Alexandre Picard beat out teammate Gabriel Balasescu to become this week’s

QMJHL offensive player of the week. In three games last weekend, Picard scored two goals and added four assists, and was a plus-five.

Picard had an assist and eight shots against Rimouski on Thursday, two assists against the Oceanic Friday, and two goals and an assist Saturday.

He was named first star of the game Sunday and third star Thursday.

Picard currently sits third in the league scoring chase with 29 goals and 55 points through 42 games, and may receive an invite to the CHL Prospects game. Those invitations will be announced Wednesday.

All in the family

Ryan Murphy gave his mother an amazing birthday present last Friday.

Murphy, whose mother’s birthday was Monday, scored two goals against the Rimouski Oceanic. For an established forward with several goals on the season, that would not have been such a feat. However, for Murphy, the goals were his first two ever in the QMJHL.

On top of the fact that Murphy scored the goals, he had actually told his mother he was going to score one for her birthday.

“I never really thought it would happen that way,” Murphy said. “It’s cool that it did, though.”

Davis on the

defensive almost

Julien Ellis of the Shawinigan Cataractes is the

QMJHL defensive player of the week, edging teammate Jonathan Jolette, Jeff Drouin-Deslauriers of Chicoutimi and Lewiston’s Matt Davis.

Ellis had three wins, including one shutout, and held a 0.67 goals-against-average and a .980 save percentage, averaging 34 saves per game.

Ellis has 23 wins on the season, good for second in the league.

Davis last week recorded two wins, an 8-0 triumph over Rimouski and a 4-1 win over his former team, Moncton.