Damien Leduc broke the tie early in the third period before netting his second goal of the game, and Team Gaudreau secured its first victory of the 2026 QMJHL Cup by defeating Team Beauvillier 4-1 on Friday morning at the Centre Gervais Auto in Shawinigan.
Leduc first capitalized on a great play by Samuel Nowlan on the game-winning goal. Having shown great intensity throughout the game, the Châteauguay Grenadiers forward added another goal on the power play with 9:06 remaining in the game.
The winners also received offensive support from their defensemen, as Lou Deslauriers and Éliot Faucher each picked up two assists.
Much like in their first game, Team Gaudreau used its speed and defensive efficiency to control the game from the start. Philippe Paquette’s players were rewarded when Chase Cleary, with his first goal of the QMJHL Cup, redirected a shot from Deslauriers with 2:15 remaining in the first period.
But Team Beauvillier, which was trying to remain undefeated in two games during the tournament, responded in the second period. Jakob Royer was the one rewarded for his work near the opposing net.
Regarded by many as one of the top candidates to be the first overall pick in the 2026 QMJHL Draft, Thomas Boisvert made his presence felt in the third period. He used his skills and speed to drive to the net and saw teammate Aslan Tremblay capitalize on the opportunity. Tremblay tapped in a loose puck to make it 3-1.
In net, the win went to Édouard Salvas, who made 27 saves. Xavier Gervais, meanwhile, allowed four goals on 33 shots in the loss.
With this victory, Team Gaudreau takes the lead in the round-robin with one win and one overtime loss. It’ll be back in action tonight at 8:30 p.m. against Team Girard.
Meanwhile, Team Beauvillier remains in second place in the standings with a record of one win and one loss. It’ll face Team Benoît at 6 p.m.
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Game Stats: CLICK HERE
