John Quenneville

History

2010-11: John Quenneville appeared in two minor midget AAA games with the SSAC Bulldogs — skating most of the season with the SSAC Lions bantam AAA team — and played for the Edmonton South Bruins in the Alberta Cup. He scored 1 goal with 3 assists with the Bulldogs. In 33 bantam AAA games he scored 35 goals with 40 assists and had 52 penalty minutes. Quenneville had 2 assists and 6 penalty minutes in five Alberta Cup games. He was selected by Brandon in the third round (54th overall) of the 1011 WHL Bantam Draft.

2011-12: Quenneville skated in 11 junior A games with the AJHL’s Sherwood Park Crusaders alongside his older brother Peter Quenneville (CBS) and played for the midget major SSAC Athletics. He had 3 assists in nine regular season games for Sherwood Park and scored 2 goals in two playoff games. He scored 15 goals with 18 assists and had 40 penalty minutes in 30 AMHL games with the Athletics. Quenneville skated for Team Alberta in the Western Canada U16 Challenge Cup; finishing with 5 assists in four games.

2012-13: Quenneville made his WHL debut as a 16-year-old — skating in 47 games for Brandon — and represented Canada Pacific in the 2013 U17 World Hockey Challenge. He scored 8 goals with 11 assists and was minus-18 with 14 penalty minutes on a Wheat Kings team that finished last in the East Division. Quenneville had no points nor penalty minutes in four games at the WHC.

2013-14: Quenneville had a breakout season in his second year with the much-improved Wheat Kings, who were leading the East Division after January before eventually finishing third. He was Brandon’s fourth-leading scorer behind Jayce Hawryluk, defenseman Ryan Pulock (NYI) and Tim McGauley despite missing 11 games. In 61 regular season games he scored 25 goals with 33 assists and was plus-3 with 71 penalty minutes. The Wheat Kings swept Regina in the first round before falling in five games to eventual Memorial Cup champion Edmonton in five games. Quenneville scored 5 goals with 8 assists and was plus-4 with 10 penalty minutes in nine playoff games. He was ranked 23rd amongst North American skaters in the Central Scouting final rankings and was selected by New Jersey in the first round (30th overall) in the 2014 NHL Draft. 

2014-15: Quenneville had 47 points in 57 games for the Eastern Conference champion Brandon Wheat Kings in the regular season — missing time due to an upper-body injury — and was a key player for the Wheat Kings in their run to the WHL Finals. He scored 17 goals with 30 assists and was +12 with 63 points during the regular season. The Wheat Kings had the league’s best regular season record, advancing to the league finals against Memorial Cup runner up Kelowna. Quenneville scored 10 goals with 9 assists in 19 playoff games and was +8 with 18 penalty minutes. He signed a three-year entry-level contract with New Jersey in July 2015. 

Talent Analysis

Quenneville is a solid playmaker who is involved all over the ice. He displays patience and skill with the puck, aiming to get his teammates involved in the play. Quenneville is also quite competitive away from the puck. His strong work ethic along the boards, combined with his big frame, gives him an edge in retrieving and protecting the puck. Skating remains an area of focus, but he is very smart for his age.

Future

Quenneville is an assistant captain for Brandon in 2015-16 in his fourth season with the Wheat Kings. He has been a point-per-game scorer in WHL play and skated for Canada at the 2016 World Junior Championship. Long-term Quenneville is not expected to be a top goal-scorer at the NHL level but his combination of offense and his play away from the puck suggest he can be an effective second- or third-line center.