QMJHL Entry Draft completes first round

Vincent Ethier/QMJHL

QUEBEC CITY - The opening round of the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League Entry Draft has come to a close.

18 players – only four of whom were not forwards – were selected in the first round. It was also a Quebec heavy opening round.

Here's a quick recap of what went down inside Videotron Centre on Friday night.

		Player	P	H	W	Team (Prov)
1	SNB	Alexis Joseph	C	6'4"	198	Esther-Blondin (QC)
2	RIM	Zack Arseneault	RW	5'11"	169	Saint-François (QC)
3	HAL	Malik L'Italien	LD	6'2"	191	Stanstead (QC)
4	QUE	Thomas Charbonneau	LD	6'2"	168	Shattuck St. Mary's (QC)
5	NFL	Benjamin Veitch	C	6'2"	199	York-Simcoe (NL)
6	NFL	Quinn Norman	LD	6'0"	159	Vaughn (NL)
7	CHA	Antoine Provencher	C	5'11"	180	Charles-Lemoyne (QC)
8	NFL	Phenwick MacLean	C	6'1"	167	Dartmouth (NS)
9	QUE	James Scantlebury	C	5'8"	171	Bishop Kearney (QC)
10	SNB	Nolann Héroux	C	5'7"	150	St-Eustache (QC)
11	VIC	Deryk Lemaire	C	6'1"	194	Magog (QC)
12	GAT	Louis-Étienne Halley	RW	6'3"	193	St-Eustache (QC)
13	GAT	Clément Landry	LD	6'3"	217	Laval-Montreal (QC)
14	CAP	Olivier Charron	C	5'9"	181	Châteauguay (QC)
15	SHA	Frédéric Bergeron	C	6'0"	168	Trois-Rivières (QC)
16	SHE	Emrick Nolette-Robidoux	RW	5'11"	161	St-Hyacinthe (QC)
17	QUE	Carter Meyer	C	5'11"	162	Rivers School (MA)
18	RN	Jayden Pominville	C	5'8"	141	Esther-Blondin (QC)

Some news and notes from Friday night...

• In his opening remarks, QMJHL commissioner Mario Cecchini thanked the Acadie-Bathurst Titan for their years in the league and officially welcomed the Newfoundland Regiment.
• After much talk about the Rimouski Oceanic trading the second overall pick, the Memorial Cup hosts hung onto the selection and took forward Zack Arseneault.
• Nice to see the draft host team picking early for a change.
• The Newfoundland Regiment selected St. John's native Benjamin Veitch with their first ever draft pick. Veitch also debuted the Regiment jersey (a CCM branded version, anyways).

  Here it is in all its glory - the Newfoundland Regiment navy blue jersey.
  
  Proudly carrying history onto the ice, our new jersey is inspired by the courage, unity, and resilience of those brave soldiers.
  
  It’s more than just a uniform, it’s a symbol of our province’s legacy.… pic.twitter.com/uoZ0YfZZZs

  — Newfoundland Regiment (@nlregiment) June 7, 2025

• The Regiment used the sixth overall pick to select another Newfoundlander, taking defenseman Quinn Norman – a Conception Bay South native who spent this past season with the Vaughan Kings in Ontario.
• QMJHL MVP Jonathan Fauchon gave a speech prior to the seventh overall pick being made.
• Forward Antoine Provencher, who was ranked third by QMJHL Central Scouting, slid to the Charlottetown Islanders at seventh overall.
• The first trade of the draft happened at pick No. 9 when the Chicoutimi Sagueneens swung a deal with the Quebec Remparts. The Remparts used the pick to select forward James Scantlebury, the highly touted forward who recently signed a tender agreement with the USHL's Chicago Steel. The Remparts are confident they can get Scantlebury into the QMJHL.

  Simon Gagné sur James Scantlebury:
  
  «Je le vois dominer depuis les rangs atomes, pee-wee et bantam. Il nous a visités durant l'hiver. Il est commis avec Chicago [USHL], mais après discussion avec ses agents et son papa, je suis confiant de le convaincre de venir jouer à Qc.» https://t.co/MpBbpEyo9N

  — Mikaël Lalancette (@MikLalancette) June 7, 2025

• The Sea Dogs were the first team to use a timeout, taking a pause after the Scantlebury selection. They ultimately hung onto the pick and selected forward Nolann Héroux.
• Mathieu Cataford, who was named the QMJHL's most outstanding student athlete, gave a speech prior to pick No. 13.
• The Cape Breton Eagles moved into the first round after making a trade with the Sagueneens. With pick No. 14, the Eagles selected forward Olivier Charron.
• The Remparts used a timeout ahead of making pick No. 17. They took a big swing with the pick, selecting American forward Carter Meyer, who is committed to the USNTDP for next season. Meyer was the first and only American taken in the first round.
• The Sea Dogs used a full timeout ahead of pick No. 18 and then traded the choice to the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies for four picks. Rouyn-Noranda used the selection on Jayden Pominville, the son of former NHLer Jason Pominville. 

Rounds 2-12 will take place Saturday at Videotron Centre, beginning at 11 a.m. Atlantic.