The Goalie Guild apprentice Antoine Brosseau is a bright young goaltender from Montréal, Québec with over 12 years of experience in goal. He’s currently an undergraduate student at Concordia University, and a Junior Financial Analyst for Avenue Capital Markets. He trains with the Concordia Stingers goalie coach, all while working in the high-pressure field of investing. As he continues to hone his scouting skills with The Goalie Guild, he’ll be providing readers with occasional reports and updates on goaltenders in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL).


“I’m excited to post Antoine’s first QMJHL report, as it also allows me to promote my good friend Sylvie Marsolais from Sylabrush. She does an amazing job painting masks for numerous goalies in the QMJHL, and her photos below complemented Antoine’s report perfectly. So enjoy his work – it’s full of great information on four quality QMJHL goaltenders, along with photos of their current masks!” – Justin Goldman

 

ÉTIENNE MARCOUX #93
Blainville/Boisbriand Armada
DOB: 1993-09-29, La Plaine, QC

The Vaughn CHL Goaltender of the Week for the week ending Dec. 11, 2011, Étienne Marcoux is building on a solid first complete QMJHL season. Finishing his 2010-11 campaign as the Juniors’ number two netminder behind Los Angeles Kings 4th round draft pick J.F Berube, Marcoux ended the season with 21 games under his major-junior belt, including 13 wins, only five regulation losses, and stellar numbers of a 2.56 goals-against average and .896 save percentage.

The 6-foot-0, 160-pound native of La Plaine, Québec is ranked 13th among domestic goalies in Central Scouting’s 2012 winter mid-term rankings this month, and has cemented himself as the go-to guy between the pipes for the Armada this season.

Although sidelined for several weeks earlier in the season with a shoulder injury, the 18-year-old goaltender came back in full force in the months of November, December, and January to earn himself 11 wins in 18 games, including a 30-save shutout against the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles.

Marcoux can be described as a typical Québec product; athletically skilled yet quiet in the crease, using his 6-foot-0 frame to his advantage with active feet, and with conscious positioning that allows the puck to come to him, and minimize wasted movement and energy.

Like most Major Junior goalies of similar experience and age, Marcoux’s lateral movement (quickness) and puck-playing skills need to be further developed. But his size, mental awareness, and above all, his consistency, are traits of a promising goalie. He currently stands 6th in the QMJHL in save percentage (.903 SV%) and 8th in goals-against average (2.89).

Listed on The Goalie Guild’s inaugural Draft Eligibles Report as a Gold Star Prospect, Marcoux is definitely a goalie to watch as his play and his numbers continue to impress.

 

CARL HOZJAN (#43)
Rimouski Oceanic
DOB: 1993-03-14, Terrebonnne, Québec

Carl Hozjan, a Rimouski 2nd round pick in the 2010 QMJHL Entry Draft, is currently in his 2nd season in the QMJHL with the Rimouski Oceanic. Sharing netminding duties as part of an effective goalie duo alongside Jacob Gervais-Chouinard, Hozjan has endured some inconsistency this season, having played 18 games so far, but only winning seven of his starts.

The 6-foot-0, 180-pound 17-year-old holds a 3.87 GAA and .868 SV% so far this season, as he continues to acclimate himself to the skill and speed of QMJHL (partly due to having played only 23 games during his 2010-11 rookie campaign).

Although his current stats are not what a goalie of his caliber would necessarily cherish having under their name, Hozjan is a great team-oriented player, and continues to mature as a Major-Junior goalie with help of the Oceanic’s coaching staff and his partner in the blue paint, Gervais-Chouinard.

Drafted 36th overall by Rimouski after coming off a very solid 2009-2010 season with the Forestiers d’Amos of the Québec Midget AAA league, Hozjan took home the award for Best Goalie as well as a scholarship from the Montréal Canadiens Organization/Québec Foundation for Scholastic and Athletic Excellence.

Hozjan has shown that he has the size, hockey IQ and athletic ability to goaltend at the Major Junior level, but is a very raw talent that needs to be polished into a more controlled, efficient netminder. Some would describe him as having a blocking-butterfly type style, one that utilizes his size to cover aerial angles, rather than making reactionary saves using his limbs. He also tends to be more comfortable while playing slightly shallower in his crease, opting to stay close to his goal line and telescoping outwards when needed.

Because of this tendency, his good scrambling abilities are showcased fairly often.

 

WILLIAM RACICOT (#31)
 Blainville/Boisbriand Armada
DOB: 1992-07-19, Greenfield Park, Québec

William Racicot could be considered somewhat of a journeyman, albeit at only 19 years old. Drafted to the QMJHL in 2010 by the former Montréal Juniors, Racicot only played two games during his 2010-2011 rookie season before returning to his Collège Français de Longueuil Junior AAA team.

He began the 2011-2012 season as a member of the same team under a different name- the Blainville/Boisbriand Armada -before being traded to the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles in early January after playing 24 games and substituting successfully for an injured Étienne Marcoux in the second month of the season. During this stint with the Armada, the 6-foot-0, 180-pound goaltender achieved an 8-9-1 record with a 3.43 GAA and a .878 SV%.

Having played in single-letter leagues until his Midget season, Racicot has developed an unorthodox style of play according to Armada goalie coach Marco Marciano, as a result of very little formative goalie coaching in his younger years.

“He’s a very athletic and dynamic goalie. But he needs to become more structured and calm in his play. He’s a good kid and he appreciates where he’s at right now, he’s also very open and eager to learn and get better” said Marciano in an interview for Pierre-Luc Chenel of LHJMQ.qc.ca earlier this season.

Racicot’s dynamic read-and-react style of play can be viewed as somewhat unorthodox by fans in a league dominated by the Québec school of butterfly goaltending (think: Francois Allaire). Being very strong in the reflex department, William has been able to improve his game through re-learning the fundamentals, and mechanics of technique with the help of his teams’ coaching staff.

Although not an NHL prospect per se, the perseverant Racicot is seen as a good supporting goalie in the ‘Q for the qualities he brings on the ice and inside the locker room.

 

ZACH FUCALE (#31)
Halifax Mooseheads
DOB: 1995-05-28, Rosemere, Québec

Drafted in the first round of the 2011 QMJHL Entry draft by the Halifax Mooseheads, Zachary Fucale was the first goalie picked overall, and rightfully so. Boasting a 3.09 GAA and a .901 SV% with the St-Eustache Vikings Midget AAA, Fucale was one of the top Midget AAA goalies in Québec. A very strong training camp performance landed him the back-up role behind Anthony Terenzio, but when injury took Terenzio out of the lineup in late October, Fucale took the opportunity to play as the Mooseheads’ starter and ran with it.

His solid play earned him a 22-game string of starts, including a four-game winning streak to begin, and a 29-save shutout on the road against the Moncton Wildcats. His strong play has earned him a very respectable 19-10-1 record so far in his rookie season, as well as the 11th-best GAA (3.17) and 13th-best save percentage (.887 SV%) in the entire QMJHL, not to mention that he is 3rd in the league in wins.

If current trends are any indication of things to come, the 16-year-old Fucale is slated to become one of the Q’s elite goalies. He was also rewarded for his exceptional play by being chosen to represent Québec at the World Under-17 Challenge this past holiday season.

Listed as 6-foot-0 and 160 pounds, the Rosemere, Québec native has the size needed to thrive at the Major Junior level and is known by his teammates for his maturity, mental toughness and compete level. In terms of play, Fucale sees his style as one “that just stops the puck”. However, the reality is that he is a very athletic and flexible butterfly goalie; he seals the ice very well and is quick on back-door plays with good lateral pushes and pad slides. He also often shows his maturity level in the way he moves about his crease, using his tall and lanky frame to his advantage while playing a big game from the top of his crease.

Fucale is eligible to be drafted in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft, so expect his progress to be tracked right here on The Goalie Guild from here on out.