Projection: Top-Six Centerman

Strengths: Puck Protection, Finishing, Puck Skills

Development Opportunities: Skating

Lemieux is one of the premiere power forwards in this entire class, and as a 6’3 and 181 lbs center I imagine he’ll be highly valued among teams. He was able to physically dominate against older competition this year, demonstrating elite puck protection ability which allowed him to prolong possession on his touch and work his way to scoring areas on his rushes. His cycle game stood out as well for the same reasons, consistently being able to hold onto pucks and wear down opposing defensive structures with lengthy possession before leveraging his handling ability to work his way to the middle of the ice. He showed good engagement on the defensive side of things this year as well, making him one of the more complete pivots this class has to offer.

Lemieux’s junior success will only go as far as his skating will take him. There were times where I thought he even struggled with the pace of M18 play in terms of getting up and down the ice when the pace of play opened up. I still think he’ll be good enough in tight quarters to still be effective, but the feet should be the primary developmental objective for whatever team drafts him.

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.

The power forward had a really good showing, flashing the quality attributes he possesses shift after shift. He used his size and skill really effectively. His strong positioning paired up with his hockey sense off the puck allowed him to navigate the ice adequately, even if his skating needed some serious refinement. He constantly leveraged his frame to his advantage tonight, protecting the puck in transition, making it very difficult for his opponents to get him off it. Lemieux possesses very good hands, allowing him to execute plays in tight spaces and finish sequences under pressure. He shows a really solid edge control, but when he generates powerful, north-south stride, he can maintain possession through pace and strength. When in movement, his lower body core power helps him cover significant ice. He uses his long reach to close lanes and disrupt plays. At 6´3, his imposing frame and physical presence are felt in key areas of the game, particularly along the walls and around the net. He worked effectively in both areas of the ice, battling to retrieve pucks and recycle possession along the boards.