‘He's a complete 200-foot player’ | Laberge becoming a top offensive defenseman in QMJHL

Noah Laberge sat in the LECOM Harborcenter locker room prior to his first Prospects Challenge game in September, nervous about the challenge of playing physically developed competition as a then 18-year-old defenseman.  

It was a significant step up from what the 2025 fifth-round pick usually sees with the Newfoundland Regiment in the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). However, Laberge’s play – highlighted by a perfect pass to fellow defenseman Radim Mrtka to kick off the scoring in Game 1 – gave him the confidence to return to Newfoundland and dominate in his final season at the major junior level.

“It really helped,” Laberge said. “I was like, ‘Oh yeah, I can play with them.’ Before that first game, I was so nervous and then after the first few shifts, I realized I can play this level and I have this in me and I have the talent to do that. That gave me a huge confidence booster that, that level is really achievable for me."

Laberge is a smooth-skating, puck-carrying defenseman who thrives in transition. Those components helped Laberge adapt to the quicker pace of those Prospects Challenge games – something that came as a shock to him following his draft year with the QMJHL's Acadie-Bathurst Titan.  

What Laberge gained from the three Prospects Challenge contests was how to make quicker plays with the puck without the extra second of pace that junior hockey presents. Laberge said he learned how to handle harder forechecks and the pressure of playing in bigger games, something that will help him as the Regiment gear up for a QMJHL playoff run.  

“What I felt in those prospect games, and I feel it now too, when I have the puck, I have a lot of time to think about it,” Laberge said. “With the puck, and in those prospect games, the first few periods were a little stressful, but the more and more that I got the puck, I knew that I could make the plays and skate with the puck and that people around me would be in the right places and everything.” 

Laberge’s puck play and distribution has molded him into one of the QMJHL's top offensive defensemen. The Quebec native has the sixth most points by a blueliner in the notoriously offense-heavy league with 45 points in 52 games.  

Laberge is tied for third among league defensemen (and tied for 13th among all players) with 39 assists. His offensive production hasn’t surprised Regiment coach Gordie Dwyer, who played five NHL seasons with the Tampa Bay Lightning, New York Rangers and Montreal Canadiens. 

“He's always been a D-man that's an excellent skater,” Dwyer said. “He's got great mobility. He's a real cerebral player with the ability to drive transition, but his development has really started in his game here recently. Whether it's passing execution, the responsibilities on the leadership side, his physical play, his shot blocking, penalty kill, top player assignments, those are all areas that he continues to improve on. ... His game continues to develop offensively.  

Laberge is the orchestrator at the top of Newfoundland’s traditional 1-3-1 power play which has a defenseman at the top, two players near the half wall, a bumper in the middle and a net-front presence.  

The blueliner has been the catalyst for a Regiment power play that ranks fourth in the QMJHL with a 27.0-percent conversion rate. Laberge is tied for the third most power-play assists with 23 and has the third most power-play points by a defenseman with 25.  

Laberge’s ability to skate with the puck has allowed Newfoundland to be successful with zone entries which in turn gives them the chance to set up its power-play unit. Dwyer refers to Laberge as one of the top power-play quarterbacks in the league. 

“As the quarterback, it's not me that's going to shoot the most,” Laberge said. “It's not me that's going to have the most goals on the power play, but when I have the puck at the top, or when I do a breakout, it's always (about) putting my teammates in a good position.  

“At the top, making a little fake, getting some more time for my teammates, making a shot on net that's not only for scoring, but for a rebound. On the power play this year, it's been a lot better because all of our units have been really good at trusting each other. Everybody can do the job so we're putting it on a tee and people are scoring.”

A native of St-Bruno-de-Montarville, Quebec, Laberge is over 1,000 miles away from home playing in the eastern-most province of Canada.  

Dwyer has watched Laberge develop during each of the defenseman's three seasons, having coached him at both Acadie-Bathurst and Newfoundland. The former NHL talent recognizes there’s one brewing in Laberge.  

“He's a really complete 200-foot player," Dwyer said. "Seeing him add those extra responsibilities of minutes played, of top player assignments, helping our penalty kill. All of that continues to drive his development, and we feel the added responsibility this season moving forward only helps him with his development. Having that responsibility, being first over the boards on the power play, first over the boards on the penalty kill, having the first-minute, last-minute assignments. That does wonders for a player's development, and his future is bright because of that.” 

Much like his time during the Prospects Challenge, Laberge will continue his development against older competition next year at Northeastern University. Laberge announced his commitment on New Year's Day and is now one of over 300 players from the three CHL leagues to commit to playing at the NCAA level.  

It’s a cultural shift in the sport ignited by the NCAA’s new legislation back in November of 2024, which permits players with CHL experience to play college hockey. It’s an opportunity Laberge hadn’t thought of much growing up, but one he’s deemed to be the right path for his development after conversations with the Sabres. 

“I'm ready for a new level,” he said. “I think college would be great for me. A lot more defensive league, a lot more physical league so both things that are really good to grow my game out. ... To go to Northeastern, that's where I could get the best opportunity for next year, the most playing time and it’s such a great organization so I'm really looking forward to it.”

Prospect Spotlight

Konsta Helenius, F – Rochester Americans (AHL) 

After a successful first nine games with the Sabres, Helenius (first round, 2024) was reassigned to the Rochester Americans to continue playing games during the NHL’s Olympic break.  

Helenius has surpassed his point total from his first North American season with 37 points in 39 games with the Amerks in 2025-26. Since being reassigned, Helenius has eight points in six games.  

Helenius shined during the AHL’s All-Star Skills Competition and took home the fastest skater award with a blistering time of 13.770.

Devon Levi, G – Rochester Americans (AHL)  

Levi continues to be a workhorse for Rochester coach Mike Leone and leads the AHL in games played by a goaltender with 35.  

Levi has allowed two goals or fewer in eight of his last 10 starts. He ranks seventh among qualified goaltenders in save percentage (.913) and 11th in goals-against average (2.51).  

Joel Ratkovic Berndtsson, F – Karlskrona HK (HockeyEttan)  

Ratkovic Berndtsson (seventh round, 2022) continues to have a career year with Karlskrona HK in HockeyEttan, which is the third tier of professional hockey in Sweden.  

The 2022 seventh-round pick has 30 points in 34 games with 11 goals and 19 assists. 

Ratkovic Berndtsson has his highest point total since he played J20 with Frolunda and while he’s fourth in team scoring, he has a team-best plus-16 rating.