Alexis Lafreniere, right, battles for position during a QMJHL game at Centre d'Excellence Sports Rousseau on Nov. 23, 2018 in Boisbriand, Que.Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images
Rimouski Oceanic star forward Alexis Lafrenière was suspended by the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League for three games on Tuesday for checking to the head.
Lafrenière got a five-minute major and a game misconduct nine seconds into the third period of Rimouski’s 4-2 win over the Quebec Remparts on Sunday.
He drove his shoulder into Remparts forward Thomas Caron, who had his head down trying to corral a bouncing puck by the centre line.
The 18-year-old from Saint-Eustache, Que., leads the QMJHL in points with 24 goals and 60 assists in 39 games.
He was named tournament MVP at this year’s world junior hockey championship after helping Canada win gold, scoring four goals and adding six assists in just five games after missing two with a knee injury.
Lafrenière had two assists in Canada’s 4-3 victory over Russia in the gold medal game.
He’s expected to be one of the top picks at the NHL draft in June in Montreal.
If he’s drafted first over all, Lafrenière would become the first player from Quebec to be the top pick since goalkeeper Marc-André Fleury was selected No. 1 by the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2003. He would also become the first Canadian taken first since Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid in 2015.