Telus West

Montreal Junior

Last year: 31-30-2-5

Key players: Jean-Francois Berube (G), Louis-Marc Aubry (F), Louis Leblanc (F), Philippe Lefebvre (F), Charles-Olivier Roussel (D), Charles Landry (D)

What to expect: They’re not even being coy about it here. This team is taking a run at a title this year. The addition of Louis Leblanc after he left Harvard, along with the return of Berube in net will be the big speaking points for this squad. Pascal Vincent has had “the team” before, in Cape Breton, and he has the tools again. The key will be, can he capitalize this time around? Don’t be surprised, though, to see the Junior as big buyers to try and bolster the chances of a title even more.

Gatineau Olympiques

Last year: 30-33-1-4

Key players: Maxime Clermont (G), Mac bennett (D), Nicolas Deslauriers (D), Adam Janosik (D), Hubert Labrie (D), Tye McGinn (F), Samuel Morreau (F)

What to expect: After a relative down year for this club a year ago, coach Benoit Groulx should have his boys back in the title hunt before too long. The Olympiques always seem to go quietly about their business, producing rock-solid teams and title contenders. They’re not sneaking up on me this year, and likely not on anyone else either. Tough draw to play in the same division with Montreal, but otherwise, not a bad spot to be in.

Drummondville Voltigeurs

Last year: 51-15-0-2

Key players: Sean Couturier (F), Domenic Graham (G), Remi Blanchard (D), Andrew Randazzo (D), Marc-Olivier Vachon (F), Ondrej Palat (F)

What to expect: A lot of the Volts’ season rides on the health of Couturier, who has been stricken with mono early in the preseason. The Volts are a team that has had a lot of success, winning the league’s regular-season title last season after also winning the league the previous year. The fall might be gradual, thanks to Couturier, but this is far from an elite team anymore. They’ll be in the mix for third in the division, simply by being in the weaker of three divisions.

Shawinigan Cataractes

Last year: 31-29-3-5

Key players: Michael Bournival (F), Benjamin Casavant (F), Gabriel Girard (G), Max Le Sieur (F), Jean-Francois Plante (F)

What to expect: A true middle-of-the-road team, the Cats could go either way here. The team is certainly not championship caliber, but the Cats are also far from being a cellar-dweller. The key is convincing the players that they are the former and not the latter. Girard must prove he belongs in the cage, while the team tries to figure out who will protect him in the back end.

Val d’Or Foreurs

Last year: 22-38-6-2

Key players: Cedrick Henley (F), Olivier Archambault (F), Vitalijs Hvorostinins (F), Artem Sergeev (D), Alexandre Touchette (F)

What to expect: The team may win a few more games than last year given that it will face Rouyn-Noranda 10 times this year, and that it also has a weaker, as a whole, division. But the Foreurs, in the second year of a rebuild, are going to need to see Henley and Archambault light things up if they expect much more than this.

Rouyn-Noranda Huskies

Last year: 41-21-2-4

Key players: Mickael Audette (G), Maxim Kazakov (F), Alexander Nikulnikov (F), Taylor Lambke (F)

What to expect: Not much more to say here other than a failed run at a title and emptying the piggy bank of players and picks to do it will cost this team dearly on the ice this season. The roster includes a whole list of unknowns, and it will be tough, even in this division, for the Huskies to stay above water this season. It’s been a while, but missing the playoffs may not be out of the question here.