William Lacelle will depart the Q to join the University of Nebraska-Omaha.
It's the year of NCAA commitments, and it's always bitter when a player leaves early.
But, that's what Blainville-Boisbriand Armada goaltender William Lacelle has decided to do, announcing via his Instagram he'll be joining the University of Nebraska-Omaha for the 2026-27 campaign.
Lacelle, 18, is one of the top goalie prospects eligible for the 2026 NHL draft. He split time this past season between the Rimouski Océanic and Blainville-Boisbriand, posting a combined 27-15-1 record, .917 save percentage and 2.49 goals-against average.
William Lacelle with the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada. (Photo: Daniel St-Louis)These stats all rank in the top five among qualified QMJHL goalies in 2025-26, and help explain why he's so highly rated. He also posted a .909 save percentage in the Armada's run to the semifinal, though an injury forced him to miss the end of the series loss against Moncton.
The Gatineau native was the 10th overall pick by Rimouski in the 2023 QMJHL draft, and won the starting job down the stretch in his second season with the team, going 27-5-3 down the stretch in 2024-25 when the Océanic were a top contender.
While he lost his job after some shaky playoff performances, Lacelle sure showed his potential. He also has experience internationally with Canada at the U17 worlds.
All told, Lacelle is the 7th-ranked NA goalie by NHL central scouting, and is ranked 75th on the big board of all skaters and goalies by Elite Prospects.
His loss certainly shakes things up for the league, and weakens Blainville-Boisbriand, whether they were going to trade him to recoup some assets or try to use him as their starter again next season.
With his NCAA departure, that takes all these options off the table. But, that's how it works in the new CHL-NCAA landscape.
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