It’s finally here! After a long and arduous season of watching more hockey than anybody probably should, we’re excited to release our final 2026 QMJHL Draft Rankings, consisting of 100 players to go along with 20 Honourable Mentions. As always, if you ever wanted to discuss my list or just talk hockey in general you can always each me @ARobScouting on Instagram and Twitter.
The Top of the Class
It was a clean sweep for Séminaire St-François Blizzard forward Jacob McKinnon, who started the year as our #1 prospect and who has ultimately finished at that spot as well. While he may not have ideal size for a first-overall selection, McKinnon more than makes up for it with an overwhelming amount of pace, skill and competitiveness. He put up 51 points in 42 games for a loaded Blizzard squad in where he was given more and more responsibility as the year went, demonstrating his ability to earn a coach’s trust. He’s one of the few players in this class who I could definitely see cracking a QMJHL lineup next season and making an immediate impact.
At 2nd overall, we have Châteauguay Grenadiers forward Julien Bergeron, another prolific scoring winger who was named rookie of the year in the Québec M18 Circuit after putting up 55 points in 42 games. He may not overwhelm you with plenty of pace or dynamism, but he’s one of the more intelligent and opportunistic players in the entire class, flashing high-end finishing ability around the net and using his above-average frame to create advantages for himself in small areas. I wouldn’t be shocked if when it’s all said and done, he ends up being the most productive player out of this class.
In our 3rd spot we took a shift over to the center position with Mount St. Charles pivot Thomas Boisvert. The highly skilled playmaker was lights out good for the Jr. Mounties this season, leading the entire team in scoring with 134 points in 62 games. He lacks ideal size to be a true franchise-altering piece down the middle of the ice, but relative to this class he possesses one of the higher ceilings and has all the tools to be a game breaker in the QMJHL level if he continues on his developmental trajectory.
This isn’t necessarily a deep draft for defenders, with just two rearguards finishing in my top-10 this season. Our top-ranked defenseman this year is Stanstead’s Éliot Faucher at 4th overall, an extremely toolsy and offensively gifted player who put up 61 points in 49 games at the Prep level this season. I’ve heard people compare him to Thomas Chabot at the same age, and while I don’t think that’s very far off, he’ll have to continue refining parts of his game if he wants to reach that ceiling. SSF Blizzard defender Vincent Boutet comes in at #8, one of the more projectable players in entire class due to his combination of size, mobility and physicality. I’m not sure the offense is enough for him to be a true #1 defender, but I do think he’s a player who could step into a QMJHL lineup tomorrow and make a positive impact.
The Best of the Rest
I wanted to highlight a couple of premiere centermen who I believe could go quite high on draft day. 6’3 and 181 lbs Pierre-Alexandre Lemieux is one of the best power forwards available, blending size, power and finesse to overwhelm defenders and create advantages for himself in tight quarters. He had one of the more productive rookie seasons in the M18 circuit as well, putting up 38 points in 42 games for the Collège Esther-Blondin Phénix. Bryce Lazare comes in just outside our top-10 but I could easily see an argument for him to be a part of that group. He’s one of the more polished players in the entire class, showcasing an impressive two-way game along with high-end playmaking which allows him to make a positive impact on both ends of the ice. It wouldn’t shock me if he cracked a QMJHL lineup next year as well.
Like I said before, there aren’t a ton of defenders at the top of the draft but one who has steadily climbed up my list all season long is Nathan Frost, who comes in at 14th on our list. He was part of that Connecticut Jr. Rangers that disbanded quite early in the year before making the move over to Canimex of the Québec M17 league. In my viewings of him there he looked far too advanced for that level of play, making his projection to the QMJHL a bit trickier than most. However, it was his play at the QMJHL Cup in April that convinced me of his standing as one of the best players in that second tier of defenders and also helping solidify himself in my first round.
Another defender who climbed up my board with his impressive play this season was Enzo Roy of the Lévis Chevaliers, who finishes at 15th overall. He lacks the typical size heralded for a first-round defender, but I think he more than makes up for it with his dynamic skating ability and offensive intelligence. He played a huge role in Lévis championship winning season as well, putting up 14 points in 18 playoff games along with 4 in 7 games at the TELUS Cup.
That all being said, I’m excited to be attending the QMJHL Draft in Halifax this year where I’ll be offering up live thoughts and analysis as soon as the picks roll in. Our American scout Kamron Robson will also be attending, so follow him @kamronrobson4 on twitter if you want to know about any American-born players your favourite team may draft this upcoming weekend! Below you can find our 20 HM’s whereas our top-100 list can be found on our 2026 QMJHL Draft Center.
Honourable Mentions:
Émile Bouchard, F, Gatineau L’Intrépide
Henry Collingwood, D, Bishop’s College
Riley Cormier, F, Kensington Wild
Nathan Desmeules, D, Saint-Eustache Vikings
Miguel Duplessis, F, Moncton Flyers
Sean Dwyer, F, Stanstead College
William Lachapelle, D, Québec As M17
Quinton Land, D, Steele Subaru
Alistair MacPhee, D, Steele Subaru
Kaylan Miansi, F, Mille-Iles Seigneurs M17
Zach-Olivier Morasse, D, Blizzard M17
Alexandre Paradis, F, Collège de Lévis
Zac Perreault, F, Laval-Montréal M18
Félix Potvin-Leblond, F, Blizzard M17
Charly Roy, F, Lévis Chevaliers
Tommy Soulière, F, Charles-Lemoyne M17
Konstantino Jr. Stafylakis, F, Laval-Montréal M17
Andrew Urquhart, F, Cole Harbour Hunters
Joseph Vachon, F, Châteauguay Grenadiers
Jeremy Wilson, D, Valley Wildcats U18