Ten years ago, Radulov was lighting up opposing netminders for the QMJHL’s Quebec Remparts while Desharnais was still putting up points for the Chicoutimi Sagueneens.

During the 2005-06 campaign, Radulov capped off a remarkable year with seven goals and 11 points in the Remparts’ regular season finale on March 19, 2006 – a 16-3 victory over the Rimouski Oceanic – to clinch the league’s scoring title with 152 points (61 goals, 91 assists) in 62 games.

That night, the Russian sniper became the seventh player in league history to score seven goals in a single game.

Desharnais’ linemates, Stanislav Lascek (135 points) and Maxime Boisclair (130 points), finished second and third in the scoring race that year, respectively. The Canadiens’ No. 51 still recalls the night Radulov put on an offensive display of epic proportions.

“Our line was a lot like the Crosby line in Rimouski. We were always among the top scorers in the league. I remember the season was winding down and my two wingers were fighting for the scoring title and trying to catch Radulov at the top of the list,” recalled Desharnais. “Then, he put up those 11 points on the last day of the year and they couldn’t catch him. That’s the type of player he is, talented.

“I played against him in juniors. There was a big rivalry between our two teams. He can change a game on his own and really help us. When you talk about goal scoring, we have Galchenyuk who exploded last year, and we have Patch [Max Pacioretty]. With Radulov, we’ll have another guy who can make a difference in the goal department,” added Desharnais, who finished that year ranked fifth in QMJHL scoring with a career-high 118 points.

Radulov would ultimately help the Remparts claim a Memorial Cup title that season with a victory over the Moncton Wildcats, the club that had previously bested them to win the QMJHL’s President’s Cup. He also won the Michel Briere Memorial Trophy as league MVP.



Matt Cudzinowski is a writer for canadiens.com.



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