NHL Draft: Three QMJHL players in the Top 22
June 27, 2025 - Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) News Release
Los Angeles, California - Tonight at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, Caleb Desnoyers became the fastest QMJHL player drafted since Alexis Lafrenière with the No. 1 pick in 2020, when he was selected fourth overall by the Utah Mammoth.
Desnoyers was drafted right after Matthew Schaefer by the New York Islanders, Michael Misa by the San Jose Sharks and Anton Frondell by the Chicago Blackhawks.
The 18-year-old centre was ranked seventh among the top prospects in North America according to NHL Central Scouting.
He had an 84-point season in 56 games with the Moncton Wildcats, before adding 30 points in 19 playoff games and winning the Guy-Lafleur Trophy as playoff MVP.
Desnoyers will eventually join a good group of young players in Utah, including Clayton Keller, Logan Cooley, Dylan Guenther, Nick Schmaltz, Mikhail Sergachev and JJ Peterka, recently acquired from the Buffalo Sabres. Not to mention Quebec-native head coach André Tourigny.
Justin Carbonneau with the Blues
Justin Carbonneau of the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada was drafted 19th overall by the St. Louis Blues. In 2021, the Blues also set their sights on a QMJHL product in the first round, Zachary Bolduc, 17th overall.
Carbonneau, a right winger, just finished second in the league in scoring with 89 points, including 46 goals.
Bill Zonnon in Pittsburgh
Finally, Bill Zonnon, ranked 31st by the Central, was drafted 22nd overall by the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Sidney Crosby's team traded its 12th pick to the Philadelphia Flyers for the 22nd and 31st picks, and one of them was used to get Zonnon, who recently moved from the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies to the Armada.
Zonnon, who can play both wing and centre, is coming off 28 goals and 55 assists with the Huskies, which placed him seventh in the QMJHL in scoring.
This is the first year since 2022 that the QMJHL has more than one first-round pick, as Nathan Gaucher, 22nd in Anaheim, and Maveric Lamoureux, 29th in Arizona, were the lucky ones that year.
Rounds 2 to 7 of the 2025 NHL Draft will take place on Saturday, starting at noon (Eastern time) / 9am in Los Angeles.
Commissioner Mario Cecchini will meet with the media in LA after.
Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League Stories from June 27, 2025
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