The 2003–04 QMJHL season was the 35th season in the history of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. The league continued to expand to new eastern markets, with teams relocating to Maine and Prince Edward Island. Conferences were abandoned and teams were divided into three divisions by geography. Sixteen teams played 70 games each in the schedule.
The Lewiston Maineiacs became the league's second American-based team in history after the Plattsburgh Pioneers, and first to survive a full season. The P.E.I. Rocket also became the first major junior hockey team based on Prince Edward Island.
Rookie Sidney Crosby led the league in scoring as a 16-year-old, and won the Michel Brière Memorial Trophy as the MVP of the regular season.
The Gatineau Olympiques finished first overall in the regular season winning their fourth Jean Rougeau Trophy, and also won their sixth President's Cup, defeating the Moncton Wildcats in the finals.
Team changes The Hull Olympiques were renamed the Gatineau Olympiques. The Montreal Rocket relocated to Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, becoming the P.E.I. Rocket. The Sherbrooke Castors relocated to Lewiston, Maine, becoming the Lewiston Maineiacs.
Final standings Note: GP = Games played; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; OL = Overtime loss; PTS = Points; GF = Goals for; GA = Goals against
Western Division GP W L T OL Pts GF GA y-Gatineau Olympiques 70501370107306179 x-Shawinigan Cataractes 7039214688259215 x-Rouyn-Noranda Huskies7030279473260265 x-Val-d'Or Foreurs70292910270213222 x-Drummondville Voltigeurs70273010367210224 Victoriaville Tigres7020435247204295
Eastern Division GP W L T OL Pts GF GA y-Rimouski Océanic7034285376284252 x-Chicoutimi Saguenéens7032277475218220 x-Lewiston Maineiacs7033315172233215 x-Quebec Remparts7028327366210245 x-Baie-Comeau Drakkar7021425249195285
Atlantic Division GP W L T OL Pts GF GA y-Cape Breton Screaming Eagles70491623103273164 x-Moncton Wildcats7046193297270206 x-P.E.I. Rocket7040195691251189 Halifax Mooseheads7017437344194274 Acadie-Bathurst Titan7018493039184314 y-received first-round bye x-made playoffs complete list of standings.
Scoring leaders Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; PIM = Penalty minutes
Player Team GP G A Pts PIM Sidney Crosby Rimouski Océanic 59 54 81 135 74 Dany Roussin Rimouski Océanic 66 59 58 117 70 Maxime Talbot Gatineau Olympiques 51 25 73 98 41 Jean-Michel Daoust Gatineau Olympiques 60 31 65 96 82 Benoît Mondou Shawinigan Cataractes 68 34 61 95 32 Pascal Pelletier Shawinigan Cataractes 64 39 52 91 85 Yannick Tifu Rouyn-Noranda Huskies 70 42 48 90 39 Guillaume Fournier Victoriaville/Gatineau 65 40 48 88 28 François-Pierre Guenette Cape Breton Screaming Eagles 69 34 51 85 26 Karl Gagné Moncton Wildcats 68 24 60 84 20 Michael Lambert P.E.I. Rocket 67 42 42 84 53 complete scoring statistics
Leading goaltenders Note: GP = Games played; TOI = Total ice time; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; GA = Goals against; SO = Total shutouts; SV% = Save percentage; GAA = Goals against average
Player Team GP TOI W L T GA SO SV% GAA Martin Houle Cape Breton Screaming Eagles 51 2950:48 34 15 1 114 3 .921 2.32 Corey Crawford Moncton Wildcats 54 3019:02 35 15 3 132 2 .919 2.62 David Tremblay Gatineau Olympiques 47 2671:34 33 10 3 117 3 .908 2.63 Jeff Deslauriers Chicoutimi Saguenéens 50 2705:44 21 20 6 129 1 .916 2.87 Julien Ellis Shawinigan Cataractes 59 3286:54 32 18 2 157 1 .903 2.87
Canada-Russia Challenge The 2003–04 season was the first time the Canada-Russia challenge was played. The event, then known as the RE/MAX Canada-Russia Challenge was hosted by the Halifax Mooseheads and the Rimouski Océanic. On November 20, 2003, the Russian Selects defeated the QMJHL All-stars 3–2 at the Halifax Metro Centre. On November 24, 2003, the QMJHL All-stars defeated the Russian Selects 6–2 at Colisée de Rimouski.
Playoffs Each regular season division winner received a first round bye, and ranked 1st, 2nd, and 3rd overall. Remaining teams were ranked 4th to 13th, regardless of division.
Maxime Talbot was the leading scorer of the playoffs with 27 points (11 goals, 16 assists).
First round
(8) Rouyn-Noranda Huskies vs. (9) Lewiston Maineiacs
(7) Chicoutimi Saguenéens vs. (10) Val-d'Or Foreurs
(6) Shawinigan Cataractes vs. (11) Drummondville Voltigeurs
(5) P.E.I. Rocket vs. (12) Quebec Remparts
(4) Moncton Wildcats vs. (13) Baie-Comeau Drakkar
Quarterfinals
(1) Gatineau Olympiques vs. (8) Rouyn-Noranda Huskies
(3) Cape Breton Screaming Eagles vs. (6) Chicoutimi Saguenéens
(1) Rimouski Océanic vs. (8) Shawinigan Cataractes
(4) Moncton Wildcats vs. (5) P.E.I. Rocket
Semifinals
(1) Gatineau Olympiques vs. (4) Chicoutimi Saguenéens
(3) Rimouski Océanic vs. (4) Moncton Wildcats
President's Cup Finals
(1) Gatineau Olympiques vs. (4) Moncton Wildcats
All-star teams First team Goaltender - Martin Houle, Cape Breton Screaming Eagles Left Defence - Doug O'Brien, Gatineau Olympiques Right Defence - Jonathan Paiement, Lewiston Maineiacs Left Winger - Dany Roussin, Rimouski Océanic Centreman - Sidney Crosby, Rimouski Océanic Right Winger - Jean-Michel Daoust, Gatineau Olympiques Coach - Benoît Groulx, Gatineau Olympiques
Second team Goaltender - Corey Crawford, Moncton Wildcats Left Defence - Mathieu Dumas, Val-d'Or Foreurs Right Defence - Mario Scalzo, Victoriaville Tigres Left Winger - Alexandre Picard, Lewiston Maineiacs Centreman - Maxime Talbot, Gatineau Olympiques Right Winger - Steve Bernier, Moncton Wildcats Coach - Alain Vigneault, P.E.I. Rocket
Rookie team Goaltender - Julien Ellis, Shawinigan Cataractes Left Defence - Nathan Welton, Quebec Remparts Right Defence - Mathieu Carle, Acadie-Bathurst Left Winger - Guillaume Latendresse, Drummondville Centreman - Sidney Crosby, Rimouski Océanic Right Winger - Martins Karsums, Moncton Wildcats Coach - no eligible candidate List of First/Second/Rookie team all-stars.
Trophies and awards Team President's Cup - Playoff Champions, Gatineau Olympiques Jean Rougeau Trophy - Regular Season Champions, Gatineau Olympiques Luc Robitaille Trophy - Team that scored the most goals, Gatineau Olympiques Robert Lebel Trophy - Team with best GAA, Cape Breton Screaming Eagles Player Michel Brière Memorial Trophy - Most Valuable Player, Sidney Crosby, Rimouski Océanic Jean Béliveau Trophy - Top Scorer, Sidney Crosby, Rimouski Océanic Guy Lafleur Trophy - Playoff MVP, Maxime Talbot, Gatineau Olympiques Telus Cup – Offensive - Offensive Player of the Year, Sidney Crosby, Rimouski Océanic Telus Cup – Defensive - Defensive Player of the Year, Corey Crawford, Moncton Wildcats Jacques Plante Memorial Trophy - Best GAA, Martin Houle, Cape Breton Screaming Eagles Emile Bouchard Trophy - Defenceman of the Year, Doug O'Brien, Gatineau Olympiques Mike Bossy Trophy - Best Pro Prospect, Alexandre Picard, Lewiston Maineiacs RDS Cup - Rookie of the Year, Sidney Crosby, Rimouski Océanic Michel Bergeron Trophy - Offensive Rookie of the Year, Sidney Crosby, Rimouski Océanic Raymond Lagacé Trophy - Defensive Rookie of the Year, Julien Ellis-Plante, Shawinigan Cataractes Frank J. Selke Memorial Trophy - Most sportsmanlike player, Benoît Mondou, Shawinigan Cataractes QMJHL Humanitarian of the Year - Humanitarian of the Year, Josh Hennessy, Quebec Remparts Marcel Robert Trophy - Best Scholastic Player, Nicolas Laplante, Acadie-Bathurst Titan Paul Dumont Trophy - Personality of the Year, Sidney Crosby, Rimouski Océanic
Executive Ron Lapointe Trophy - Coach of the Year, Benoît Groulx, Gatineau Olympiques John Horman Trophy - Executive of the Year, Sylvie Fortier, Baie-Comeau Drakkar Jean Sawyer Trophy - Marketing Director of the Year, Johanne Lefebvre, Baie-Comeau Drakkar
See also 2004 Memorial Cup 2004 NHL entry draft 2003–04 OHL season 2003–04 WHL season
References Official QMJHL Website www.hockeydb.com/