2003–04 QMJHL season

The 2003–04 QMJHL season was the 35th season in the history of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. The league continued to expand to new eastern markets, with teams relocating to Maine and Prince Edward Island. Conferences were abandoned and teams were divided into three divisions by geography. Sixteen teams played 70 games each in the schedule.
The Lewiston Maineiacs became the league's second American-based team in history after the Plattsburgh Pioneers, and first to survive a full season. The P.E.I. Rocket also became the first major junior hockey team based on Prince Edward Island.
Rookie Sidney Crosby led the league in scoring as a 16-year old, and won the Michel Brière Memorial Trophy as the MVP of the regular season. 
The Gatineau Olympiques finished first overall in the regular season winning their fourth Jean Rougeau Trophy, and also won their sixth President's Cup, defeating the Moncton Wildcats in the finals.
==Team changes==
* The Hull Olympiques were renamed the Gatineau Olympiques.
* The Montreal Rocket relocated to Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, becoming the P.E.I. Rocket.
* The Sherbrooke Castors relocated to Lewiston, Maine, becoming the Lewiston Maineiacs.
==Final standings==
Note: GP = Games played; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; OL = Overtime loss; PTS = Points; GF = Goals For; GA = Goals Against 
Western Division 	GP	W 	L 	T 	OL	Pts	GF 	GA
y-Gatineau Olympiques 	70	50	13	7 	0 	107	306	179
x-Shawinigan Cataractes 	70	39	21	4 	6 	88 	259	215
x-Rouyn-Noranda Huskies 	70	30	27	9 	4 	73 	260	265
x-Val-d'Or Foreurs 	70	29	29	10	2 	70 	213	222
x-Drummondville Voltigeurs	70	27	30	10	3 	67 	210	224
Victoriaville Tigres 	70	20	43	5 	2 	47 	204	295
Eastern Division 	GP	W 	L 	T	OL	Pts	GF 	GA
y-Rimouski Océanic 	70	34	28	5	3 	76 	284	252
x-Chicoutimi Saguenéens	70	32	27	7	4 	75 	218	220
x-Lewiston Maineiacs 	70	33	31	5	1 	72 	233	215
x-Quebec Remparts 	70	28	32	7	3 	66 	210	245
x-Baie-Comeau Drakkar 	70	21	42	5	2 	49 	195	285
Atlantic Division 	GP	W 	L 	T	OL	Pts	GF 	GA
y-Cape Breton Screaming Eagles	70	49	16	2	3 	103	273	164
x-Moncton Wildcats 	70	46	19	3	2 	97 	270	206
x-P.E.I. Rocket 	70	40	19	5	6 	91 	251	189
Halifax Mooseheads 	70	17	43	7	3 	44 	194	274
Acadie-Bathurst Titan 	70	18	49	3	0 	39 	184	314
:y-received first-round bye
:x-made playoffs
*complete list of standings.
==Scoring leaders==
Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; PIM = Penalty Minutes
Player 	Team 	GP	G 	A 	Pts	PIM
Sidney Crosby 	Rimouski Océanic 	59	54	81	135	74
Dany Roussin 	Rimouski Océanic 	66	59	58	117	70
Maxime Talbot 	Gatineau Olympiques 	66	59	58	98 	41
Jean-Michel Daoust 	Gatineau Olympiques 	60	31	65	96 	82
Benoit Mondou 	Shawinigan Cataractes 	68	34	61	95 	32
Pascal Pelletier 	Shawinigan Cataractes 	64	39	52	91 	85
Yannick Tifu 	Rouyn-Noranda Huskies 	70	42	48	90 	39
Guillaume Fournier 	Victoriaville / Gatineau 	65	40	48	88 	28
Francois-Pierre Guenette	Cape Breton Screaming Eagles	69	34	51	85 	26
Karl Gagne 	Moncton Wildcats 	68	24	60	84 	20
Michael Lambert 	P.E.I. Rocket 	67	42	42	84 	53
* complete scoring statistics
==Canada-Russia Challenge==
The 2003–04 season was the first time the Canada-Russia challenge was played. The event, then known as the RE/MAX Canada-Russia Challenge was hosted by the Halifax Mooseheads and the Rimouski Océanic. On November 20, 2003, the Russian Selects defeated the QMJHL All-stars 3–2 at the Halifax Metro Centre. On November 24, 2003, the QMJHL All-stars defeated the Russian Selects 6–2 at Colisée de Rimouski.
==Playoffs==
Each regular season division winner received a first round bye, and ranked 1st, 2nd, and 3rd overall. Remaining teams were ranked 4th to 13th, regardless of division.
Maxime Talbot was the leading scorer of the playoffs with 27 points (11 goals, 16 assists).
==All-star teams==
;First team
* Goalkeeper - Martin Houle, Cape Breton Screaming Eagles
* Left Defence - Doug O'Brien, Gatineau Olympiques 
* Right Defence - Jonathan Paiement, Lewiston Maineiacs 
* Left Winger - Danny Roussin, Rimouski Océanic 
* Centreman - Sidney Crosby, Rimouski Océanic 
* Right Winger - Jean-Michel Daoust, Gatineau Olympiques 
* Coach - Benoit Groulx, Gatineau Olympiques
;Second team 
* Goalkeeper - Corey Crawford, Moncton Wildcats 
* Left Defence - Mathieu Dumas, Val-d'Or Foreurs 
* Right Defence - Mario Scalzo, Victoriaville Tigres 
* Left Winger - Alexandre Picard, Lewiston Maineiacs
* Centreman - Maxime Talbot, Gatineau Olympiques 
* Right Winger - Steve Bernier, Moncton Wildcats 
* Coach - Alain Vigneault, P.E.I. Rocket
;Rookie team 
* Goalkeeper - Julien Ellis, Shawinigan Cataractes 
* Left Defence - Nathan Welton, Quebec Remparts 
* Right Defence - Mathieu Carle, Acadie-Bathurst 
* Left Winger - Guillaume Latendresse, Drummondville 
* Centreman - Sidney Crosby, Rimouski Océanic
* Right Winger - Martin Karsums, Moncton Wildcats 
* Coach - no eligible candidate 
* List of First/Second/Rookie team all-stars.
==Trophies and awards==
;Team
*President's Cup - Playoff Champions, Gatineau Olympiques
*Jean Rougeau Trophy - Regular Season Champions, Gatineau Olympiques
*Luc Robitaille Trophy - Team that scored the most goals, Gatineau Olympiques
*Robert Lebel Trophy - Team with best GAA, Cape Breton Screaming Eagles
;Player
*Michel Brière Memorial Trophy - Most Valuable Player, Sidney Crosby, Rimouski Océanic
*Jean Béliveau Trophy - Top Scorer, Sidney Crosby, Rimouski Océanic
*Guy Lafleur Trophy - Playoff MVP, Maxime Talbot, Gatineau Olympiques 
*Telus Cup – Offensive - Offensive Player of the Year, Sidney Crosby, Rimouski Océanic
*Telus Cup – Defensive - Defensive Player of the Year, Corey Crawford, Moncton Wildcats 
*Jacques Plante Memorial Trophy - Best GAA, Martin Houle, Cape Breton Screaming Eagles
*Emile Bouchard Trophy - Defenceman of the Year, Doug O'Brien, Gatineau Olympiques 
*Mike Bossy Trophy - Best Pro Prospect, Alexandre Picard, Lewiston Maineiacs 
*RDS Cup - Rookie of the Year, Sidney Crosby, Rimouski Océanic 
*Michel Bergeron Trophy - Offensive Rookie of the Year, Sidney Crosby, Rimouski Océanic
*Raymond Lagacé Trophy - Defensive Rookie of the Year, Julien Ellis-Plante, Shawinigan Cataractes
*Frank J. Selke Memorial Trophy - Most sportsmanlike player, Benoit Mondou, Shawinigan Cataractes 
*QMJHL Humanitarian of the Year - Humanitarian of the Year, Josh Hennessy, Quebec Remparts 
*Marcel Robert Trophy - Best Scholastic Player, Nicolas Laplante, Acadie-Bathurst Titan
*Paul Dumont Trophy - Personality of the Year, Sidney Crosby, Rimouski Océanic 
;Executive
*Ron Lapointe Trophy - Coach of the Year, Benoit Groulx, Gatineau Olympiques 
*John Horman Trophy - Executive of the Year, Sylvie Fortier, Baie-Comeau Drakkar 
*Jean Sawyer Trophy - Marketing Director of the Year, Johanne Lefebvre, Baie-Comeau Drakkar
==Team Photos==
04GatOly.jpg|Gatineau Olympiques
03-04MonWil.jpg|Moncton Wildcats
03-04CBSE.jpg|Cape Breton Screaming Eagles
==Game Ads==
03-04QMJHLLewistonGameAd.jpg|Lewiston
==References==
* Official QMJHL Website
* www.hockeydb.com/
QMJHL
Category:Quebec Major Junior Hockey League seasons