Newfoundland Regiment 2025-26 Season Preview

Jacob Titus

Sep 11, 2025, 01:31

Jacob Titus

Sep 11, 2025, 01:31

Updated at: Sep 11, 2025, 01:31

While this will be the Newfoundland Regiment's first season, they will take on an unsatisfactory roster from the former Acadie-Bathurst Titan, who finished outside the Top 10 in points.

Justin Larose with the Newfoundland Regiment (Photo: Mike Meaney/Newfoundland Regiment)

Goalies

In net the team is rolling with three goalies.

To start, Montreal Canadiens prospect Mikus Vecvanags will return after a poor first six game showing to end his 2024-25 campaign, where he netted an .867 save percentage. He'll look to prove he can stay afloat at the QMJHL level.

The team will also retaine 2026 NHL draft prospect Antoine Proulx, who is set to make his QMJHL debut after a historic season in Quebec U18 AAA, posting a .939 save percentage over 20 games while going 19-1-0. He then led his team to a championship going 11-0 with a .904 save percentage.

Additionally, the Regiment brought on US free agent goaltender Chase Anderson. Anderson, 19, had a .926 save percentage in US Prep last season and is attending the Washington Capitals rookie camp.

All-in-all, there remains questions regarding what set-up the team goes for? Who ends up the starter? Do they roll three goalies all season? However the talent level is certainly enough to suffice. Due to the inexperience, the team will be rated conservatively in net, however I could see anyone of these goalies heating up and proving me wrong.

Rating: B

Defense

Despite the struggles last season, the Regiment's blueline this season projects to be among the best in the league.

Defensemen Noah Laberge (35 in 63) and Will Reynolds (14 in 64) are fresh off of getting rightfully selected in the 2025 NHL draft to the Buffalo Sabres and Seattle Kraken, respectively.

They were also able to add import Oliver Samson (33 in 63) from Baie-Comeau just this past week, while retaining overage defenseman Emile Perron (22 in 60), who will look to ascend past a 31-point career high from 2023-24.

Meanwhile, the then Titan's ninth overall pick in 2024, Biagio Jr Daniele (2026 NHL draft) should be poised to jump past his nine point rookie season last year. All the while, recent sixth overall pick Quinn Norman will look to make an impact right out of the 2025 QMJHL draft. Norman isn't eligible until the 2028 NHL draft due to his late December birthday.

While young, this team boasts both a lot of potential and some great immediate defensemen.

Rating: A

Forwards

Despite the Titan's reliance last year on overagers, the new-look Regiment will likely find better success offensively.

Blake Pilgrim-Edwards (31 in 62) returns as an overager, meanwhile former 80-point scorer Justin Larose (61 in 63) joins the team as its big addition up front.

Returning veterans of note include recent Dallas Stars draft pick Dawson Sharkey (39 in 54), Maddex Marmulak (26 in 60) and Tyson Goguen (31 in 64) Additionally, undersized forward Louis-Francois Belanger (32 in 52) will look to finally break out for his 2026 NHL draft campaign after back-to-back 32 point seasons.

The team has a bunch of notable additions as well.

Newfoundland picked up 19-year-old import Marek Danicek, who had 64 points over 41 games in Czech U20 and iced in 11 games in the top men's Czech Extraliga.

The youth movement is strong as well with recent fifth overall pick Benjamin Veitch (2028 NHL draft eligible) and second-year player, former 18th overall pick Liam Arsenault (16 in 55, 2027 NHL draft eligible) both are expected to be impact players as well.

Lastly, the team signed 19-year-old undersized free agent forward Max Dineen, who had 57 points through 32 games on the US prep school circuit and is committed to NCAA's Sacred Heart University.

All-in-all, the team has made big improvements, both coming interally and externally, ahead of 2025-26, and as such, I expect the offense takes a jump.

Rating: A

Verdict

The Newfoundland Regiment should take two massive steps this season: establishing themselves as a franchise literally speaking and also as a team that should land in the top six to eight of the league's standings.

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