G Gabriel D'Aigle - Victoriaville Tigres, QMJHL (2025 Draft)

[krown]

Here is a great take on why the quality of goaltending has gone down in Canada over the years

Saving Canadian hockey from a goalie crisis

Cole Harbour produced shot-making stars like Sidney Crosby and Nathan MacKinnon, but now, in a goalie shortage, the area's trying something new to make some great shot stoppers.

www.thecoast.ca

As a goalie dad myself, this article is 100% on the mark.

 

[Vachon23]

Shoutout at his 3rd game today

GAA: 1,00 SAA: 962% SO:1 A:1

He’s so calm in front of his net, don’t remember seeing that much calm in a young goalie

 

[austin63867]

Hot take but 2025 is somewhat murky at the top, even Misa isn't guaranteed as the top guy. Curious if D'Aigle could become the first Goalie since Fleury to go 1st. Would be fitting given that's who he's being compared to.

 

[GermanSpitfire]

Hot take but 2025 is somewhat murky at the top, even Misa isn't guaranteed as the top guy. Curious if D'Aigle could become the first Goalie since Fleury to go 1st. Would be fitting given that's who he's being compared to.

US have a strong crop of talent in my opinion for 2025.

I see him on the same level of goaltending talent as a Askarov, Knight, Wallstedt or Oettinger. It’s a nice change of pace for Canada - you haven’t seen a tendy talent like him in forever .
I could see D’Aigle going top 10 with an outside chance at #5 but I see #1 as incredibly unlikely.

 

[austin63867]

US have a strong crop of talent in my opinion for 2025.

I see him on the same level of goaltending talent as a Askarov, Knight, Wallstedt or Oettinger. It’s a nice change of pace for Canada - you haven’t seen a tendy talent like him in forever .
I could see D’Aigle going top 10 with an outside chance at #5 but I see #1 as incredibly unlikely.

Yeah I don't have him #1 right now, and Harenstam could overtake him also for top Goalie, but I'm not sold on Misa yet. Hagens, Frondell & Ekberg all seem like outside possibilities and Adam Benak has a high chance if he has a growth spurt. D'aigle, I think it depends on being consistent the way he is now to a point he's by far the beat player.

 

[ClasslessGuy]

Will see in in action this Friday, can't wait

 

[Vachon23]

LHJMQ : Gabriel D'Aigle, le meilleur espoir chez les gardiens en 20 ans! | RDS

En trois départs cette saison, Gabriel D'Aigle a signé trois victoires et présente une moyenne de buts alloués de 1,00, avec un taux d’efficacité de ,963.

www.rds.ca

 

[Ryan Van Horne]

LHJMQ : Gabriel D'Aigle, le meilleur espoir chez les gardiens en 20 ans! | RDS

En trois départs cette saison, Gabriel D'Aigle a signé trois victoires et présente une moyenne de buts alloués de 1,00, avec un taux d’efficacité de ,963.

www.rds.ca

Thanks for sharing that. Not surprising that he is one of the six goalies chosen to play for the three Canadian teams at world under-17 championship. It will be interesting to see how he performs against some of the best in the world in his age group.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

I'm sure he's very good and he seems talented, but the difference in the game between Canada Black and Canada Red was that he didn't stop shots when he needed to and the other goalie did. His team had 20 more shots, and lost.

 

[Ryan Van Horne]

I'm sure he's very good and he seems talented, but the difference in the game between Canada Black and Canada Red was that he didn't stop shots when he needed to and the other goalie did. His team had 20 more shots, and lost.

An accurate assessment of one game, but don't read too much into one game.

 

[scoutman1]

It would be fun if Canada could develop goalies worth a damn again, period.

I'm hoping the change in leadership at Hockey Canada will not only bring in a group that changes the culture but also is innovative.

Quebec use to be the goaltending factory of the CHL...but a lot of kids in Quebec are playing soccer now as it is cheaper...when i was scouting we use to talk about it all the time...a lot of kids are just not playing hockey anymore due to money and it is only going to get worse. When the QMJHL had the factory with Giguere, Biron, Denis, Luongo, Fleury, Fichaud, Theodore, Roy, Brodeur etc etc...the quebec league was more of an offensive league than it is today IMO goalies use to see a lot more rubber and i have not done the stats, if someone finds they are seeing the same though it seems like they use to see more rubber the amount of scoring chances IMO has gone down drastically.

That said, IMO Daigle is the best I have seen since the days of Fleury and Luongo in the QMJHL, his size, speed and puck tracking ability are amazing, I think he has all the tools and mental game to be everything he is billed to be....away from the ice Daigle is obsessed with training and becoming better, it is his life...mental willingness like that is hard to find and shows the work he will put in to being the best.

 

[scoutman1]

I'm sure he's very good and he seems talented, but the difference in the game between Canada Black and Canada Red was that he didn't stop shots when he needed to and the other goalie did. His team had 20 more shots, and lost.

Proved his talent last night with 48 saves...can't judge from 1 game

 

[BKarchitect]

Proved his talent last night with 48 saves...can't judge from 1 game

To be fair I don’t think @Pavel Buchnevich is intending for his individual game impressions to be anything more than that.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

Proved his talent last night with 48 saves...can't judge from 1 game

Well, you can, but I didn’t say that one game defines him. Just the truth of what happened in that game.

I'm sure he's very good and he seems talented, but the difference in the game between Canada Black and Canada Red was that he didn't stop shots when he needed to and the other goalie did. His team had 20 more shots, and lost.

 

[Vachon23]

An other shutout today, his 2nd in 6 games and an other assit

 

[Lavar Ball]

Got an assist too. 36 stops

 

[Teaspoon salami]

I'm excited about his potential, he has a lot of talent, I also understand why Vicotoriaville is taking it slow with him, I would however love to see him against harder competition, because I think he's ready for it. He has only played against the weakest teams in the league who were completely outmatched against a strong victo team. I would like to see how he reacts to more adversity, but again, if I'm wrong and he's not ready, then it could potentially affect his confidence. Vicotoriaville knows more than me so I guess I'll have to have patience.

 

[Vachon23]

I'm excited about his potential, he has a lot of talent, I also understand why Vicotoriaville is taking it slow with him, I would however love to see him against harder competition, because I think he's ready for it. He has only played against the weakest teams in the league who were completely outmatched against a strong victo team. I would like to see how he reacts to more adversity, but again, if I'm wrong and he's not ready, then it could potentially affect his confidence. Vicotoriaville knows more than me so I guess I'll have to have patience.

They have probably the best goalie in the league in Nathan Darveau too

 

[Vachon23]

D'aigle was really solid against Val D'or Saturday. He's so athletic and compose, really doesn't look like a 16 yrs old kid in the net (Except when he doesn't have his helmet on).



He's know with 11 W in 12 start and 921% + 2,26

 

[SergeConstantin74]

Maybe the thread title should be changed after completing his first season with Victoriaville in the Q?

He has been invited to join Canada’s U18 as an underager.

Gabriel D'Aigle invité à rejoindre la formation nationale - La Nouvelle Union et L’Avenir de l’Érable

Bonne nouvelle pour Gabriel D'Aigle qui a été invité à rejoindre l'équipe canadienne pour le championnat mondial des moins de 18 ans qui se tiendra, du 20 au 30 avril, en Suisse.

www.lanouvelle.net

 

[scoutman1]

I still say he is the best i have seen since Luongo in the league

 

[GermanSpitfire]

I still say he is the best i have seen since Luongo in the league

I’m still saying Fleury - but nevertheless agree with the comment. D’aigle just has it.

 

[scoutman1]

I’m still saying Fleury - but nevertheless agree with the comment. D’aigle just has it.

oh ya...I remember Fleury in Cape Breton, amazing speed and reflexes great positioning and vision, terrible rebound control but he was so special with speed that he could rebound from letting out bad rebounds I actually knew Fleury back then...myself I see so many of the same characteristics with Luongo and D'Aigle it is scary...big bodies, amazing clamness in net, excellent positioning, amazing reflexes, excellent rebound control, excellent ability to read plays, i actually think D'aigle has one thing Luongo never had...though Luongo had great reflexes I think D'aigle has MA Fleury type of reflexes....IMO D'agile is the closest thing to the total package a goalie can have.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

He’s not good. Sorry, someone had to say it.

People like him because he’s athletic, a late birthday, and very tall.

He has a lot of games where he completely loses the game for his team.

He reminds me of Gibson Homer, who also got a great early reputation and then it became apparent he didn’t stop the puck well.

But he’s still young, so who knows? Maybe he’ll get better.

 

[Ryan Van Horne]

I don't think he can be written off because he had some very good games as a 16 yo in the Q last year. That said, the frequency of poor or mediocre performances in international play is a definite red flag.

Goalie development paths are different -- slower -- than D or forwards so I hope he doesn't get ruined by getting shelled and can get things sorted out.