Last season, the CHL-USA Prospects Challenge kicked off for the first time, giving fans and NHL scouts a first glance at how the top major junior talents would fair off against the USA National Team Development Program.
The last event was a success, with wide acclaim and Team CHL sweeping the Americans. As for the QMJHL side, the event showcased eventual first round picks Caleb Desnoyers (2025 fourth overall pick, Utah Mammoth) and Justin Carbonneau (19th overall pick, St. Louis Blues), however notably omitted eventual fellow first rounder Bill Zonnon (22nd overall pick, Pittsburgh Penguins).
Three names for this year's event, which will take place in Calgary and Lethbridge on November 25th and 26th, have been announced as joining Team CHL, one from each league. The QMJHL's representative is none other than reigning defenseman of the year, Blainville-Boisbriand's Xavier Villeneuve.
Villeneuve, 17, is coming off of a 62-point, 61-game sophomore season with the Armada last season. The Laval, QC native also has experience representing Team Canada at the Under-17's in 2023 (3 points in 7 games) and at the Under-18's with eight points in seven games). Through Villeneuve's two games since the 2025-26 season kicked off last week, he's tallied two assists.
The 5-foot-11 left shot defenseman is a highly mobile, puck moving defenseman, whose skating draws comparisons to that of Lane Hutson. He boasts a quick, and accurate shot, however his passing and puckhandling is what seperates him from the pack.
Already Villeneuve has been ranked anywhere between as high as 9th overall by ElireProspects and as low as 27th by The Hockey News' Ryan Kennedy. Personally, Villeneuve looks like a potential Top 10 talent in the draft, however concerns with his lacking size could see him slip come June.
His addition to the roster comes just a few days after he was named as one of the first 12 players confirmed for the QMJHL's very own Top Prospects game in October in Sherbrooke.
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