LHJMQ development: Quebec hockey player celebrates record successes in the draft!

LHJMQ development: Quebec hockey player celebrates record successes in the draft!

The current draft period of the LHJMQ (Ligue de hockey junior majeur du Québec) on June 29, 2025 caused some positive surprises. After two difficult years in which the league experienced one of the weakest harvests in its history, especially in 2023, the LHJMQ is now experiencing an upward trend. As the site motozurnals.lv reports, a total of 19 players were selected, which is the highest level since 2022. Further details show that 13 of these 19 players come from Quebec. This is an impressive achievement for the region's hockey talent, especially considering there are three players from Quebec in the first round of the draft - a first since 2021.

An encouraging development, but also challenges

Mario Cecchini, the commissioner of the LHJMQ, highlights this progress: "We go from 12 players in 2023 to 19 this year." The estimates of scouts, who spoke of 12 to 15 players from Quebec and the Maritime Provinces, were almost correct. Despite the positive development, there are also players who were left empty-handed this year, including goalkeepers Louis-Antoine Denault (Remparts de Québec) and Mathis Langevin (Océanic de Rimouski) as well as striker Zachary Morin (Sea Dogs de Saint-John).

However, the current challenges cannot be overlooked. NHL reports recent NCAA rules are changing the face of North American junior hockey. This hits the LHJMQ particularly hard as it has the lowest number of NHL draft selections compared to its Canadian sister leagues, the OHL and WHL.

A look at the players

Particularly noteworthy are Caleb Desnoyers, who was selected as the 4th pick in the first round, and Justin Karbonau, who also came in this round as the 19th pick. At the start of the season, Desnoyers had given the other players the task of "making Quebec proud." According to him, not only talent but also pride in one's own homeland plays an important role in hockey.

Positive trends and outlook

Overall, the LHJMQ has only exceeded the 20 player mark three times in the last ten years. In comparison, the OHL brought 41 players into the NHL this year and the WHL brought 33 players into the NHL. However, Cecchini remains optimistic: "I think we can reach 30 players," said the commissioner. To achieve this goal, it is important to maintain players' internal motivation and keep the league competitive as a whole.

Another bright spot: Four Quebec goaltenders were selected in the first five rounds of the draft, including Gabriel d'Aigle of the Pittsburgh Penguins and Samuel Meloche of the Buffalo Sabres. These developments could help increase the league's attractiveness to future talent.

The LHJMQ has taken clear steps to strengthen its position in North American junior hockey and overcome market challenges. Let's stay tuned to see which players will make a splash in the coming season and perhaps find their way into the NHL. In the meantime, the hope remains that Quebec continues to play a significant role in the development of young hockey players, as statistics from recent drafts clearly show.

For more information about the match results and statistics, you can visit the LHJMQ official statistics page here.