RIMOUSKI, QUE.: For Max Brien, the excitement of scoring his first career Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) goal lasted about 19 seconds.
Then he scored again.
And as special as the goals were for the 2026 QMJHL first-round pick, having his parents and grandparents in the stands to witness the moment made Saturday night at the Colisée Financière Sun Life even more memorable.
Brien scored twice in the opening 1:21 and added two assists as the Rimouski Océanic opened their home schedule with a dominant 13-2 victory over the Shawinigan Cataractes.
The first goal came just 62 seconds into the game, when Brien pounced on a loose puck around the net and found the back of the cage for his first QMJHL goal.
It was fitting, considering the type of player Brien has been throughout his career.
“It’s no secret that a lot of my goals over the years have come from being aggressive around the net, so it was actually pretty fitting that I scored my first QMJHL goal that way,” Brien said in a phone interview Monday before the Océanic practised in Rimouski.
“I saw the loose puck and tried to get to it first.”
Then, before Brien and the Océanic faithful had much time to absorb the moment, he did it again.
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Just 19 seconds after opening the scoring, Brien found the net for a second time, giving Rimouski a 2-0 lead only 1:21 into the home opener.
“The second goal was a bit of a blur,” Brien admitted. “I was still excited about getting the first one!”
The night had already been set up to be special for Brien and his family.
Before the game, Océanic players had been asked at practice who they thought would score the team’s first goal.
Goaltender Morgan Blackwood picked Brien.
So when Brien finally scored, he knew exactly who he wanted to find.
“As soon as I scored, I looked for him to help celebrate,” Brien said.
And while the prediction from Blackwood was a fun moment inside the dressing room, nothing compared to having his family there for the first two goals of his junior career.
“Our whole team showed up ready to play,” Brien said.
“We were excited for the home opener, and it made the night even better to have my parents and grandparents there.”
The two goals were only the beginning of Brien’s night.
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He added assists on goals by Jérémy Turcot in the second period and Rafaël Cloutier late in the third, finishing with two goals and two assists and a plus-three rating.
His four-point performance also earned him second-star honours.
“After the second goal, I remember thinking, ‘What just happened?’ I was probably as shocked as everyone else,” Brien said.
“Being named second star was a bonus!”
For the Océanic, it was an explosive opening night. Rimouski scored four times in the opening period, added six more in the second and three in the third, with the 13 goals marking the highest total in the franchise’s 32-season history for a home opener.
But for Brien, the significance of the night went far beyond the scoreboard.
He is just getting started in his QMJHL career, and the support he has received from his new teammates and the Océanic organization has helped make the transition a positive one.
“I feel really lucky to be part of the Océanic,” he said. “We have a lot of chemistry as a team, and the coaches and everyone in the organization have been really supportive.”
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Brien knows there is still plenty of work ahead.
“It’s been a great start to the season, and I hope a game like that helps me continue to earn the trust of my teammates and coaches,” he said.
“I know I still have a lot to learn and improve on, so I want to keep building on the start I’ve had.”
For now, though, Brien can look back on one unforgettable night – two goals, two assists, a second-star selection, a 13-2 home-opening victory and, perhaps most importantly, his parents and grandparents there to see it all.
Some first goals are special.
Scoring your first two in front of your family makes them unforgettable.
The Oceanic have three games this week, Oct. 1 and 2 vs Sherbrooke on the road and then home against the Charlottetown Islanders on Oct. 4. Follow Brien and the team on the Oceanic’s socials Facebook, Instagram, X/Twitter.
