Prior to the 2024 NHL Draft, Quebec Maritimes player is attracting attention.

The forward from Chicoutimi can “make a difference,” as seen by his seven game-winning goals this year.

Maxim Masse, a player in the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League from Chicoutimi, appears to have a talent for pulling through in crucial moments.

Of the thirteen game-winning goals he scored in his two QMJHL seasons, the most memorable one was in 2022–2023 against Rimouski, the team he used to support when he was younger.

“I grew up in Rimouski and my grandfather had season tickets, so he always bought me a ticket and I was there with him,” Masse said. “I was really young, so we had to leave early, but I had a lot of fun in those days watching the Oceanic.”

With 3:52 left on January 29, 2023, Masse powered Chicoutimi to a 3-2 victory by taking a lead pass, skating in on a breakaway, and then putting a shot through the legs of Rimouski goalie Gabriel Robert.

The 18-year-old forward stated, “I think we all play hockey to feel good in every moment and obviously to win some games. I like to be on the ice when it’s a tie game or we’re trailing by a goal. I wish to change things. Though I’ll admit that I’m really decent in certain situations, everyone wants that.”

Chicoutimi made him the third pick in the 2022 QMJHL draft. Luc Masse, his father, was a former defenceman who spent one season with Saint-Jean in the QMJHL in 1989-90

“It’s a dream to be playing in the ‘Q,’ for sure,” Masse stated. “My father informed me that the game and mindset in the ‘Q’ weren’t the same as they are now; there was fighting and more physicality. Dad, however, has assisted me more with the mental than the technical aspects of the game. Since I first started playing hockey when I was 4 years old, he has always supported me.”

Maase (6-foot-2, 190 pounds) has been a tour-de-force during his two seasons with Chicoutimi. He was named Canadian Hockey League rookie of the year last season after he had 62 points (29 goals, 33 assists), 20 power-play points and six game-winning goals in 65 regular-season games.

He led Chicoutimi this season in goals (36), points (75), power-play points (28) and game-winning goals (seven) in 67 regular-season games and was third on the team with six points (three goals, three assists) in eight QMJHL playoff games.

“I’d say I can score a goal from far away with my shot or when going to the net, but I can make plays for my teammates too,” Masse said. “I feel I can play well in my zone as well, so I’m a two-way forward

“I’d say I can score a goal from far away with my shot or when going to the net, but I can make plays for my teammates too,” Masse stated. “I feel I can play well in my zone as well, so I’m a two-way forward.”

As the top professional prospect in the QMJHL and winner of the Mike Bossy Trophy, Masse is ranked No. 30 among North American skaters eligible for the 2024 Upper Deck NHL Draft by NHL Central Scouting.

“We like his scoring ability; he’s scored everywhere he’s played,” Jean-Francois Damphousse of Central Scouting stated. Strengthening his lower body will be beneficial to his physical well-being. He’s not a line driver, puck carrier, or transporter, but I believe that he can develop into a 6-foot-2 wing player who can finish around the net at the next level. Chicoutimi is a young team that reached its prime at the ideal moment, and they have a lot of potential to grow over the next few years.

“A kid like Masse will be in a good scenario for the next two years, contending for titles and scoring goals, if he is drafted. It’s hard not to like him because of his large frame.”

When he enters the professional ranks, Masse, who will probably stay a wing, said he likes to follow Buffalo Sabres forward Alex Tuch.

“He’s a big guy and can score goals and plays well in his zone too, so I think that’s a great comparable,” he stated. Since everyone at the top level have the necessary talents to be there, competing and the mental aspect of the game are crucial as you advance. However, it’s the mentally stronger person that perseveres—the one who strives for improvement and competition.”