ECHL: Lions Busy in July and August With Signings

The Trois-Rivieres Lions have had a couple of busy months of signings as they recently added several players from July until now. These players include Maxim Trepanier, Marc-Antoine Pepin, Justin Ducharme, Joseph Mizzi, and Matthew Boucher. The two most recent signings, Joseph Mizzi and Matthew Boucher, are players with eye-catching numbers. Mizzi recorded 21 goals and 31 assists for 52 points in just 36 games in 2022-23 with Sterzing/Vipiteno in the AlpsHL. In 2021-22, Matthew Boucher put up 13 goals and ten assists for 23 points in 21 games with the Utah Grizzlies and recorded five goals and four assists in only seven games with the Iowa Heartlanders in 2022-23. Considering these statistics, these two players are likely to be great additions to the Lions’ offense in the upcoming ECHL season.

Maxim Trepanier

Forward Maxim Trepanier has had a pretty successful last few years in his hockey career. In 2018-19, with the Gatineau Olympiques of the QMJHL, Trepanier put up 17 goals and 16 assists for 33 points in 29 games. The same season, with the Halifax Mooseheads, he recorded one goal and six assists for seven points in just eight games. In the playoffs, Maxim obtained six goals and 14 assists, equaling 20 points in 22 games. The following season, in 2019-20, Trepanier put up 22 goals and 20 assists for 42 points in only 30 games. With the Shawinigan Cataractes, in the same season, he recorded nine goals and 12 assists, totaling 21 points in 23 games.

Marc-Antoine Pepin

6’4” defenseman Marc-Antoine Pepin is a guy who can put up points for his position. From 2019 until 2022, Pepin secured 89 points in 156 games with the Shawinigan Cataractes and the Baie-Comeau Drakkar of the QMJHL. Pepin should bring some toughness to the Lions’ defense this upcoming season.

Justin Ducharme

Winger Justin Ducharme will be returning to the Lions for the 2023-24 ECHL season. Justin put up 11 goals and 14 assists, totaling 25 points in 35 games with the Trois-Rivieres Lions in their inaugural season, 2021-22. In 2022-23 with the Idaho Steelheads, Ducharme recorded 14 goals and 19 assists for 33 points in 43 games.

Joseph Mizzi

Before his season with Sterzing/Vipiteno, right-winger Joseph Mizzi had some great seasons with other teams. In 2017-18, with the Aurora Tigers in the OJHL, Joseph put up 19 goals and 23 assists in just 28 games for a total of 42 points. The following year, with the same team, Mizzi recorded a whopping 32 goals and 33 assists, equaling 65 points in 45 games. In 2019-20, when Mizzi played for Fassa in the AlpsHL, he obtained 28 goals and 21 assists for 49 points in 43 games.

Matthew Boucher

Winger Matthew Boucher recorded 176 total points in 176 games from his time spent with the Quebec Remparts of the QMJHL from 2015 until 2018, which was a consistent point per game. In the 2020-21 ECHL season, Boucher put up 25 goals and 27 assists for 52 points in 59 games with the Utah Grizzlies.