Marquardt joins Moncton Wildcats (updated)

Matt Marquardt, seen here at the Eurocamp hockey school this summer has signed to play for the Moncton Wildcats. Photo by Chris Dawson.

North Bay's Matt Marquardt has officially joined the Moncton Wildcats of the Quebec Junior Hockey League.

The Quebec league team coached by former NHL coach of the year Ted Nolan had been negotiating with Marquardt since June, when the 17 year old free agent was getting interest from teams in both the QMJHL and the OHL.

The Wildcats should be a very competitive team in the Quebec league because they will be hosting the Memorial Cup next spring.

"Matt's a big power forward that somehow slipped through the cracks of the Ontario Hockey League draft," head coach and director of hockey operations Ted Nolan said about the North Bay product.

"There were a lot of major junior teams pursuing him because he's a free agent, London and Kitchener were really heavily involved in trying to get him and we kind of squeezed in at the halfway point. Gatineau was pursuing him also. This kid has tremendous upside."

The tall power forward raised a lot of eyebrows last year in the Central Junior Hockey League. Marquardt had 19 goals and 22 assists good for 41 points in 56 games with Brockville last season, and he was named the league’s rookie of the year and MVP of the league’s rookie all-star game.

McMahon heading to Cape Breton

Ironically, Marquardt isn't the only North Bay player heading to the Maritimes to play major junior hockey in the Quebec league.

Former North Bay Trapper Lance McMahon will be heading to the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles camp. McMahon was the Trappers leading goal scorer last season scoring 32 goals and adding 26 assists in 32 regular season games.

If McMahon doesn't make the Quebec Major Junior League team then he's expected to join Marquardt's former CJHL team, the Brockville Braves.