A live, updating feed of every bit of QMJHL action at night one of this year's NHL draft.
Hello and welcome to The Hockey News QMJHL's coverage of the 2026 NHL draft.
This feed will update live with every player from across the league being selected, or potential alumni being dealt in trades.
End of first round
Thank you for tuning into The Hockey News QMJHL's coverage of the first round of the 2026 NHL draft. Tune in tomorrow for our day two coverage!
Both players who were expected to go in round one went, both around where their ranges were expected to be.
Tomorrow, look for Xavier Villeneuve and Egor Shilov to go in round two, and a couple dozen more players to hear their names called by the end of the day.
Pick 31 (Nashville Predators): Tommy Bleyl
We've had our second QMJHL player go now, with Tommy Bleyl heading out to the Nashville Predators, who traded up to select him.
The dynamic blueliner stepped into the league as a rookie with the Moncton Wildcats and instantly became the top blueliner in the league, winning the rookie of the year and defenseman of the year awards.
Bleyl put up 81 points in 63 games with the Wildcats, and uses his smooth skating, explosiveness and offensive instincts to dominate play on the ice as an offensive defenseman.
Read our full draft profile here.
Moncton's Tommy Bleyl became the first QMJHL blueliner off the board in the 2026 NHL draft, heading to the Nashville Predators. (Photo: Daniel St-Louis)Pick 16 (St. Louis Blues): Maddox Dagenais
Halfway through the first round, we have our first QMJHL player off the board.
It's Maddox Dagenais who heads to the St. Louis Blues, joining up with Armada winger Justin Carbonneau, who the team selected around this range last season.
The top pick in the 2024 QMJHL draft is a physical forward with a big shot and the master of the reverse hit, and really came along well in the second half of the season.
The Remparts centre had 30 goals and 62 points in 62 games this past season, and has confirmed he'll be back in Quebec City next season.
Read our full draft profile here.
8:30 p.m. ET: Still nothing yet, but....
As expected, no QMJHL players off the board through the first 11 picks. But, in another world, Tynan Lawrence could've been the first off the board.
Now, he becomes the 11th overall pick of the St. Louis Blues in the 2026 NHL draft.
7:00 p.m. ET: The stage is set
The 2026 NHL draft is now underway at the KeyBank Centre in Buffalo. Enjoy the show!
6:30 p.m. ET – What to expect tonight
Remparts centre Maddox Dagenais could become the first QMJHLer off the board on Friday night. (Photo: Jonathan Savageau-Roy)It's not a banner year for the Q with players expected to go in the lottery picks, but there are a handful of players who are likely to go in the back half of the first round.
Quebec Remparts centre Maddox Dagenais is likely to be the first player off the board, with his strong second half of the season pushing him up the board, and in conversation to be a pick in the late teens, or somewhere in the 20s.
Moncton Wildcats defender Tommy Bleyl could also become the first QMJHLer off the board, with the smooth-skating blueliner having some admirers across the league, and could go anywhere in the 20s.
Victoriaville forward Egor Shilov and Blainville-Boisbriand blueliner Xavier Villeneuve are the two other players with a shot to go in round one.
Shilov is an attractive option for teams looking for a creative, deceptive playmaker, while Villeneuve's stock dropped after an injury-riddled campaign, but he provides a ton of dynamic offensive talent from the blue line.
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.
Read more
