CHL notebook: Red Wings goalie prospect Guimond dominating in QMJHL

Future NHL stars are developing in the Canadian Hockey League this season. Each week, NHL.com will highlight a few of the top NHL-affiliated prospects in the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League, the Ontario Hockey League and the Western Hockey League.

Rudy Guimond is proof that happiness off the ice has a direct effect on play on the ice.

The Detroit Red Wings goalie prospect has prospered since joining Moncton of the QMJHL on Nov. 27, following a tumultuous start to the season with Cedar Rapids of the United States Hockey League.

Since making his Moncton debut Dec. 8, the 19-year-old is 12-0-0 with a 1.56 goals-against average, .948 save percentage and two shutouts. He's allowed two goals or fewer in 10 of his 12 games.

"Things weren't going that great in Cedar Rapids this year, with a lot of guys leaving the organization," Guimond said.
"And then once I got the opportunity in Moncton, at the time they were still second in the country [CHL Top 10 rankings], and I was like, I can't turn this down. So I came over."

Guimond wasn't playing poorly in his second season with Cedar Rapids, with a 2.88 GAA and .887 save percentage in six games. But he felt the situation wasn't going to be conducive to him reaching his full potential.

"There was a lot of movement going on, there wasn't much stability in the team," he said. "I think it must have been four or five guys that left before me. Just a really unstable time. I'm not here blaming Cedar Rapids for anything. I wasn't playing my best hockey as well, and I thought that a change of scenery would be really, really good for me and it has."

The Red Wings, who selected Guimond in the sixth round (No. 169) of the 2023 NHL Draft, were aware of his issues, and were on board with him joining Moncton.

"Certainly for how it's worked out for Rudy, it's been a great advantage," Detroit assistant director of player development Dan Cleary said. "I think early on, as you can imagine, the adjustment going from the USHL to [the QMJHL], it is a step above, it is a little bit stronger league, obviously. But he's adjusted well. I think it's been great for him. Rudy's really adjusted well, he's enjoyed his time. He's worked hard, he's been a good teammate, and most importantly, he's playing well in net."

Guimond said his main conduit to the Red Wings is head of goaltending scouting and development Phil Osaer, whose only input was making sure Guimond is happy where his skates are.

"First and foremost, they want their prospects to be happy, and with the instability going on Cedar Rapids, I wasn't happy," Guimond said. "Now that I'm here, Phil Osaer, he's just really happy that I'm happy now. And when you're happy, it's much easier to perform. And I owe that to all the people here and the city. It's been tremendous."

Guimond said the facilities in Moncton are among the best he has seen, and he has also developed a strong rapport with goalie coach Antoine Samuel, calling him a "goalie genie."

"I feel like guys [in the QMJHL] have a lot more skill," Guimond said. "I feel like the play is a bit quicker as well in the ‘Q.’ The big thing for me was when teams come into the zone, their ability to make not just one, but two, three passes, is really tough as a goalie. I had to really adjust my game, especially my depth in my goal crease. That's one of the bigger things that's giving me success right now. So I'm in a position to make those saves when there's a lot of movement involved."

What also made Moncton appealing for Guimond is the recent NCAA rule change that allows players to maintain college hockey eligibility while playing for a CHL team. He is committed to play at Yale University next season.

"I've always been a school person," Guimond said. "I always wanted to make sure I got a really good education. I wasn't going to throw away Yale for sure. Obviously, once the rule change happened, it was a no-brainer for me."

Guimond said his focus the rest of the way is to continue fine-tuning the details of his game and helping Moncton, which leads the QMJHL standings with a 44-9-2 record, to a strong run in the playoffs.

Cleary, a forward in the NHL for 17 seasons, said he leaves the technical side of goalie development to Osaer. What he wants to see is Guimond continuing to develop away from the rink.

"The one thing that I always look for in goalies is just their maturity," he said. "And you can paint that as their on-ice maturity, their off-ice maturity, their work habits, their attention to detail and taking the game a little bit more serious. And I've seen growth in Rudy's maturity levels, which has been great."

OTHERS TO WATCH

Nick Lardis, RW, Brantford: The Chicago Blackhawks prospect had two goals in a 5-3 win against Oshawa on Friday to give him an OHL-best 65 goals, the most by an OHL player since Alex DeBrincat also scored 65 in 2016-17. The 19-year-old, selected in the third round (No. 67) of the 2023 draft, has 107 points (42 assists) in 57 games.

Maxim Masse, RW, Chicoutimi: The Anaheim Ducks prospect had his third hat trick of the season in a 7-3 win at Rouyn-Noranda on Friday. It was the fourth straight multigoal game for the 18-year-old, who was selected in the third round (No. 66) of the 2024 NHL Draft. Masse has 51 points (30 goals, 21 assists) in 39 games this season.

Berkly Catton, C, Spokane: The Seattle Kraken prospect had 52 points (20 goals, 32 assists) during an 18-game point streak that ended when he was held off the score sheet in a 4-3 win against Vancouver on Wednesday. It was the fourth longest streak in the WHL this season, and the longest by a Spokane player since Adam Beckman had points in 18 straight in 2019-20. The 19-year-old, selected with the No. 8 pick of the 2024 draft, is third in the WHL in scoring with 100 points (35 goals, 65 assists) in 49 games.