Team Canada defenseman Xavier Villeneuve, with the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada (Photo: Sebastien Gervais)The Under-18 World Championships have kicked off yesterday in Texas, with a number of QMJHL players participating. Ahead of the main tournament, three teams -- Team Canada, Germany and Sweden -- participated in a stretch of pre-tournament play. These two games featured three QMJHL stars, including one 2025 NHL draft eligibles in Halifax's Liam Kilfoil and two 2026 NHL draft eligibles in Blainville's Xavier Villeneuve and Saint John's Camerond Chartrand, all for Team Canada.
The tournament rosters also included the additions of fellow 2025 NHL draft eligibles, Carlos Handel for Germany and goaltender Lucas Beckman for Canada, however neither played in the pre-tournament games due to their recent additions to the roster at the conclusion of the playoff runs of their respective teams.
Here's how the QMJHL's representatives looked at the pre-tournament over the past week.
QMJHL players at the pre-tournament games
Canada
- D Xavier Villeneuve - Blainville-Boisbriand Armada (2026, 62 points in 61 GP)
- Pre-U-18 Stats - 3 points (0+3) across two games
- C Liam Kilfoil - Halifax Mooseheads (2025, 46 points over 62 GP)
- Pre-U-18 Stats - 0 points across two games
- D Cameron Chartrand - Saint John Sea Dogs (2026, 52 points over 54 GP*)
- Pre-U-18 Stats - 1 points (0+1) across two games
*stats with Bishop Kearney 16U AAA selects
Team Canada kicks off their games today with a match against Slovakia at 2 PM ET, meanwhile Germany will play their first match of the tournament at 12 PM ET versus Czechia.
The tournament, which will provide upcoming draft eligibles one last showcase of their skills to NHL teams ahead of the draft, will wrap up by May 3rd, with the bronze and gold medal games.
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