Islanders rise during hot streak, Voltigeurs drop tier after big loss.
Only three weeks remain in the 2025-26 QMJHL regular season. Here's how week 25 begins on Wednesday:
Blainville-Boisbriand at Saint John - 6 PM EST
Gatineau at Shawinigan - 7 PM EST
Newfoundland at Val-d'Or - 7 PM EST
Drummondville at Sherbrooke - 7 PM EST
Victoriaville at Quebec - 7 PM EST
Charlottetown at Rimouski - 7 PM EST
And here's how the power rankings shape up, with just three playoff spots left up for grabs:
Tier One - Contenders
1. x - Chicoutimi Saguenéens (42-9-5) (Prev. 1)
2. x - Moncton Wildcats (42-10-4) (Prev. 2)
3. x - Blainville-Boisbriand Armada (35-15-6) (Prev. 3)
We tried to get cute last week and add Drummondville to the three-headed monster, but Chicoutimi quickly proved us wrong with a monstrous 13-1 win over the Volts.
While the Armada technically sit behind the Voltigeurs in the West, they're ahead on points percentage, and there's no secret who has more talent.
In reality, though, it's a clear top two, then Blainville-Boisbriand in third. Chicoutimi went on a weekend rampage, avenging a surprising loss to Sherbrooke on Thursday by outscoring Drummondville and Rimouski by a combined 23-4 in their next two games.
Tier Two - Pretenders
4. x - Drummondville Voltigeurs (36-16-6) (Prev. 4)
5. x - Rouyn-Noranda Huskies (34-16-7) (Prev. 5)
6. x - Newfoundland Regiment (34-19-3) (Prev. 6)
7. x - Shawinigan Cataractes (32-19-6) (Prev. 7)
At this rate, the gap between the top seven and the rest of the group is sizeable, and will not close the rest of the way.
Each of these teams have had strong seasons, but questions remain on whether they can beat any of the big three in a playoff series.
While Shawinigan's form has dipped a bit in recent weeks, the other three are all trending positively as the intensity ramps up in March.
Tier Three - Hopefuls
8. x - Charlottetown Islanders (28-20-8) (Prev. 10)
9. x - Cape Breton Eagles (27-20-10) (Prev. 8)
10. x - Quebec Remparts (29-22-5) (Prev. 9)
11. x - Sherbrooke Phoenix (27-24-5) (Prev. 12)
12. x - Val-d'Or Foreurs (25-25-7) (Prev. 11)
13. x - Halifax Mooseheads (25-26-6) (Prev. 13)
A good amount of movement in the hopefuls tier, as hot streaks from Charlottetown and Sherbrooke give them some upwards momentum.
Both of those teams caused some upsets this past weekend, as the Phoenix took down the Sags while the Islanders beat the Armada. The question becomes whether these are one-offs, or if these teams can really cause more noise than expected.
Charlottetown, in particular, is certainly intriguing in that sense.
Tier Four - Rebuilders
14. Victoriaville Tigres (22-29-5) (Prev. 14)
15. Saint John Sea Dogs (21-31-5) (Prev. 15)
16. Gatineau Olympiques (18-34-4) (Prev. 16)
17. Rimouski Océanic (18-37-1) (Prev. 17)
18. Baie-Comeau Drakkar (12-39-6) (Prev. 18)
Every team above this tier will play playoff games this season, while these five teams battle it out for the last two spots.
But, to be honest, saying this is a battle is probably a stretch. Rimouski has lost 18 consecutive games, while Baie-Comeau has lost nine straight, and 13 of their last 14.
It would take something short of a miracle for either of these bottom two teams to muster anything close to a playoff push, even if the Olympiques are technically only four points ahead of the Océanic.
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