I can tell Lemieux is going to be one of the more interesting prospects to watch the year. At moments he’s the best player on the ice, using his impressive offensive toolkit in conjunction with his above-average frame to create chances for himself and his linemates at a high rate, but his shift-by-shift consistency is still something that needs to be worked on. Lemieux is very difficult to contain along the perimeter in the offensive zone, especially against players his own age, demonstrating the ability to protect the puck from defenders and withstand contact with ease which allows him to hold onto the puck longer than most. He won a large majority of his battles thanks to his physical advantages, outmuscling opponents to win position in the offensive zone before setting up cycle sequences. He had flashes of really heady playmaking low in the zone as well, using shoulder checks prior to his puck touches which allowed him to make quick one touch feeds to dangerous areas that caught defenders off guard.

Lemieux’s play at this event made me incredibly optimistic about his potential as a high-end prospect for the 2026 QMJHL Draft, even if he didn’t necessarily dominate the scoresheet. He’s a tall and rangy forward with impressive offensive tools, most notably his puck skills which he used to maneuver around sticks and poke checks in traffic to gain access to dangerous areas along the middle of the ice. For a bigger player he was quite elusive along the perimeter in the offensive zone as well, anticipating pressure accordingly and pivoting away from defenders to work his way into space and connect on passes to the middle of the ice. His anticipatory habits came in handy off-puck as well, telegraphing plays before they occurred to jump into lanes, pick off passes and make quick passes to teammates while on the counterattack. He used his reach very effectively as well, using it to knock pucks off defenders sticks and block outlet passes in the offensive zone that lead to turnovers and prolonged zone time.