As the Hlinka Gretzky Cup comes to a close and teams across the hockey world begin gearing up for the 2025-26 season, the upcoming 2026 NHL draft class is coming into focus.
With that, The Athletic's Scott Wheeler released his preseason top 32 rankings, and QMJHL talent is represented across the list as well as the honourable mentions.
Here's where the QMJHL players fell in Wheeler's eyes.
Xavier Villeneuve: 14
The 5-foot-10, shifty Armada defenseman lit up the QMJHL last year, scoring over a point per game. Villeneuve has also featured internationally for Canada at the under-17 and under-18 levels. Of note, zero defensemen shorter than 6-foot were selected in the 2025 NHL draft, so Villeneuve will look to buck that trend for 2026.
Lars Steiner: 29
After a strong rookie season with Rouyn-Noranda, scoring 60 (23+37) points in 57 games, Steiner finds himself ranked at the back end of the first round by Wheeler. The 46th pick in the 2024 CHL import draft has represented Switzerland internationally at the youth ranks all the way from the under-16 level to being part of their World Juniors squad in 2025.
Cameron Chartrand, Maddox Dagenais, Dylan Rozzi, Yegor Shilov: HM
Among the 39 honourable mentions listed, four are QMJHL players. Cameron Chartrand, who featured for Canada at the Hlinka Gretzky; Maddox Dagenais, the first overall pick in the 2024 QMJHL draft; Dylan Rozzi, the eighth overall pick in the 2024 QMJHL draft; and Yegor Shilov, who will play for Victoriaville as an import after playing last season in the USHL.
Additionally, Tynan Lawrence, whose rights are owned by Chicoutimi but is expected to continue next season with the USHL's Muskegon Lumberjacks, is ranked fifth on Wheeler's list.
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How Did The QMJHL Perform At The Hlinka Gretzky Cup
The <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/international">Hlinka Gretzky Cup</a> is over with the United States coming out on top for the first time in over two decades. One QMJHLer was part of the gold medalling Americans, 17-year-old centerman Nolan Duskocy of the Charlottetown Islanders. Duskocy tallied four points (1+3) over five games for Team USA.