After seeing three of its players selected in the Top 22 of the NHL Draft on Friday, the QMJHL saw 16 more selected today. The total of 19 is the highest since 2021.

That year, 24 QMJHL representatives were drafted. The total dropped to 19 in 2022 and 12 in 2023, before rising to 15 last year.

“Three picks in the Top 22, 19 selections in total and a second year in a row on the rise, that’s good, but we always want more, said QMJHL commissioner Mario Cecchini. I want to congratulate all the players drafted and also encourage those who were passed over to continue to be passionate and work hard.”

Will Reynolds, first on Saturday

After Caleb Desnoyers, 4th for Utah, Justin Carbonneau, 19th for St. Louis, and Bill Zonnon, 22nd for Pittsburgh, were taken on Friday, defenceman Will Reynolds of the Acadie-Bathurst Titan (Newfoundland Regiment) was the first QMJHL player to hear his name called on Saturday, at No. 68, by the Seattle Kraken.

Then, once again in the third round, goaltender Gabriel D’Aigle of the Victoriaville Tigres and forward Mateo Nobert of the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada were drafted back-to-back, respectively 84th overall by the Pittsburgh Penguins and 85th overall by the Vegas Golden Knights.

Three other QMJHL goaltenders were selected: Lucas Beckman of the Baie-Comeau Drakkar (97th, Ottawa), Samuel Meloche of the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies (116th, Buffalo) and Alexis Cournoyer of the Cape Breton Eagles (145th, Montreal).

The Canadiens also set their sights on German defenseman Carlos Handel of the Halifax Mooseheads at No. 177.

Pittsburgh also drafted twice in the QMJHL, as did Anaheim, with the selections of Alexis Mathieu (Baie-Comeau) 136th overall and Émile Guité (Chicoutimi) 159th overall, and Buffalo with Meloche and Noah Laberge of the Titan, 135th overall).

The other QMJHL players drafted were Julius Sumpf of the Moncton Wildcats (Chicago, 98th), Alex Huang of the Chicoutimi Saguenéens (Nashville, 122nd), Cole Chandler of the Shawinigan Cataractes (Boston, 133rd), Nathan Quinn of the Quebec Remparts (Philadelphia, 164th), Will Murphy of the Cape Breton Eagles (Detroit, 172nd) and Dawson Sharkey of the Regiment (Dallas, 190th).

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