Felix St. Laurent - Junior Review

[Jay_F 23]

Felix St. Laurent, 18, made his debut for the VHLM’s Mississauga Hounds over the course of the last week. He shows great promise as a S85 prospect, but where did he find his beginnings?

 

St. Laurent played all of his youth hockey in Worcester, Massachusetts where he grew up. He boasted talent from a young age, and attracted multiple QMJHL and USHL scouts to his games to watch him tear up the AAA circuit. It was a question for both leagues about where St. Laurent would choose to take the next step in his path towards the VHL. St. Laurent would eventually declare for the QMJHL draft, where the Blainville-Boisbrand Armada called his name for the first overall pick.

 

In his rookie season with the Armada, St. Laurent would display a natural goal-scoring ability, with his statline reading as 51-37–88 in 62 games. These statistics inevitably led him to winning Rookie of the Year and Offensive Rookie of the Year. Despite his stellar rookie campaign, the Armada seemed unable to find any post-season success, being bounced in the first round of the QMJHL playoffs.

 

After facing defeat in the previous season’s QMJHL playoffs, St. Laurent took it upon himself to hone his game, and ensure that the rest of his QMJHL career would remain unblemished by defeat. Teammates spoke of how St. Laurent had become a ‘different player’ over the offseason, with him coming back to pre-season training almost 5 inches taller and with almost 10lbs of muscle added onto his frame. In addition to physical changes, St. Laurent had improved his game exponentially. His skating had improved, becoming more agile and significantly faster, his release became a cannon, and his physicality was only positively affected by the growth spurt. The most noticeable part of his game, however, ended up being his hockey IQ. It seemed almost as if he could see the entirety of the ice, and his hands only allowed for excellence to occur with his newfound game sense.

 

In St. Laurent’s second season of Major Junior, it all came together. A phenomenal statline of 52-68–120 in 57 games only enforced the idea that St. Laurent could become the future of a franchise. Winning the Michel Briere Trophy for Most Valuable Player and being awarded the Guy LaFleur Trophy for Playoff MVP was only the beginning for St. Laurent, with his eyes set on more than a QMJHL championship. He wanted the Continental Cup.

 

Felix St. Laurent has only played 6 games with the Mississauga Hounds, but he stands to rack up an estimated statline of 44-99–143 across 66 games with his current pace. If Felix can manage to keep up his insane pace with the Hounds, scouts may take exceptional notice to the young American. St. Laurent can only play his best hockey and pray for his future, but it's easy to imagine him climbing the ranks of the VHL leagues if he improves at the pace he is displaying currently. 

Edited July 5, 2022 by Jay_F