Masse's Impactful Performance Draws Attention Ahead of 2024 NHL Draft
The 2024 Upper Deck NHL Draft is scheduled for June 28-29 at Sphere in Las Vegas. The first round will take place on June 28 at 7 p.m. ET (ESPN, ESPN+, SN, TVAS), while rounds 2-7 will follow on June 29 at 11:30 a.m. ET (ESPN+, NHLN, SN, SN1). NHL.com is gearing up for the draft with detailed profiles on top prospects, podcasts, and various features. Today, we spotlight right wing Maxim Masse from Chicoutimi in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). Full draft coverage is available on NHL.com.
Maxim Masse, a standout for Chicoutimi in the QMJHL, has consistently delivered when it matters most.
One of his most memorable game-winning goals among the 13 he scored in two QMJHL seasons occurred in 2022-23 against Rimouski, the team he supported as a child.
"I grew up in Rimouski, and my grandfather had season tickets. He always bought me a ticket, and I was there with him," Masse recalled. "I was really young, so we had to leave early, but I had a lot of fun in those days watching the Oceanic."
On January 29, 2023, Masse received a lead pass, broke away, and scored through Rimouski goalie Gabriel Robert’s legs 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," said the 18-year-old forward. "I like to be on the ice when it's a tie game or we're down 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 comes from a hockey lineage. His father, Luc Masse, was a defenseman who played one season in the QMJHL with Saint-Jean in 1989-90.
"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."
This season, Masse led Chicoutimi in goals (36), points (75), power-play points (28), and game-winning goals (seven) across 67 regular-season games. He was also 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, the recipient of the Mike Bossy Trophy as the QMJHL's top professional prospect, is ranked No. 30 on NHL Central Scouting's final list 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 a line driver, but I think 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 and scoring goals. He's got a big body, so there's a lot to like."
Masse, who is expected to stay on the wing when he turns professional, admires Buffalo Sabres forward Alex Tuch.
"He's a big guy who 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 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."
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