Huskies, Cataractes, Voltigeurs continue fighting for spots in tier two.
Seven teams have now booked their spots in the 2026 QMJHL playoffs as the league starts to get into crunch time. Week 23 begins Thursday with a five-game slate:
Rouyn Noranda vs Chicoutimi - 7 PM EST
Quebec vs Baie-Comeau - 7 PM EST
Val-d'Or vs Sherbrooke - 7 PM EST
Rimouski vs Blainville-Boisbriand - 7 PM EST
Halifax at Gatineau - 7 PM EST
And here's how the power rankings are shaping up:
Tier One - Contenders
1. x - Moncton Wildcats (40-8-3) (Prev. 1)
2. x - Chicoutimi Saguenéens (37-8-5) (Prev. 2)
3. x - Blainville-Boisbriand Armada (31-14-6) (Prev. 3)
No changes at the top, though some of the tier two challengers are definitely pulling at Blainville-Boisbriand's lead. The Wildcats continue to cement their top spot with an active 12-game winning streak, and have looked unstoppable led by Caleb Desnoyers.
Tier Two - Pretenders
4. x - Drummondville Voltigeurs (32-15-6) (Prev. 5)
5. x - Rouyn-Noranda Huskies (30-14-7) (Prev. 6)
6. x - Shawinigan Cataractes (30-17-6) (Prev. 4)
7. x - Newfoundland Regiment (31-19-2) (Prev. 7)
8. Cape Breton Eagles (26-17-10) (Prev. 8)
Every team here except Cape Breton (who aren't far away) have clinched a playoff spot, and it's all about jockeying for seeding now. In particular, Drummondville, Rouyn-Noranda and Shawinigan have been battling all season, and are refusing to let the Armada run away with the Western Conference.
Newfoundland have been hot of late, going 7-3 in their last 10, and 2-0 last week. They continue to sit well back of the top two in the East, but are working to secure the third seed over the Eagles.
Tier Three - Hopefuls
9. Quebec Remparts (26-21-4) (Prev. 9)
10. Charlottetown Islanders (24-20-8) (Prev. 11)
11. Val-d'Or Foreurs (24-22-5) (Prev. 10)
12. Sherbrooke Phoenix (24-23-4) (Prev. 13)
13. Halifax Mooseheads (23-24-5) (Prev. 12)
The pack of five middling teams has started to solidify itself, sitting well above the true rebuilders but behind the dark horse-level teams.
While teams like the Remparts, Islanders and Foreurs in particular have talented players and the ability to steal games against better teams, but don't have the whole team required to truly cause damage come playoff time.
Tier Four - Rebuilders
14. Victoriaville Tigres (19-27-5) (Prev. 14)
15. Saint John Sea Dogs (19-28-5) (Prev. 15)
16. Rimouski Océanic (18-32-1) (Prev. 16)
17. Gatineau Olympiques (16-30-5) (Prev. 17)
18. Baie-Comeau Drakkar (12-34-6) (Prev. 18)
No changes to the bottom five, as is maybe expected. While these are far from winning seasons, there are always small victories to take from lost seasons.
Alexis Joseph looks like the next true QMJHL star, and is a serious challenger for the no. 1 pick in the 2027 NHL draft. He's been on fire for Saint John of late, riding a five-game point streak and leading the CHL in points among 16-year-old players.
Egor Shilov and Alexey Vlasov have been amazing all year for the Tigres, and both still sit in the top 15 in QMJHL scoring.
Unfortunately, for the Drakkar, their big bright spot of late Samuel Caulfield is done for the season after undergoing surgery. There's a good chance he'll be back for his overage season before moving to Colgate University of the NCAA in 2027-28.
Never want to miss out on any QMJHL news? Make sure to book mark THN's QMJHL site.
Also follow @roryyarthur on X/Twitter for more updates.