QMJHL: Dawson Mercer wins the Jay Carboneau Cup

Quebec – Dawson Mercer (Saguenéens de Chicoutimi) won the Guy-Carbonneau Trophy, awarded to the best defensive striker.

It was a favorite of Nathan Gaucher (Remparts de Québec) and Jakob Pelletier (Foreurs de Val-d’Or).

Previous winners of this award include NHL forwards Phillip Danault of the Montreal Canadiens and Nicholas Roy of the Vegas Golden Knights.

The honor is named in honor of Septilien Guy Carbonneau, who played for four seasons in QMJHL with Chicoutimi Saguenéens and who won three Selke Awards as the best defensive striker in the National Hockey League. He was inducted into the QMJHL Hall of Fame in 2001 after scoring staggering numbers (274PJ-171B-264A) during his tenure at QMJHL. He was also elected into the Hockey Hall of Fame last year, after an impressive run of 1,318 NHL games.

In his second season, Nathan Gocher scored 31 points (14G-17A) in 30 regular season games. The first-round pick in the 2019 QMJHL Draft ended the season with a plus-6 lead, a clear improvement for the Richelieu native who ended the last campaign with a plus-15 performance.

After being selected in the first round by the New Jersey Devils, Dawson Mercer returned to Chicoutimi Saguenéens and led the team to third place in the QMJHL standings. Bay Roberts, Newfoundland scored 19 goals and collected 17 assists in 23 games, as well as adding 17 points in the President’s Cup playoffs. It also maintained a plus 15 difference during the 2020-2021 campaign.

Calgary Flames MVP Jacob Pelletier had an exceptional season with the Fours. Vale finished second in the overall standings and Pelletier is currently leading his team towards winning the President’s Cup. The forward led his points list with 43 points (13G-30A) in 28 regular season games. The Furors captain also posted a plus 25 difference.