Masse's crucial production is turning heads as the 2024 NHL Draft approaches

 Masse's crucial production is turning heads as the 2024 NHL Draft approaches

The 2024 Upper Deck NHL Draft will take place on June 28-29 at Sphere in Las Vegas. The first round is scheduled for June 28 at 7 p.m. ET (ESPN, ESPN+, SN, TVAS), with rounds 2-7 following on June 29 at 11:30 a.m. ET (ESPN+, NHLN, SN, SN1). NHL.com is leading up to the draft with in-depth profiles on top prospects, podcasts, and other features. Today, we feature right wing Maxim Masse of Chicoutimi in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). Full draft coverage can be found on NHL.com.

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Maxim Masse, playing for Chicoutimi in the QMJHL, has a knack for performing in crucial moments.

Among his 13 game-winning goals over two QMJHL seasons, the standout was in 2022-23 against Rimouski, his childhood favorite team.

"I grew up in Rimouski, and my grandfather had season tickets, so he always bought me a ticket, and I was there with him," Masse said. "I was really young, so we had to leave early, but I had a lot of fun in those days watching the Oceanic."

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On January 29, 2023, Masse received a lead pass, skated in on a breakaway, and scored through the legs of Rimouski goalie Gabriel Robert with 3:52 remaining, securing a 3-2 victory for Chicoutimi.

"I think we all play hockey to feel good in every moment and obviously to win some games," the 18-year-old forward said. "I like to be on the ice when it's a tie game or we're losing by a goal. I want to make a difference. Everybody wants that, but I'll say I'm pretty good in those moments."

Selected No. 3 by Chicoutimi in the 2022 QMJHL draft, Masse follows in the footsteps of his father, Luc Masse, who played as a defenseman for Saint-Jean in the QMJHL during the 1989-90 season.

"It's a dream to be playing in the 'Q,' for sure," Masse said. "My dad told me it wasn't the same mindset and same game in the 'Q' as it is now ... it was more physical and there was fighting. But dad has helped me with the mental part of the game instead of the skills part. He's always been there for me since I started playing hockey when I was 4 years old."

Masse (6-foot-2, 190 pounds) has been a standout during his two seasons with Chicoutimi. He was named Canadian Hockey League rookie of the year last season, recording 62 points (29 goals, 33 assists), 20 power-play points, and six game-winning goals in 65 regular-season games.

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This season, he led Chicoutimi with 36 goals, 75 points, 28 power-play points, and seven game-winning goals in 67 regular-season games, and was third on the team with six points (three goals, three assists) in eight QMJHL playoff games.

"I'd say I can score a goal from far away with my shot or when going to the net, but I can make plays for my teammates too," Masse said. "I feel I can play well in my zone as well, so I'm a two-way forward."

Masse, who won the Mike Bossy Trophy as the QMJHL's top professional prospect, is No. 30 on NHL Central Scouting's final ranking of North American skaters eligible for the 2024 Upper Deck NHL Draft.

"What we like is the scoring ability; he's scored everywhere he's played," said Central Scouting's Jean-Francois Damphousse. "He'll need to add some strength to his lower body, which will help him physically. He's not a puck carrier, a transporter, or line driver, but at the next level, he can be a 6-foot-2 body on the wing who can finish around the net. Chicoutimi is a young team that was peaking at the right time, and they'll be really strong over the next couple of years.

"If you draft a kid like Masse, he's going to be in a good situation for the next two years competing for championships, scoring goals. He's got a big body, so there's a lot to like."

Masse, who likely will remain a winger in the professional ranks, admires Buffalo Sabres forward Alex Tuch.

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"He's a big guy and can score goals and plays well in his zone too, so I think that's a great comparable," Masse said. "The compete and the mental side of the game are important as you develop because everybody at the highest level has got the skills to be there. But it's the one who is tougher mentally that goes through ... the one that always competes and wants to get better."