Hurley caught my eye early and often throughout this event and was often Team Marchand’s most dangerous and effective forward. His speed was a major factor with the puck on his stick as he was able to push back defenders off the rush, which allowed him to consistently gain the zone. The respect he was given from defenders due to his speed often put them at his mercy, allowing him to either perform a series of stutter steps to get a step on them or delaying upon entry and hitting a teammate in stride who was able to attack downhill off the rush. The unpredictability of Hurley’s attacking style definitely helped pique my interest in him as a prospect for the 2024 QMJHL Draft, and I’m excited to go back and unpack more of intricacies of his game as we get closer to draft day.

Hurley was the best player in this game from start to finish. He was driving play for Team Marchand every time he stepped on the ice, using his speed to carry the puck through the neutral zone and attack the middle of the ice one zone entries. He was quite unpredictable in the way he attacked off the rush as well, using a series of delays and wide drives equally effectively to either push back defenders and create space up high where he would hit a teammate in a dangerous spot, or wait for the trailing option to arrive. He scored the overtime winner by building up speed through the neutral zone, catching a step on a defender and getting around the goaltender before depositing it into the back of the net in what was a highlight reel goal.