Maheu was placed at the end of the fifth round on the final list of the Recruitment Support Center of the Maritimes Quebec Junior Hockey League, which might seem surprising for a forward who collected 11 points in 61 games. The Val-d’Or Foreurs, however, liked Maheu’s intensity – and very probably also his 6-foot, 180-pound size – to the point of making him the 70th selection overall on Saturday, during the fourth round.
“I am a power forward. A guy who skates, who hits and who can recover pucks to create plays,” he summarized in an interview with The Voice of the East.
“I didn’t have the best season, but I felt like things were getting better towards the end.”
Étienne Maheu sets up here in front of the net for the Markham Waxers, played in the Telus Cup. (Taken from the Cantonniers de Magog Facebook page)
Maheu actually almost doubled his production during the seven games played at the prestigious Telus Cup tournament. A detail that did not escape the Foreurs staff, led by head coach and general manager Maxime Desruisseaux. We cannot predict the future with accuracy, but the right winger should eventually get his chance on the “bottom 6” in Val-d’Or.
Leroux chosen by the Armada
Sherbrookois Simon-Xavier Cyr and Ludovic Lapointe-Perreault were the first two Cantonniers players drafted over the weekend, who now find themselves in the Gatineau Olympic organization.
Étienne Maheu also experienced this crucial stage in the company of his friend Charles-Isaac Leroux, claimed by the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada in the eighth round. The left-handed defenseman collected 12 points in 62 games last campaign.
“I’ve been playing with him since we were five years old, so we know each other very well,” confirmed Maheu.
“He’s a physical guy and impeccable defensively. He is also capable of bringing offense. I would say he’s a good leader, and a good guy overall.”
Charles-Isaac Leroux and his teammates were first able to lift the Jimmy-Ferrari trophy, emblem of the Quebec M18 AAA League. (marco bergeron/Taken from the Cantonniers de Magog Facebook page)
Color bearers of the Gaulois de Saint-Hyacinthe, Marievillois Yoan Noiseux (7th round) and Lucas Vincelette (10th round) were incidentally selected, in this order, by the Armada and the Foreurs.
Unsurprisingly, the list of choices does not include any representative of the Massey-Vanier Governors or the Titans of the Divine Word this year. The two local organizations are no longer represented in the M18 D1 category, the most competitive in school hockey.
