Stéphane Julien wins the 2022-23 Maurice-Filion Trophy

The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League has awarded the Maurice-Filion Trophy to Sherbrooke Phœnix General Manager, Stéphane Julien. This marks the first time that Julien, who has spent his eight seasons in the QMJHL with the Phœnix, has claimed the award.

The Maurice-Filion Trophy is handed out annually to the QMJHL’s top general manager. The trophy is named after the late Maurice Filion, who coached the Quebec Remparts to a President Cup and a Memorial Cup (1970-1972), before making the jump to the NHL as General Manager of the Quebec Nordiques.

Julien, who serves as both general manager and head coach of the Phœnix, helped his club to a 50-win campaign and a 105-point finish in the overall standings. After recognizing his team’s great potential, the Shawinigan, QC native made several key transactions prior to the trade deadline. Julien pulled off a deal to acquire goaltender Olivier Adam, who finished with a 20-3-1-0 record and four shutouts with the Phœnix. Julien followed that deal by trading for right winger Jacob Melanson, who put up a stellar 55 points in just 32 games with Sherbrooke, as well as centerman Jakub Brabenec and defenseman Marc-André Gaudet.

With this award, Julien becomes just the fourth hockey operations member of a QMJHL franchise to be named as both General Manager and Head Coach of the Year in the same season. The others are Jim Hulton, who accomplished the feat in 2020-21 with the Charlottetown Islanders, Mario Pouliot with the 2018-19 Rouyn-Noranda Huskies, and Gilles Bouchard in 2015-16, also with Rouyn-Noranda.

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Louis Robitaille of the Gatineau Olympiques and Patrick Roy of the Quebec Remparts were the other nominees for this year’s Maurice-Filion Trophy.