(Webmaster's note: I wrote this prospect profile of Simon Gagne in the spring 1999, when "Gags" was still tearing up the QMJHL for the Remparts. If you're interested in a more current look at Gagne, please visit his player profile.)

Meet Simon Gagne

(Spring 1999) It's been a long time since Philadelphia had a bona fide offensive prospect, so for prospect watchers, Simon Gagne has been quite a relief. At the conclusion of his first QMJHL season since he was drafted by the Flyers in the first round of the 1998 Entry Draft, Gagne is looking more and more like a quite a steal.

Gagne is a 19 year old currently playing for the Quebec Remparts of the QMJHL. He's a little small by NHL standards (especially Philly standards) at 6'0 and 177lbs, although he's expected to fill out a little more as time goes on. He shoots from the left and is nicknamed "Kid". He was drafted into the Q by Beauport, 10th overall in the first round in 1996. The team moved from Beauport to Quebec for the 1997-1998 season. Here are Gagne's amateur stats:

Year	Team	League	GP	G	A	P	PIM
98-99	Quebec	QMJHL	61	50	70	120	42
97-98	Quebec	QMJHL	53	30	39	69	26
96-97	Beauport	QMJHL	51	9	22	31	39
95-96	Ste. Foy	M-AAA	27	13	9	22	18

Simon's father, Pierre Gagne, attended the Philadelphia Flyers first ever training camp in Quebec, which is where he met and befriended former Flyer Simon Nolet. Simon Nolet, as you may know, is a scout for the Flyer organization, and it was largely on his advice that they selected young Gagne last year at the draft. Nolet's status as a family friend meant he had ample opportunity to see Simon's development into a premier young prospect, but the decision to draft Gagne was based on more than friendship. Quite simply, it made great hockey sense. Drafting at #22, the Flyers were surprised to see that Gagne was so available when their pick arrived: they had expected him to be long gone. So the choice was made.

Gagne is a playmaker who skates well with the puck and likes to put the puck in the net as often as he passes. The QMJHL is a high-scoring league, so Gagne's gaudy numbers must be taken with a grain of salt. Nevertheless, his fine play this year has earned him support around the league to be named MVP. He narrowly defeated his teammate Eric Chouinard to be the only skater from the Q to be chosen for the National Junior team which won a silver medal at the 1999 World Juniors Championships. Gagne plays with a defensive conscience and can be used on both the powerplay and the penalty kill.

Barry Trapp, director of scouting for Canadian Hockey, said of Simon: "First of all, he's a great skater. He may be the best skater in the Quebec major junior league. He's a good two-way player and a good penalty killer and has good puck handling skills. He just brings a whole lot of things to the table."

At the World Juniors, he started out slowly offensively, since he was used in mostly a checking role. He soon went on an offensive rampage later, ending up with 7 goals, 1 assist, and 8 points in 7 games. He was the leading goal-scorer in the tournament, the #7 point-scorer (#2 on Team Canada), and second on Team Canada on faceoffs taken and faceoff winning percentage (72W, 57L,56%). Against Kazakhstan (admittedly not a powerhouse team), he tied a WJC record held by some guy named Mario Lemieux with 4 goals and finished the day a ridiculous +7.

Gagne will wow you with individual performances like his feat against Kazakhstan, but he is also remarkably consistent. He had two 20+ game point scoring streaks this season (21 games and 24 games) and is a big reason why the Remparts clinched the regular season title in the Q. The Remparts's rather melodramatic game reports call him their "etoile filante" -- their shooting star. He notched a hat trick in the final game of the regular season to reach the coveted 50 goal plateau.

Before he was drafted last summer, his scouting report read as follows: "An effortless, shifty skater with good acceleration and a quick change of pace ... a smart player who is very clever with the puck ... he is an unselfish player who effectively creates opportunities for his teammates ... he is creative with the puck and possesses natural scoring instincts ... he is always around the puck and is excellent in one-on-one situations ... is used in all game situations ... he is a good checker, although he is not considered a physical player ... he positions himself for transition of play ... a good competitor with strong desire and an excellent attitude towards the game.

In other words, Gagne has more than mere skills; he has brains and an attitude that will take him far in the NHL. There are rumors that he could be seen in Philadelphia as early as this spring, after the CHL playoffs end. Remember his name. In French, the verb "gagner" means "to win." Simon Gagne is a winner and he'll bring a lot to either the Phantoms or Flyers when he arrives in Philly.

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