Top prospect takes extra Triple-A year
 
By ARPON BASU, FreelanceJune 9, 2010
 
When Pointe Claire's Michael Matheson broke his ankle in early November, it would have been easy for him to sit in a corner and sulk over his rookie season of midget Triple-A hockey being ruined.

Instead, he used a bad situation to his advantage.

The standout 15-year-old defenceman with the West Island Lions used the two months he missed to study game tapes of the early part of his season. What he learned surprised him, and contributed to him becoming perhaps the top young pros-pect in the province during the second half of the year.

"It made me realize that the game was not as fast as I thought it was," Matheson said. "I'd kind of take chances for no good reason. It gave me proof that I needed to be more patient."

When Matheson returned to the Lions lineup after the Christmas break, armed with that new information and a dose of perspective, he was a changed player. By the time the playoffs rolled around, he was dominant.

That kind of an introspective approach to the game can be rare even among professionals, let alone a teenager just entering the upper echelons of elite hockey.

"He's a very cerebral kid," Lions head coach Jon Goyens said. "It's not very common for a 16-year-old, or even a

20-year-old, to think that way. It's what you make of a situation. He took that situation and asked himself how he could make it better. He did it by studying the game, and a lot of kids don't do that."

That package of hockey IQ and tremendous natural skills made Matheson the top prospect for last weekend's Quebec Major Junior Hockey League draft.

But after weeks of deliberations, Matheson decided he would return to the Lions for one more year so he can finish at John Rennie High School before heading to the United States Hockey League after next season, where he will play for a college scholarship and also to entice NHL teams in his first year of draft eligibility.

It is the exact same path Canadiens prospect and fellow Lions alumnus Louis Leblanc took four years ago.

"If a first-round NHL draft pick can go back for an extra year of midget, I'm sure I can, too," Matheson said.

Matheson comes from a strong hockey family, which partially explains where he got his strongest attribute - a fluid skating stride that Goyens describes as the best in the midget league.

There was a backyard rink at the Matheson house, where Michael and his older brother, Kenny, would wage one-on-one battles for hours, and if they weren't there, they were at the nearby outdoor rink.

The countless hours spent on those rinks are paying off today, as Matheson is poised to at least get himself a great education through hockey, and at most find himself on some of the most grandiose rinks in the world within a few years.

"I'm excited to get as far as

I can, and to see how far I can get," Matheson said. "I can at least see the top of the mountain and I feel like I'm about halfway there. But now I'm on the right half."

© Copyright (c) The Montreal Gazette

June 7, 2010,

The 2010 Quebec Major Junior Entry Draft once again highlighted the Lac St. Louis Lions players with no less than 11 Lions selected throughout the Draft, including the #1 overall pick , Dillon Fournier!

After ranking Michael Matheson as the top prospect for the 2010 draft, Matheson was selected in the second round after notifying all QMJHL teams of his intention to pursue the US University route and deciding to return to the Lions for a second year, following in the same footsteps as former Lion standout, Louis Leblanc '08.

Matheson's decision to pursue the US University route opened the door for another young star from the Lions to take the top spot in the draft.  Dillon Fournier was selected 1st overall by the Lewiston Maineiacs after the Maineiacs traded up to secure the first spot and the puck handling and skating defenceman. 

Fournier was ranked 8th in the draft but had a stellar end of season and CSR weekend that propelled speculation that he would not be available past the third spot.  That prompted the Maineiacs, who had acquired Dillon's older brother and former Lion Stefan Fournier '08 midway through the 2009-2010 season, to ensure they selected Dillon by trading up with Baie Comeau for the top spot.

With the 14th overall selection in the 2010 entry draft, Patrick Roy's Quebec Remparts selected Lions rookie forward Patrick Walsh.  Walsh completed a stellar rookie campaign recording 17 goals despite playing in only 34 games this season.  Patrick was among the rookie league leaders all season and was pivotal in the Lions post season run.

Shawinigan took a chance on Matheson with the 27th overall pick despite knowing full well of his intention to pursue the US University route.  A testament to his ability and character as a hockey player.

The next Lion selected was Philip Zielonka '10 by the Moncton Wildcats in the fourth round.

Lions players that were also selected in the 2010 draft were Benjamin Masella, Ryan Kresevic, Ryan Culkin, Jay Kourkoulis, Dylan Trevis, Sotiri Athanasopoulos and Alex Carrier.

LIONS SELCECTED IN THE 2010 DRAFT 

#-  Player                             Team

1-   Dillon Fournier                Lewiston

14- Patrick Walsh                 Quebec

27- Michael Matheson          Shawinigan

64 - Philp Zielonka               Moncton

108- Jay Kourkoulis              Lewiston

118- Ryan Kresivic               Rimouski 

122- Ryan Culkin                 Quebec

134- Benjamin Masella        Montreal

145- Alexandre Carrier        Cape Breton

183- Sotiri Athanasopoulos Lewiston

185- Dylan Trevis                Acadie-Bathurst

The Lac St. Louis Lions organization would like to congratulate all players selected in the 2010 QMJHL entry draft!

Source: Lac St. Louis Lions