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Prospect News - Cormier was recently named top QMJHL prospect at HF

April 3, 2009, 2:17 PM ET [ Comments]
Roger Mussa
New Jersey Devils Blogger • RSSArchiveCONTACT
Credit goes to NJromano who sent me this news. Thanks for the catch.

Great to see Devils prospects gaining recognition, always nice to see what the future brings. Cormier may eventually fill Madden's spot as rumor has it Brian Burke may make a hard push for MAdDog.


2nd round pick Patrice Cormier was recently named top QMJHL prospect at Hockeysfuture.com

Patrice Cormier, C - Rimouski Oceanic
Acquired: 2nd round, 54th overall, 2008

Cormier struggled last season due to injury, which caused his draft stock to tumble, before the Devils picked him in the middle of the second round. However in his third full QMJHL season, he was able to put that rough 2007-08 year behind him and rebound to have a fantastic season for the Memorial Cup hosting Rimouski Oceanic this year. He was an all-around force for the Oceanic, who as a team struggled out of the gate with key injuries, but caught fire down the stretch and into the playoffs. His numbers improved across the board, as he finished fourth in team scoring with 23 goals and 28 assists in 54 games. He lead the team with 118 PIM's, and also posted a respectable +9 rating. In a first-round playoff sweep of Chicoutimi, he put up four points in four games. The highlight of the year for Cormier up to this point though has to be the gold medal he earned on Team Canada's entry at the World Junior Championship this past winter, where he excelled as a physical, checking-line torpedo, sparking the team with timely hits and great two-way play.

After only one season in the organization, Cormier has already shown that he is arguably the most well-rounded prospect in the Devils have in their prospect arsenal. Recently named the top QMJHL prospect here at Hockey's Future, Cormier is finally living up to the vast hype that was bestowed upon him before he even played a game of major junior hockey. Cormier thrives playing a power-forward style of game, and has the 6'2, 200 lb frame to handle it. As shown by his stats this year, he's a deadly two-way player, easily capable of contributing at either end of the rink. As an added bonus, he's emerged as a top-notch face-off artist, a valuable, but somewhat often overlooked trait to have. Cormier is just starting to come into his own as a prospect and is only going to get better. While another year of junior is likely in the cards for Cormier next season, he is on the fast track and could be in New Jersey as soon as 2010-11.
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