Future NHL stars are developing in the Canadian Hockey League this season. Every other week, NHL.com will highlight a few of the top NHL-affiliated prospects in the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League, the Ontario Hockey League and the Western Hockey League. This week, A look at some of the top performers so far in the QMJHL.
The QMJHL consistently has provided a solid development opportunity for future NHL stars, and the crop of players excelling in the league this season shows the high level potential for the next generation.
Here are some of the top performers in the league this season (players listed in alphabetical order; statistics through games Thursday):
Justin Carbonneau, RW, Blainville-Boisbriand (St. Louis Blues)
Carbonneau scored two goals in the third period, including the game winner, in a 5-1 victory against Val-d'Or on Feb. 7. They were his league-best 40th and 41st goals, the second straight season he's scored at least 40 (46 goals in 62 games last season). The 19-year-old also has 14 points (nine goals, five assists) during an eight-game point streak.
Selected by the Blues in the first round (No. 19) of the 2025 NHL Draft, Carbonneau is tied for eighth in the QMJHL with 63 points in 45 games.
Caleb Desnoyers, C, Moncton (Utah Mammoth)
Desnoyers had a goal and two assists in a 10-4 win against Charlottetown on Feb. 7 and has 17 points (four goals, 13 assists) during an eight-game point streak. The 18-year-old has six multipoint games during the run, including at least three points in four of his past five.
Selected by the Mammoth with the No. 4 pick of the 2025 draft, Desnoyers has 46 points (12 goals, 34 assists) in 29 games. His average of 1.59 points per game is second in the league among players with at least 20 games.
Rudy Guimond, G, Moncton (Detroit Red Wings)
Guimond's play is one of the biggest reasons Moncton already has clinched a playoff spot and has the best record in the league (37-8-3). The 20-year-old is 6-0-0 with a 2.32 goals-against average, .924 save percentage and one shutout in his past six games, and 30-5-2 with a 2.37 GAA. .921 save percentage and three shutouts in 37 games. He leads the league in wins, and ranks in the top three in GAA (third) and save percentage (second).
The Red Wings selected Guimond in the sixth round (No. 169) of the 2023 NHL Draft.
Alex Huang, D, Chicoutimi (Nashville Predators)
Huang has been one of the best defenseman in the league this season. His 47 points (six goals, 41 assists) in 46 games are second in the QMJHL at his position, and he's two goals away from matching the eight he scored in 61 games as a rookie in 2023-24. His plus-31 rating is second for Chicoutimi and a giant improvement from minus-13 two seasons ago.
The Predators selected the 18-year-old in the fourth round (No. 122) of the 2025 draft.
Maxim Masse, RW, Chicoutimi (Anaheim Ducks)
Masse has been one of the top scorers in the QMJHL since the calendar flipped to 2026, with 15 points (seven goals, eight assists in 13 games. That includes the game-winning goal plus an assist in a 3-1 win against Baie-Comeau on Wednesday. The 19-year-old is second in the league with 37 goals in 47 games this season, and his 67 points are tied for fourth.
The Ducks selected Masse in the third round (No. 66) of the 2024 draft.
Teddy Mutryn, C, Moncton (San Jose Sharks)
Mutryn matched his season high with four points (one goal, three assists) against Charlottetown on Feb. 7, and has seven points (three goals, four assists) during a three-game goal and point streak. In his first QMJHL season, the 18-year-old is fourth among first-year players with 54 points (24 goals, 30 assists) in 44 games.
The Sharks chose Mutryn in the third round (No. 95) of the 2025 draft.
Mateo Nobert, C, Blainville-Boisbriand (Vegas Golden Knights)
Nobert scored the first goal of a 5-1 win against Val-d'Or on Feb. 7, then added an assist to give him 13 points (five goals, eight assists) during a nine-game point streak. The 18-year-old is tied for eighth in the league with 63 points (25 goals, 38 assists) in 47 games.
The Golden Knights selected Nobert in the third round (No. 85) of the 2025 draft.
Nathan Quinn, C, Quebec (Philadelphia Flyers)
Quinn scored two goals including the game-winner in the third period of a 5-3 win against Rimouski on Feb. 7. The 18-year-old has 10 points (five goals, five assists) in his past six games and leads Quebec with 55 points (27 goals, 28 assists) in 43 games.
The Flyers chose Quinn in the sixth round (No. 164) of the 2025 draft.
Gabe Smith, C, Moncton (Utah Mammoth)
Smith has been on a hot streak for more than two months with points in 17 of his past 20 games dating to Dec. 7. He has 34 points (17 goals, 17 assists) during the run, including 10 multipoint games. The 19-year-old has 57 points (25 goals, 32 assists) in 44 games this season.
The Mammoth selected Smith in the fourth round (No. 103) of the 2024 draft.
Bill Zonnon, RW, Blainville-Boisbriand (Pittsburgh Penguins)
Despite missing 29 of the first 31 games because of an injury, Zonnon didn't need long to find his scoring touch, with 25 points (seven goals, in 18 assists) in 18 games since returning to the lineup regularly Dec. 28. That includes 18 points (six goals, 12 assists) in his past 12 games, with at least a point in 11 of them.
The Penguins selected the 19-year-old in the first round (No. 22) of the 2025 draft.
