Quebec’s Erne scores hat-trick in return from the NHL; Bourke paces the Cougars to a bounce-back win: Sunday’s 3 stars

No. 1 star: Adam Erne (Quebec Remparts, QMJHL)

Erne was front and center on Sunday, scoring three goals in his return from the Tampa Bay Lightning in a 6-2 win over the Rimouski Oceanic. Erne opened the scoring in the first, scored on the powerplay in the second and added a solo effort in the third to finish the scoring for the Remparts.

Erne was also the story for the Lightning in his lone exhibition game for the team. He scored two goals, and the winner in the shootout, to give Tampa a 4-3 win over the St. Louis Blues on Sept. 15. He was also suspended for three games for a check to the head of Blues forward Vladimir Tarasenko.

Erne was helped by fellow forward Anthony Duclair, who scored two goals and added an assist. Duclair dented the twine on a penalty shot in the second period. Defenceman Ryan Culkin added a goal and an assist in the win.

Remparts netminder François Brassard stopped 30-of-32 shots in the victory, while Philippe Desrosiers was tagged with the loss in just under half the game. Zachary Fortin finished the game in mop-up duty.

No. 2 star: Troy Bourke (Prince George Cougars, WHL)

Bourke was the offence for the Cougars, netting both goals in their 2-1 win over the Tri-City Americans. Both goals were scored on the man-advantage. They were the Colorado Avalanche prospect’s first two goals of the season.

Defenceman Marc McNulty had assists on both goals for Prince George, who bounced back from an 8-3 drubbing from the Everett Silvertips on Saturday. He also dropped the gloves with Taylor Vickerman. The Cougars outshot the Americans 29-21.

The loss was Tri-City’s second in as many days, losing to the Spokane Chiefs 6-2 on Saturday. Ty Edmonds got the win in net after playing in relief Saturday, while Eric Comrie took the loss.

No. 3 star: Félix Girard (Baie-Comeau Drakkar, QMJHL)

Girard had a goal and two assists in Baie-Comeau’s 6-3 win over the Drummondville Voltigeurs. The Drakkar captain and Nashville product led by example, as he was all over the ice for the Drakkar, going 19-for-24 on the draw and recording five hits.

The Drakkar went a combined 50-for-75 at the faceoff circle in the game. Jérémy Gregoire also had a goal and two assists, while Denis Gorbunov and Dominic Poulin had two assists in the win. Valentin Zykov assisted Girard’s goal in his return to the QMJHL. Sébastien Sylvestre had a goal and an assist in the loss.

Philippe Cadorette had the win for the Drakkar, steering aside 28 shots in the victory. Dominic Graham stopped 39 shots in the loss.

Honorable mention: Moncton Wildcats’ powerplay (QMJHL)

Hard to name just one player here, as the Wildcats went 4-for-10 with the man advantage in a 7-2 whitewashing of the Acadie-Bathurst Titan.

Conor Garland, Garrett Johnston, captain Ryan Penny and Will Smith each scored on the powerplay in the win. Garland added two assists. Johnston and Smith scored their first goals in the QMJHL.

Ivan Barbashev had three assists in the win, which was Moncton’s first at home. Christopher Caissy had two goals and an assist, and remarkably none on the powerplay. Alex Dubeau had the win in net, and Jacob Brennan took the loss. Bathurst was outshot 36-24.

Honorable mention: Travis Konecny (Ottawa 67s, OHL) and Barclay Goodrow (North Bay Battalion, OHL)

Both players scored twice in North Bay’s 4-3 win over Ottawa. Goodrow had the winner in the third period, and also opened the scoring for the Battalion. Konecny brought the 67s back from a 2-0 defecit by himself, scoring both goals to even the score at 2-2.

Vincent Praplan had a goal and an assist for North Bay in the loss, while Mike Amadio of North Bay and Brendan Bell of Ottawa each had two assists.

Jake Smith grabbed the win, stopping 24-of-27 shots in the victory. Jacob Blair had 21 saves in the loss.

Honorable mention: Cameron Darcy (Cape Breton Screaming Eagles, QMJHL)

Darcy had a goal and two assists for the Screaming Eagles in their 5-2 win over their provincial rivals, the Halifax Mooseheads. He also went 16-for-27 at the faceoff dot.

Clark Bishop scored twice for Cape Breton, who earned their first win of the season. Defenceman Jérémy Beaudry added two helpers.

Alex Bureau had 25 saves for the win in goal, and Zachary Fucale took his first loss of the season.