QMJHL draft opens with two picks by Mooseheads

Benoit-Olivier Groulx of Canada, left, crashes into Mattias Samuelsson of USA during the final between Canada and USA during the Winter Youth Olympic Games. (Al Tielemans/IOC via AP)

CHARLOTTETOWN — The Halifax Mooseheads scored the top two picks in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League draft on Saturday — taking Benoit-Olivier Groulx first overall and then trading with the Baie-Comeau Drakkar to take defenceman Jared McIsaac second overall.

Groulx, a forward, is the son of former Gatineau Olympiques and current Syracuse Crunch coach Benoit Groulx. The Gatineau Intrepides star had been ranked first by the league’s central scouting service. The Mooseheads reached into their own backyard to take McIsaac from the Cole Harbour Wolfpack.

The Drummondville Voltigeurs got goalie Olivier Rodrique of the Jonquiere Elites third overall.

The Drakkar ended up with three first round picks, taking forward Gabriel Fortier fourth, defenceman Xavier Bouchard fifth and forward Shawn Element ninth.

The Saint John Sea Dogs traded for the 32nd pick and took highly regarded forward Shane Bowers, who was drafted by Cape Breton last year but refused to report. He spent last season un the USHL.

When submitting content, please abide by our submission guidelines, and avoid posting profanity, personal attacks or harassment. Should you violate our submissions guidelines, we reserve the right to remove your comments and block your account. Sportsnet reserves the right to close a story’s comment section at any time.