In the second iteration of our 2026 QMJHL Draft rankings were updating our list to the top 40 players in Eastern Canada. October was quite the busy month, with the Atlantic Leg of the QMJHL Cup gathering the top 80 players from Atlantic Canada in a Province vs Province round robin event. We were also still able to garner plenty of viewings on players playing in the Québec M18 league, along with some Québec High School games and working with our US scouts to keep tabs on skaters playing south of the border. November has started off quite hectic as well with the M17 Challenge in Québec City happening at the beginning of the month and the Monctonian kicking off today, so there are sure to be a handful of changes and reiterations to our list come the end of the month, Despite this, I remain confident in my list as it stands today, but I’m also looking forward to continue seeing how these players grow and develop throughout the year.
Changes in the Top-10
There wasn’t a whole lot of moving around at the top of our rankings this month, with Séminaire St-François Forward Jacob McKinnon and Stanstead defender Eliot Faucher still holding down the 1st and 2nd spots respectively. There were however two shifts in our top-5, with Châteauguay Grenadiers forward Julien Bergeron making the jump from 4th to 3rd and Esther-Blondin centerman Pierre-Alexandre Lemieux going from outside the top-10 at 12th all the way to 5th this time around. In the case of Bergeron, I think you’d be hard pressed to find a more naturally gifted offensive player in this year’s class and he’s only continued to get better and better in nearly every viewing I have of him. It didn’t take him long to figure out M18 hockey either, as he now currently tied for 3rd in league scoring with 28 points in 19 games. For Lemieux, the 6’3 and 181 lbs centerman just oozes raw skill and potential to go along a physical edge which allows him to impact the games in many ways. The offense has come for him early on as well, as he sits with 18 points in 21 games and looks to be on a steep developmental trajectory. He also has a November birthday, making him one of the youngest players in this class and giving him a bit more developmental leeway in my opinion.
Another new addition to our top-10 is Lac St Louis Lions forward Domenico Borsellino, who comes in at 9th on our board. Borsellino is currently playing on the worst team in the Québec M18 circuit but has still managed to find ways to produce offense as he sits with 19 points in 19 games and on most nights looks like the primary driver for that Lions team. His acceleration and quickness may be the very best in this draft class, as he’s able to separate himself from pressure on a consistent basis which makes him a highly effective puck-carrier in transition. He still has some details to iron out in his game, particularly on the defensive side of things, but overall, I think Borsellino possesses all the tools necessary to be an effective and productive offensive player at the next level. Last but not least in our top-10 is also our top-ranked Atlantic Canadian in Damian Norris, whose performance at the QMJHL Cup I thought was outstanding and helped solidify himself as a high-end QMJHL prospect. The commitment to a 200-foot game really stands out for a player his age, along with a handful of impressive offensive tools, most notably his shot which allows him to beat goaltenders cleanly from distance, you’re getting one of the more complete forwards in the entire draft class at this current juncture. He decided to take his talents to Upper Canada College over in Ontario to play out his draft-eligible campaign.
High Debuts
We already spoke about Norris, but another Newfoundland-born player who finds himself quite high on our list this time around is U17 Prep Calgary Edge forward Luke McGuire, who comes in at 15th. McGuire is another player whose QMJHL Cup performance really put him on the map as high-skilled and deceptive playmaker. He’s a currently undersized at 5’7 and 136 lbs, but I believe his puck skills and intelligence are perfectly suited for junior hockey, with the potential to become a prolific top-6 scorer if he continues to develop properly.
Our next highest debut player is Charles-Lemoyne forward Simon Cantin, who comes in at 19th, and is yet another undersized forward who I believe possesses the necessary cerebral and tactical approach to the game to overcome his size deficiencies at the next level. He’s had a fantastic start to the year for the Riverains as well, currently sitting at 19 points in 20 games which is good enough for 4th in team scoring as a rookie. I think he’s a player who will have to show a bit more off-puck engagement throughout the year if he wants to stay this high on my board, but there’s no denying the offensive ability he possesses.
Laval-Montréal defenseman Alexandre Deschamps cracked our top-20 this time around after not being on our initial list. The 6’1 and 187 lbs rearguard is one of the more projectable players in the entire class due to his staunch defensive habits and mature frame and has already found a spot on the Rousseau-Royal’s top defensive pair. He currently has 6 assists through 20 games and only seems to be getting more confident on the offensive side of things, which I believe will determine just how high he climbs up our draft board.
The last high debut player I wanted to mention was Magog forward Malik Tremblay, who comes in at 21st on our board. Since I first saw him this past summer, I’ve always viewed Tremblay as a swiss army knife type of player with his ability to impact the game in a multitude of ways and complement the players around him. He’s been one of the Cantonniers more consistent and effective players despite being one of their youngest and eh currently sits 2nd in team scoring with 15 points in 20 games.
You can check out our full top-40 at our 2026 QMJHL Draft Center.