MONCTON, New Brunswick -- Raoul Boilard wasn't sure what to expect when he arrived at Avenir Centre for the 2024 CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game on Wednesday.
But the forward with Baie-Comeau in the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League left with the player of the game trophy for Team Red after he had two goals and an assist in a 3-1 victory against Team White.
"I got lucky a few times," Boilard said. "I got an open net at the end of the game and another open net during the game. It was a fun time and our team won, and that's the more important thing."
Boilard set up Team Red's first goal, using his skating to pull an opponent out of position and create a lane to find defenseman Colton Roberts cycling down from the point. Roberts made a pass through the slot to defenseman Ben Danford for a goal that tied the game 1-1 at 6:12 of the second period.
He got a bit lucky on his first goal, finding a loose puck that Team White goalie Dawson Cowan thought he had covered in the crease and shoving it under him to put Team Red ahead 2-1 at 5:52 of the third period.
"I didn't know it was there and the ref wasn't blowing the whistle, so I just took a look and the puck was right there and I just put it in the net," he said.
His empty-net goal closed the scoring at 18:40.
Boilard had two shots on goal and went 4-for-7 on face-offs.
Most important, he felt he showcased all the things that make him a special player in front of a crowd that included scouts from all 32 NHL teams.
"I think I did well on offense, and I also did well in the [defensive] zone, I won some face-offs," he said. "I think that's what you can expect from me."
Boilard leads QMJHL rookies with 44 points (18 goals, 26 assists) in 45 games and is No. 34 on NHL Central Scouting's midterm ranking of North American skaters for the 2024 NHL Draft.
"He plays a well-rounded game and finds ways to chip in on a deep Baie-Comeau team," Central Scouting said in its scouting report on Boilard. "A responsible player who can be inserted anywhere in a lineup. He has an excellent skill set, handles and moves the puck well under pressure and displays good playmaking abilities. He has a good shot release and finishing touch, and is a legit scoring threat.
"He offers good center support all over the ice, helps his defense down low while getting in position to transition pucks to offense. He's got good hockey IQ and a good feel for the game. An agile skater who can impact the game in many ways and possesses a lot of pro elements in his game."
Now, the goal is to continue showing those elements when he returns to Baie-Comeau, starting with a home game against Chicoutimi on Friday.
Adding motivation is the fact that Baie-Comeau is No. 1 in the Canadian Hockey League top 10. More than individual goals, winning a QMJHL title is the top item on his to-do list for the second half of the season.
"I just want to show I'm a winner," Boilard said. "We're the [No. 1] team in the country. I think we've got a lot of chances to win the trophy at the end of the year. So, I want to show [NHL teams] I'm a winner, I can win and also play with my strength and be me."
After a game like he had Wednesday, Boilard will be in the spotlight as much as his team is. He'd certainly like to hear his name called in the first round of the draft, but understands that one game won't set his future, and which round he gets selected isn't all that important.
"This is just one game," he said. "There's a lot of games to play until the end of the year. If I play well, it will be good for me. First round or second round or third round, I just want to get drafted."
