5 Wildcats on NHL's Initial Prospect List for 2026 Draft
Published on October 21, 2025 under Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL)
Moncton Wildcats News Release
The NHL Central Scouting has just released it's first rankings of the season, listing the top prospects to watch ahead of the 2026 NHL Entry Draft.
The list features a total of 55 QMJHL players that have garnered the attention of NHL scouting experts so far this year. Two of those prospects have been labeled as potential first-round selections: Victoriaville centerman Egor Shilov and Blainville-Boisbriand defenseman Xavier Villeneuve.
The players on the preliminary list with an A rating are considered as first-round candidates. Players with B ratings are considered as possible second- or third-round picks. Those with a C rating are potential fourth- or fifth-round selections, while players receiving a W grade are viewed as possible sixth- or seventh-round picks.
Six QMJHLers have received a B rating so far this season, while 22 have been graded with a C and 25 more find themselves in the W rating category. The Q is once again well represented in the goaltending department, with nine masked men currently ranked.
With six players ranked by NHL Central Scouting, the Halifax Mooseheads, Québec Remparts and Saint John Sea Dogs are the QMJHL teams that have the most prospects listed. The Moncton Wildcats and Victoriaville Tigres follow with five of their players mentioned.
Here are the QMJHL players on the initial list of the NHL CSS:
A | SHILOV, Egor - VICTORIAVILLE - C
A | VILLENEUVE, Xavier - BLAINVILLE-BOISBRIAND - D
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B | DAGENAIS, Maddox - QUÉBEC - C
B | LARYS, Jan - DRUMMONDVILLE - G
B | MORRISON, Charlie - QUÉBEC - D
B | MURNIEKS, Olivers - SAINT JOHN - C
B | STEINER, Lars - ROUYN-NORANDA - RW
B | WEINER, Jacoby - MONCTON - G
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C | BENT, William - HALIFAX - RW
C | BLEYL, Tommy - MONCTON - D
C | CHARTRAND, Cameron - SAINT JOHN - D
C | CHUDZINSKI, Rian - MONCTON - RW
C | COSSETTE AYOTTE, Benjamin - VAL-D'OR - D
C | COURCHESNE, Rafaël - SAINT JOHN - G
C | CYR, Simon-Xavier - GATINEAU - C
C | DOYLE, Eddy - HALIFAX - D
C | GILLHAM-CIRKA, Nicolas - HALIFAX - G
C | HOULE, Florent - SHERBROOKE - RW
C | HOWARD, Ryan - QUÉBEC - LW
C | LACELLE, William - RIMOUSKI - G
C | LEFEBVRE, Liam - RIMOUSKI - C
C | LITALIEN, Romain - CAPE BRETON - RW
C | ROUSSEAU, Thomas - SHERBROOKE - C
C | ROZZI, Dylan - SAINT JOHN - LW
C | SHAIIKOV, Danai - GATINEAU - G
C | TAILLEFER, Alexandre - QUÉBEC - D
C | TOURNAS, Niko - MONCTON - RW
C | VLASOV, Aleksei - VICTORIAVILLE - LW
C | VOIAGA, Nikita - CHARLOTTETOWN - D
C | YARED, William - SAINT JOHN - C
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W | BLAKE, Caylen - HALIFAX - LW
W | BOURQUE, Louis-Félix - DRUMMONDVILLE - RW
W | CATANZARITI, Anthony - VICTORIAVILLE - G
W | DAMPHOUSSE, Bo - BLAINVILLE-BOISBRIAND - D
W | DANIELE, Biagio Jr. - NEWFOUNDLAND - D
W | DENAULT, Louis-Antoine - QUÉBEC - G
W | DUMONT, Dylan - DRUMMONDVILLE - RW
W | DUSKOCY, Nolan - CHARLOTTETOWN - RW
W | FORTIN, Alexis - VAL-D'OR - D
W | JUKNA, Dovydas - RIMOUSKI - LW
W | KITCHENER, Dayton - DRUMMONDVILLE - G
W | KORNEYEV, Korney - VICTORIAVILLE - RW
W | KULEBYAKIN, Oleg - HALIFAX - LW
W | LABRE, Maddox - VICTORIAVILLE - D
W | LARSEN, Lynden - NEWFOUNDLAND - LW
W | LEMIEUX-GOUPIL, Émile-Alexandro - CHARLOTTETOWN - D
W | MAGNUSSON, Carl-Otto - MONCTON - D
W | MORIN, Zachary - SAINT JOHN - LW
W | MYLOSERDNYY, Michel - GATINEAU - D
W | OVCHAROV, Nikita - QUÉBEC - LW
W | RICARD, Émile - CHICOUTIMI - LW
W | SAUTHIER, Maxime - CAPE BRETON - C
W | STURGEON, Connor - RIMOUSKI - D
W | VLK, Filip - BAIE-COMEAU - LW
W | WALTERS, Daniel - HALIFAX - C
Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League Stories from October 21, 2025
- 5 Wildcats on NHL's Initial Prospect List for 2026 Draft - Moncton Wildcats
- NHL's Initial Prospect List Includes 6 Mooseheads - Halifax Mooseheads
- Quinn Returns to Junior A in Truro - Cape Breton Eagles
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