https://chl.ca/lhjmq/en/ Mon, 03 Aug 2026 15:59:06 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.0.2 https://chl.ca/lhjmq/en/article/2026-hlinka-gretzky-cup-5-qmjhl-players-to-watch Mon, 03 Aug 2026 15:18:06 +0000 https://chl.ca/lhjmq/en/article/2026-hlinka-gretzky-cup-5-qmjhl-players-to-watch Canada 1- Alexis Joseph, Forward, Saint John Sea Dogs He’s likely the forward to watch throughout the Hlinka-Gretzky Cup. On the Canadian team, along with Landon DuPont (WHL, Everett Silvertips), the Lachenaie native is the only player to have competed in the World U18 Championship. Ever since he was selected by the Sea Dogs in the 2025 QMJHL Draft, most scouts have ranked him among the Top 5 for the 2027 NHL Draft. A 6-foot-4, 200-pound center will always be a coveted prospect for any team. With 60 points in 54 games, Joseph finished sixth in scoring among QMJHL rookies, but he was the top scorer among 16-year-olds. He had more than double the points of his closest competitor in that age group (Loïk Gariépy of the Victoriaville Tigres, 29 points in 58 games). Not only is Joseph a imposing presence, but he can do just about anything on the ice. His defensive coverage is excellent, he delivers solid hits, and he brings a high level of intensity along the boards. Despite his young age, he was one of the best in the QMJHL at the faceoff circle in 2026–2027 (50.1%, 11th among those who took at least 100 faceoffs). He has a tremndous shot, and when it comes to creativity, fans saw what he can do on social media throughout the season. 2- Malik L'Italien, Defenceman, Halifax Mooseheads Third overall pick in the 2025 QMJHL Draft, Malik L'Italien also earned his spot at the Hlinka-Gretzky Cup. His 24 points in 64 games with the Halifax Mooseheads ranked him third among QMJHL rookie defensemen in scoring, behind Tommy Bleyl (81 points) and Everett Baldwin (44 points). The Montreal native tallied up 10 of those points in the final 18 games of the season. L'Italien is 6'3'', but he is also an excellent skater and his offensive game is impressive. He is excellent at reading the play in front of him, easily finding openings to carry the puck, and his shot is the reason he has stood out so much offensively. L'Italien can also make his presence felt physically. 3- Sam Berthiaume, goaltender, Cape Breton Eagles The first goaltender selected in the 2025 QMJHL Draft (second round, 25th overall), Sam Berthiaume has the advantage of his size. Drafted at 6 feet 3 inches, he now stands at 6 feet 4 inches, and at 180 pounds, he should put on some muscle over the next few years. Eligible for the 2028 NHL Draft, he notably helped the Truro Bearcats, in the Maritime Junior Hockey League, to win the title with a save percentage of .947 and a goals-against average of 1.71 during the play-offs. He quickly impressed Hockey Canada officials during the Hlinka-Gretzky Cup training camp, notably saving all 17 shots he faced in his first exhibition game against Sweden. Berthiaume quickly catches the eye in goal with his athletic style. He is very quick on his feet, whilst maintaining good technique that allows him to move from post to post with ease. He's also pretty good at challenging the shooters in front of him. United States 4- Cameron Minella, defenceman, Halifax Mooseheads A native of Connecticut, Cameron Minella will be one of the youngest players eligible for the 2027 NHL Draft - born on 29 August 2009. A smaller-framed defenceman standing at 5 feet 11 inches, he racked up nine points in 64 games during his first season with the Mooseheads. Minella stands out for his IQ on the ice, both offensively and defensively. With the puck, he makes great passes on breakouts, but is also able to find openings and carry the puck. In his own zone, the American has a good stick. This allows him to compensate for his lack of physical strength by applying pressure quickly, and he can block shots. Czechia 5- Maxmilian Mares, forward, Rimouski Océanic Maxmilian Mares will be hard to miss when you’re watching the Czech team: he’s 6'6''! The Rimouski Océanic’s first-round pick, fifth overall in the 2026 CHL International Draft, scored 35 points in 47 games in the Czech Under-20 League with Bili Tygri Liberec. Only three players under the age of 17 have done better, including the Chicoutimi Saguenéens' latest CHL International Draft pick Michal Hartl. For such a imposing player, Mares skates very well, has good hands and is able to create scoring opportunities for himself because he can create space between himself and the opposition defenders. The Czech forward is also very physical: not only does he hits hard, but he likes to disturb his opponens. Rimouski supporters should appreciate his style of play. Other QMJHL players at the Hlinka-Gretzky Cup : Quinn Norman (NFL, Canada), Benjamin Veitch (NFL, Canada), Matyas Cancik (SNB, Czechia), Michal Hartl (CHI, Czechia), Adrien Rosa (GAT, Switzerland), Nikita Bloch (NFL, Germany), Oliver Ozogany (SNB, Slovakia), Paavo Fugleberg (MON, Finland)]]> https://chl.ca/lhjmq/en/article/our-20s-drummondville-voltigeurs-3 Mon, 03 Aug 2026 14:28:32 +0000 https://chl.ca/lhjmq/en/article/our-20s-drummondville-voltigeurs-3 Jesse Allecia A product of the Yale Jr. Bulldogs, Allecia was playing for Alberni Valley in the BCHL, where he recorded 10 points in 20 games, when Voltigeurs General Manager Yanick Lemay signed him as a free agent in the fall of 2024. After posting 22 points in 38 games during his first season with Drummondville, he was entrusted with a larger role as a 20-year-old and delivered with 65 points—10 more than Renaud Poulin atop of the team scoring. Allecia is set to join Dartmouth College for the 2026-27 season. Marc-Olivier Beaudry Beaudry undoubtedly ranks among the greatest defencemen in Voltigeurs history. He sits fourth all-time among the franchise's blueliners with 284 games played and 15th in scoring with 109 points. Selected 16th overall in the 2021 QMJHL Entry Draft, Beaudry spent his entire junior career in Drummondville, reaching the pinnacle by helping the Voltigeurs capture the Gilles-Courteau Trophy in 2024 as an 18-year-old. Faced with an excess of 20-year-old players at the start of the 2025-26 season, the Voltigeurs released Beaudry, who joined the University of New Brunswick. He was brought back at Christmas, however, and finished the season with an impressive 23 points in 26 games. Regardless of position, his 284 games with the Voltigeurs rank eighth in franchise history. Matteo Rotondi No defenceman has ever played more games for the Voltigeurs than Rotondi, who appeared in 309 contests. That total ranks third in franchise history, behind forwards Éric Plante and Marc-Olivier Vachon (315). Selected 11th overall in the 2021 QMJHL Entry Draft, Rotondi was always known more for his defensive reliability than his offensive production. His career-high for points in a season was 19, and he finished his junior career with 64 points. However, Rotondi's consistency and dependability earned him the captaincy in 2025-26. Like Beaudry, he was a key member of the Voltigeurs' 2024 championship team, which captured the franchise's first Gilles-Courteau Trophy in 15 years. He will be a member of St. Francis Xavier University next year.]]> https://chl.ca/lhjmq/en/article/alexis-joseph-named-assistant-captain-of-the-canadian-team-for-the-2026-hlinka-gretzky-cup Sat, 01 Aug 2026 16:50:36 +0000 https://chl.ca/lhjmq/en/article/alexis-joseph-named-assistant-captain-of-the-canadian-team-for-the-2026-hlinka-gretzky-cup https://chl.ca/lhjmq/en/article/sebastian-taliga-officially-joins-drummondville Sat, 01 Aug 2026 16:29:41 +0000 https://chl.ca/lhjmq/en/article/sebastian-taliga-officially-joins-drummondville https://chl.ca/lhjmq/en/article/5-qmjhl-players-named-to-canadas-roster-for-2026-hlinka-gretzky-cup Fri, 31 Jul 2026 17:13:35 +0000 https://chl.ca/lhjmq/en/article/5-qmjhl-players-named-to-canadas-roster-for-2026-hlinka-gretzky-cup Alexis Joseph (Lachenaie, QC) of the Saint John Sea Dogs, and the third overall pick, Malik L’Italien (Montréal, QC) of the Halifax Mooseheads. The Newfoundland Regiment will also be well represented, with defenceman Quinn Norman (St John’s, NL) and forward Benjamin Veitch (St John’s, NL). Sam Berthiaume (Stellarton, N.S./Cape Breton Eagles) will be between the pipes. The roster, which includes two goaltenders, seven defencemen and 13 forwards, was selected by Program of Excellence (POE) general manager Alan Millar (Tottenham, ON), alongside POE head scout Byron Bonora (Brooks, AB) and U18 assistant general manager Yanick Lemay (Drummondville, QC/Drummondville, QMJHL), with input from Scott Salmond (Creston, BC), senior vice-president of high performance and hockey operations, and Benoit Roy (Sudbury, ON), director of hockey operations. “After a competitive training camp and pre-tournament game against Sweden, we are excited to announce the 22 players who have earned the opportunity to represent Canada at the 2026 Hlinka Gretzky Cup on home ice in Edmonton,” Millar said. “This is a highly skilled group of young players that is motivated to accomplish our goal of winning a gold medal, and we know our players are excited to wear the Maple Leaf and play in front of Canadian fans.” Joseph notably represented Canada at the 2026 IIHF U18 Men’s World Championship. Regarded by many as one of the top prospects for the 2027 NHL Draft, he tallied 60 points—including 24 goals—in 54 games during his first season in the QMJHL. He also recorded his first career hat trick on December 31. L'Italien finished third in scoring among QMJHL rookies, but was the top 16-year-old with 24 points in 64 games. He was particularly impressive on the power play, with 10 points. One of the youngest players in the league in 2025–2026 and eligible for the 2028 NHL Draft, Norman recorded 13 points in 59 games for his home province’s team. He really came into his own during the second half of the season, racking up 10 points in 31 games after Christmas. Like Norman, Veitch is also a native of Newfoundland, and he won’t be eligible for the NHL draft until 2028. He finished the season with 21 points in 58 games, but had a particularly strong playoff run. His seven points in 12 games tie him for the lead among 16-year-old players. Berthiaume spent the 2025–2026 season in the Maritime Junior Hockey League with the Truro Bearcats, where he led his team to the championship. He made his QMJHL debut for Cape Breton on January 25, making 32 saves in an overtime loss against the Charlottetown Islanders. Canada opens the 2026 Hlinka Gretzky Cup against Switzerland on Aug. 3 at 5 p.m. MT. It will face Slovakia on Aug. 4 and Sweden on Aug. 5 to close out the preliminary round before the tournament concludes with the medal games on Aug. 8. Prior to the start of the tournament, Canada will close out the Hlinka Gretzky Cup pre-tournament schedule against Czechia on Aug. 1 at 5 p.m. MT at Rogers Place.]]> https://chl.ca/lhjmq/en/article/our-20s-gatineau-olympiques-3 Fri, 31 Jul 2026 16:15:18 +0000 https://chl.ca/lhjmq/en/article/our-20s-gatineau-olympiques-3 Justin Boisselle Boisselle led the Olympiques in scoring in 2025-26 with 35 points (17G, 18A) in 63 games, finishing his junior career with 143 points (62G, 81A) in 263 contests. That outcome seemed unlikely when he began his QMJHL career with the Armada in 2021-22 after being drafted 13th overall in 2021. Over his first two seasons with the Armada, Boisselle recorded just 20 points in 92 games, prompting him to begin the 2023-24 season with the Valleyfield Braves of the QJHL. There, he regained his confidence and dominated offensively with 39 points in 22 games, convincing the Olympiques to acquire him in November 2023. He quickly found his stride in Gatineau, finishing the 2023-24 campaign with 43 points (22G, 21A) in 44 games. Despite the Olympiques' struggles, Boisselle ranked second on the team in scoring in 2024-25 with 44 points before leading the club with 35 points in 2025-26. His strong finish earned him an opportunity with >McGill University where he will continue his career next season. Jérémie Dumas-Larouche Dumas-Larouche's path closely mirrored Boisselle's. He was also drafted by the Armada in 2021, going 33rd overall, before joining the Olympiques midway through the 2023-24 season. And like Boisselle, Dumas-Larouche enjoyed his best years in Gatineau. He set a career high with 26 points in 2024-25 before following it up with 21 points as a 20-year-old. The 6-foot-3, 203-pound defenceman closes out his junior career with 55 points in 240 games and will suit up for the University of Moncton next season. Yan Gaudreau Gaudreau spent the 2022-23 season split between Rockland in the CCHL and Casselman in the EOJHL before earning an invitation to the Voltigeurs' training camp in the summer of 2023. He made the team and helped Drummondville capture the Gilles-Courteau Trophy in 2024, as the Voltigeurs completed a four-game sweep of Baie-Comeau in the championship series. The following season, the 5-foot-10, 183-pound defensive defenceman collected 13 points in 55 games as a 19-year-old. With a surplus of 20-year-old players, the Voltigeurs traded the Franco-Ontarian from Embrun to nearby Gatineau to finish his junior career. He wraps up his time in the QMJHL with 36 points in 164 games. Gaudreau will also move on to U Sports next season, joining Queen's University]]> https://chl.ca/lhjmq/en/article/mooseheads-sign-goaltender-jack-fichthorn Thu, 30 Jul 2026 16:08:35 +0000 https://chl.ca/lhjmq/en/article/mooseheads-sign-goaltender-jack-fichthorn https://chl.ca/lhjmq/en/article/our-20s-halifax-mooseheads-3 Wed, 29 Jul 2026 16:45:36 +0000 https://chl.ca/lhjmq/en/article/our-20s-halifax-mooseheads-3 Connor MacPherson An Ontario native, MacPherson took a winding path before arriving in Halifax for the 2025-26 season. He spent two seasons with Leamington in the GOJHL, one with Penticton in the BCHL, and another at the University of New Hampshire in the NCAA before earning an invitation to the Mooseheads' training camp. He made the team and wrapped up his 20-year-old season with 26 points (12G, 14A) in 64 games. Samuel Rousseau Selected by the Huskies in the 12th round of the 2021 QMJHL Draft, 208th overall, Rousseau has every reason to be proud of his junior career, which comes to an end after 193 QMJHL games (80 points). Rousseau appeared in two games with the Huskies as a 16-year-old but truly made his mark with the St-Eustache Vikings in the QMAAA, where he dominated with 58 points in 39 games. He earned a full-time roster spot in Rouyn-Noranda in 2022-23 and remained there for three full seasons, helping the Huskies reach the playoff semifinals in 2025. The 6-foot, 198-pound winger was then traded to the rebuilding Mooseheads, where his leadership, work ethic, and production—28 points (12G, 16A) in just 34 games—made him a valuable addition. He will continue his career next season at Long Island University. * Unlike the other 17 QMJHL teams, the Mooseheads finished the 2025-26 season with only two 20-year-old players on their roster.]]> https://chl.ca/lhjmq/en/article/austrian-imports-sintschnig-and-uschan-sign-with-halifax Wed, 29 Jul 2026 16:07:06 +0000 https://chl.ca/lhjmq/en/article/austrian-imports-sintschnig-and-uschan-sign-with-halifax https://chl.ca/lhjmq/en/article/our-20s-moncton-wildcats-3 Mon, 27 Jul 2026 15:48:29 +0000 https://chl.ca/lhjmq/en/article/our-20s-moncton-wildcats-3 Rudy Guimond Guimond’s time in Moncton and the QMJHL lasted only two seasons, but what an impact he made. The Pointe-Claire native was playing for the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders in the USHL when he decided to join the Wildcats early in the 2024-25 season. He posted a perfect 16-0 regular-season record (1.73 GAA, .940 SV%), then won eight of his nine playoff starts—serving as Mathis Rousseau’s backup—to help the Wildcats capture the Gilles-Courteau Trophy. He was even better in 2025-26, finishing with a 40-7-3 record, a 2.27 goals-against average, and a .922 save percentage to earn the Patrick-Roy Trophy as the QMJHL’s Goaltender of the Year. Once again, the Wildcats advanced to the league final, this time falling to the Chicoutimi Saguenéens. Guimond’s 56 wins in just two seasons rank fifth in Wildcats history, while his .927 career save percentage and 2.14 goals-against average are franchise records. He will continue both his academic and hockey career at Harvard University next season. Preston Lounsbury A fourth-round selection by the Wildcats in 2021, Lounsbury spent his entire junior career in Moncton, appearing in 262 games. Only Alex Mercier, Devon MacAusland, Simon Laliberté, and Steve Bernier have played more games in franchise history. A Moncton area native, Lounsbury spent most of his 16-year-old season with the Moncton Flyers U18 AAA before earning a full-time role with the Wildcats. He followed that with seasons of 28, 57, 44, and 42 points, highlighted by winning the Frank-J.-Selke Trophy (now the David-Desharnais Trophy) as the QMJHL’s Most Sportsmanlike Player in 2023-24. The following season, he played a key role in the Wildcats’ Gilles-Courteau Trophy championship, recording 14 points, including eight goals, in 19 playoff games. He also returned to the league final in 2026, where Moncton fell to Chicoutimi. Wearing No. 20, Lounsbury finished his Wildcats career ranked 20th in franchise scoring with 172 points (67 goals, 105 assists) in 262 games. He will attend College of the Holy Cross next season. Alex Mercier Mercier is another player who etched his name into Wildcats history, setting franchise records with 284 regular-season games and 59 playoff appearances. He was playing for Séminaire Saint-François U18 AAA when Moncton selected him in the second round of the 2021 QMJHL Draft. After returning to SSF for 19 more games, he made the jump to the Wildcats full-time. His offensive breakout began during his 18-year-old season, as he produced 44, 64, and 63 points over his final three campaigns. His 213 career points rank 12th in franchise history. Like Guimond and Lounsbury, Mercier played a vital role in the Wildcats’ 2025 championship run, contributing nine points in 19 playoff games while providing smart, hard-nosed play. He delivered another outstanding postseason in 2026, recording 11 points in 21 playoff contests as the Wildcats once again reached the league final. Mercier will continue his career at Merrimack College next season.]]>