CHL notebook: Golden Knights prospect Cataford making strides in QMJHL

Future NHL stars are developing in the Canadian Hockey League this season. Each week, NHL.com will highlight a few of the top NHL-affiliated prospects in the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League, the Ontario Hockey League and the Western Hockey League.

Mathieu Cataford got to ring in the New Year in about the best way possible.

The Vegas Golden Knights forward prospect signed his NHL entry-level contract Dec. 31. It's a quick climb for the 18-year-old, who was selected by Vegas in the third round (No. 77) of the 2023 NHL Draft.

"It was something I was looking forward to for sure," Cataford said. "I wanted to sign as quickly as possible. As a third-round pick in the first six months is pretty good. Obviously I was really happy and my family was happy for me too. It was just a great moment and you really realize it when you sign the papers."

The contract was a reward for the season Cataford has had so far. He's second in the QMJHL with 60 points (25 goals, 35 assists) in 39 games for Halifax. He had the first five-point game in his three QMJHL seasons, with a hat trick and two assists against Gatineau on Dec. 8. That started an 11-game point streak (22 points; 11 goals, 11 assists), tied for the longest active streak in the league.

More than just his production, it's the way Cataford has produced that has impressed Vegas management.

"He's getting the points playing the right way," Golden Knights director of player development Wil Nichol said. "It doesn't have to be a wide-open game for him to produce. If it is, he can, but if it's a tight-checking, more of a playoff-style game, or if there's a lot of play on the wall, he gets to the front of the net. He can play whatever style is needed and he's comfortable with that. So he's got tremendous hockey sense with and without the puck, and I think that's always a good thing."

Cataford (5-foot-11, 191 pounds) expected to improves his numbers this season after an offseason that saw him add strength, which especially helped make him quicker. He also focused on improving his defensive play, which he feels has made it easier for him to produce offensively.

"Sometimes there's a lot of points I'll get just by making a good backcheck and getting a stick on it," he said, "and the play will be going the other way and my teammates will score a goal. Even sometimes if it doesn't show on the score sheet either, just backchecks and blocked shots, stuff like that, being on and back on the track, maybe not every fan notices but NHL teams and scouts notice."

The Golden Knights staff certainly has. The next step is for him to keep doing all those things consistently throughout the second half of the season.

"Just don't let your foot off the gas," Nichol said. "Continue to get better. Everyone needs to continue to get better. If you're watching an NHL practice for our group, (center) Jack Eichel is almost always one of the last ones off the ice, and he's an elite, elite talent, and I just think that you're always striving and always working to get better no matter what.

"That's obviously something that we talked to not just Mathieu about, but all of our prospects, is until you retire and you're done with the game, you're always looking for ways to get better."

OTHERS TO WATCH

Michael Buchinger, D, Guelph: The St. Louis Blues prospect had an assist on the overtime goal in a 4-3 win against Sarnia on Sunday to extend his point streak to nine games (14 points; two goals, 12 assists), which ended in a 4-2 loss at Sault Ste. Marie on Friday. Selected by the Blues in the third round (No. 88) of the 2022 NHL Draft, the 19-year-old has 37 points (eight goals, 29 assists) in 37 games this season.

Alexis Gendron, RW, Drummondville: The Philadelphia Flyers prospect began the season with Lehigh Valley of the American Hockey League, but after playing 17 games was assigned to Gatineau of the QMJHL on Jan. 2. He was traded to Drummondville the same day and made his season debut the next night with two goals against Quebec. The 20-year-old, selected in the seventh round (No. 220) of the 2022 draft, has seven points (five goals, two assists) in a four-game point streak with his new team. He scored 55 goals in 63 QMJHL games last season.

Jagger Firkus, C, Moose Jaw: Firkus returned from his brief stint as an injury call-up with Canada at the 2024 IIHF World Junior Championship with 12 points (three goals, nine assists) in three games. It extended the Seattle Kraken prospect's point streak to 13 games (28 points; eight goals, 20 assists), matching his longest streak this season; he also had points in 13 straight (28 points; 15 goals, 13 assists) from Oct. 7-Nov. 9. Selected by the Kraken in the second round (No. 35) of the 2022 draft, the 19-year-old is tied for second in the WHL in scoring with 71 points (30 goals, 41 assists) in 35 games this season.