This was some of the most efficient and physically engaged hockey I’d seen from Alexis Joseph all season long, as he finished tied for the team lead in scoring with 7 points in 4 games and was positively impacting the game in all three zones. He was winning races to loose pucks all over the ice, utilizing his reach to get the first touch on it then using his body to shield it from a defender to generate puck touches for himself. I noted a few really strong backchecks from him as well where he leveraged his long stride to close in on puck-carriers and help thwart odd-man rush opportunities. His off-puck intelligence really shone through in the offensive zone, as he was anticipating the play extremely well in order to pick off passes along the boards and make quick centering feeds which even caught his teammates off guard at times. He was taking really smart routes to the front of the net, displaying an excellent sense of timing that allowed him to get to the crease area as soon as a puck popped out in order to get a shot off from in tight. He was still as dynamic as ever off the rush, using his sublime puck skills in conjunction with reach to pull pucks around defenders and send passes to the middle of the ice in a singular motion that lead to even more high-danger chances in the middle of the ice. I’d be remiss not to mention how good of a shooter he was throughout this tournament, scoring a few goals using his deceptive release and pinpoint accuracy that beat goaltenders cleanly and from a distance.

It wasn’t the performance you’d expect out of one of the more heralded 2025 QMJHL prospects, with Joseph only putting up 3 points in 4 games and not really taking over games like we’re used to seeing. Despite this, there were still moments where you clearly saw the immense amount of skill and potential the 6’4 and 200 lbs centerman possesses, combining a powerful skating stride with elite puck skills that makes him nearly impossible to contain once he picks up speed with the puck through the neutral zone; and this is exactly where his best moments originated from. When Joseph was able to wind up in the neutral zone, receive a pass in stride and attack defenders head on he would either opt to carve through him one on one to work his way inside or drive wide around, circle the net and set play up in the offensive zone. He’s a sublimely skilled passer as well, as he was consistently able to thread pucks through traffic in the neutral zone that would hit his teammates in stride and lead to many controlled entries for his linemates when he wasn’t gaining the zone himself. Despite his clear size advantage, I don’t find Joseph imposes himself physically enough on a game where his physically maturity gives him any sort of edge. Of course, his long reach allows him to pull pucks around defenders and get to loose pucks first, but there’s a whole other area of offensive dominance I think Joseph could unlock if he learned to utilize his frame advantageously along the perimeter which I think would lead to sustained puck touches for him and his line. At the end of the day, he still has one of the higher ceilings in the entire draft class, even if there has been a bit of regression from last year.

Joseph seemed to get better and better with each game throughout the tournament, ultimately becoming one Québec’s more effective forwards despite being their youngest player. It’s quite rare for a 6’2 and 180 lbs forward to be such a graceful puck-carrier at 14 years old, but that’s exactly what Joseph brought to the table here. He was demanding the puck while he was on the ice, often acting as the primary puck transporter for his line and driving back defenders with his unique blend of powerful crossovers to go along with his long stride. His ability to anticipate passing lanes made him a dual threat rush attacker, forcing defenders to respect his speed while also trying to shore up any passing lanes. He flashed some highlight reel one on one ability throughout the tournament as well by pulling pucks through defenders and performing nifty outside-inside moves to get himself into high-danger areas.

It was a relatively quiet performance from Joseph on the scoresheet, but he was still able to pull off a few highly skilled plays off the rush that flashed his potential as a high-end offensive talent. His best work came along the perimeter in the offensive zone where I thought he did a great job of stealing pucks from defenders and making quick centering feeds to open teammates in the slot area. In one particular sequence he got in on the forecheck as the F1, won a race to loose puck below the goal line and made a slick behind the back pass to a teammate in the low slot who couldn’t capitalize. Towards the end of the game on the powerplay he had a highlight reel rush where he pulled a puck through a defender and executed a backhand feed to the middle of the ice that lead to a shot on goal from in tight.

While he didn’t necessarily dominate the scoresheet in this one, this was one of the more complete 200-foot performances I’ve seen from Joseph this year. He was setting up chances off the rush at a high rate, using his reach to keep pucks away from defenders as he worked around them at full speed and slipping pucks to the low slot that lead to a plethora of dangerous chances in tight. He kept his feet moving in the offensive zone throughout the game, often winning races to loose pucks to generate puck touches for himself and extend his lines OZ possession. He was engaged in the defensive zone as well, hounding puck-carriers and creating turnovers through pressure to kill opponents OZ sequences and initiate counterattacks from his own end. He picked up a goal later in the game on aa 5v3, flashing his accuracy and quick release by snapping a puck from the top of the circle over the goaltender’s blocker.

I thought Joseph displayed exceptional vision and puck skills in this one, most notably off the rush where he set up a good amount of scoring chances for his teammates with quick and calculated setups through traffic from along the perimeter. His incredibly fluid operating of the puck made him an elusive skater who could maneuver his way through crowds, especially when using his reach to keep pucks out of danger while attacking the middle of the ice which he executed perfectly on the final goal of this contest when he was working below the goal line and curled a pass around a defender’s stick and right onto the tape of Benoit at the top of the blue paint.

Yet another impressive performance from Alexis Joseph in this tournament as he continues to show a side to his game I rarely saw throughout the year. He was excellent on the defensive side of things, hounding puck-carriers and sticklifting them to win back possession before initiating a quick counterattack scoring chance. He was extremely accurate and effective in his passing through the neutral zone, often hitting his intended targets in stride with velocity that allowed his line to play with pace and enter the offensive zone with speed. He had a highlight reel sequence late in the game when he attacked a defender 1v1 off the rush, executed a fluid toe drag around him and in the same motion fed a teammate in the mid slot for a dangerous scoring chance. He scored his team’s first goal of the game by getting himself to the front of the net and banging home a rebound at the side of the net.

The most talented and imposing figure in this game, Alexis Joseph put together one of the more impressive performances I’ve seen from the young phenom this season. He was still doing his thing offensively, dominating in the transition game by pushing back defenders with his speed and putting pucks through defenders 1v1 before slipping passes to the low slot all in a singular motion. What set him apart in this game was his defensive and physical engagement, winning plenty of puck battles all over the ice that generate more puck touches for himself in the offensive zone without relying too heavily on his linemates to get him the puck. In one sequence in the second period he even hustled back from the OZ to break up a 2v1 sequence before sending the puck quick up the ice to initiate a counterattack. His high-end shooting ability was still on display as well, especially on his second goal when he jumped on a loose puck up high in the OZ, attacked downhill and snapped a puck with velocity from the top of the circle that beat the goaltender cleanly. Joseph finished with 4 points in this game but it’s not crazy to say he could’ve gotten at least a few more.

This was far from a performance I’ve come to expect from Joseph as he was rather ineffective throughout the majority of this game despite picking up a goal and an assist. He wasn’t able to generate a whole lot of puck touches in this game, which limited his ability to impact the game severely. What he was able to do in this game was make strong passes in the transition game, threading hard and accurate passes to teammates in stride who could then enter the zone with speed. He scored a goal in the second period off a two on one by tapping home a cross-ice pass. The highlight of this game for Joseph came on the powerplay in the third period when he executed a perfect downhill cross-ice seam pass that was redirected in by Bibeau-Rivard.

The best player in this game by a fair margin also happened to be its youngest. Joseph was the most dangerous forward in this game from start to finish, driving play every time he stepped on the ice and consistently getting pucks into dangerous areas whether it be through a deke or a pass. His speed through the neutral zone was difficult to contain for the opposition, as he was consistently able to push back and turn around defenders and create space up high for his teammates, who he would then execute a slip pass to for a scoring chance in a dangerous area. I thought Joseph was anticipating the play very well with the puck on his stick, often putting pucks into lanes a second before they had fully developed and hitting a teammate in stride just as he had entered into it. Time and time again he was executing slot passes from everywhere in the offensive zone, and with a little more finishing luck probably would’ve finished the game with 3-4 assists.