The start of the Stanley Cup final is not the only focus in the hockey world this weekend. The QMJHL draft monopolizes attention in Moncton and both the Remparts and the Océanic risk making a lot of noise.
The first round begins on Friday (7 p.m.) on TVA Sports, while rounds 2 to 14 will follow on Saturday (from 8:30 a.m.). Moncton is the host city for the first time since 2009.
Already, the pot of rumors is boiling on the stove. Persistent signals are sending the very first pick of the Cape Breton Eagles auction to the Remparts, although nothing is confirmed yet.
It is obviously Maddox Dagenais, son of former Canadian Pierre Dagenais, who would be the object of their lust. The burly 6’3″, 180 lb forward has 81 points in 35 games this season with the Quinte Red Devils, Ontario. He comes first among the prospects ranked by the Recruitment Support Center (CSR).
“We won’t comment other than to say that I am working on different things to improve our position in the first round. Everything will be played out live at the draft,” noted Remparts general manager Simon Gagné.
Already transactions
In the meantime, the Remparts have already started to stir things up by acquiring two 20-year veterans. The transaction sending right winger Justin Côté from Drummondville to Quebec was made official Thursday morning. As expected, the Remparts gave up their second round pick in 2026. To date, Côté boasts 90 goals and 84 assists in 197 games.
This transaction completes the one which sent Kassim Gaudet to the outfielders last January. Incidentally, Gaudet was traded again, this time to the Saguenéens, for second-round picks from this year and 2026.
The Remparts also obtained defender Benjamin Vigneault from the Victoriaville Tigres, in addition to a fourth round pick (acquired from Gatineau) next year in return for a fourth round pick on Saturday and another third round pick. next year.
“You never know what can happen, but in my head, they will be our 20-year-old players with [Antoine] Michaud. Yes, we remain a young team, but with good 20-year-old players and good goalkeepers, we can achieve interesting results,” said Gagné.
The Oceanic on a mission
Eyes are also on the Rimouski Océanic, which as the host team of the Memorial Cup tournament next spring is aiming for top honors.
A first step in this direction was taken with the acquisition of 20-year-old defender Pier-Olivier Roy, who will be one of the best on the circuit next fall.
The Océanic sent the Foreurs (who had acquired Roy from the Tigres) two first picks in 2025, in addition to fifth and seventh round picks next year, a third round pick on Saturday and defenseman Pierre-Marc Minville .
The shopping would not end there since the rumor sends forward Mathieu Cataford, author of 90 points last season with the Mooseheads, in the direction of Halifax. He was a third-round pick of the Vegas Golden Knights last June.
In Moncton, the directors general held a meeting and, among other things, they are trying to put in place a new regulation to ban blind body checking (blind side hits).
THE MAIN HOPES (CSR ranking)
1. Maddox Dagenais, striker (Quinte, U16 AAA)
2. Tynan Lawrence, forward (Shattuck St. Mary’s, U16 AAA)
3. Benjamin Cossette-Ayotte, defender (Trois-Rivières, M18 AAA)
4. Jayden Plouffe, forward (Esther-Blondin, M18 AAA)
5. Cameron Chartrand, defenseman (Bishop Kearney Selects, 15’s)
6. Romain Litalien, striker (SSF, M18 AAA)
7. William Yared, forward (Lac St-Louis, U18 AAA)
8. Chad Lygitsakos, forward (Trois-Rivières, M18 AAA)
9. Thomas Rousseau, attacker (Saint-Eustache, M18 AAA)
10. Ryan Howard, forward (Lac St-Louis, U18 AAA)
