision, and was noticeable all game winning puck battles and finishing checks.

Bastien Michaud (D, Crosby). Michaud made a smart pinch to set up Caiden Pellegrino for a chance, then laid a heavy hit on Meyer in the third. When Bergeron took exception, Michaud won the fight decisively.

Daniyar Aibatov (D, Crosby) . Aibatov came alive in the third with a hit to defend a zone entry and good lateral footwork along the offensive blue line, which led to a shot on goal.

Dérik Morin (RW, Crosby). Had several hard-working shifts and scored late. The size is obvious, and he showed some pro-like habits out there.

Box score
*Scoring summary (times are time remaining in the period):
*
P1, 17:32, Team Lafleur: Alexis Joseph (PP) (Antoine Provencher, Vladimir Shtyrkhunov)

P1, 13:31 Team Lafleur: Zack Arsenault (Carter Meyer, Paul Sintschnig)

P2, 15:31 Team Lafleur: Alexis Joseph (Thomas Charbonneau)

P2, 11:29 Team Crosby: Alexey Vlasov (Malik L'Italien)

P2, 9:46 Team Lafleur: Zack Arsenault (PP) (Ilya Kolmakov, Alexis Joseph)

P3, 17:48 Team Lafleur Phenwick MacLean (Jake Boguniecki, Thomas Charbonneau)

P3, 12:03 Team Lafleur: Frédéric Bergeron (Filip Kovalcik)

P3, 7:55 Team Lafleur: Zack Arsenault (Cohen Paquet, Carter Meyer)

P3, 0:51 Team Crosby: Dérik Morin (Alexis Guévin)

Goaltending:
Andrei Nikolayev, Team Lafleur, 12SV/13SOG
Jan Larys, Team Lafleur, 16SV/17SOG
Patrick Déniger, Team Crosby 11SV/14SOG
Mathys Fortin, Team Crosby 9SV/13SOG

Final shots were 30-27 for Crosby. Shots were 9-9 after one period and 18-17 Lafleur after two, while Crosby outshot Lafleur 13-9 in the third.