As a young child in Rimouski, Que., Xavier Villeneuve quickly decided he had no interest in trying to become the next Brian Orser, Kurt Browning or Elvis Stojko.
Villeneuve’s dad, Alexandre, put his son in figure-skating lessons at age four to help him learn to skate, but Xavier had other ideas.
“I was on the ice and I was crying and screaming. I really didn’t love it,” Villeneuve said with a laugh over the phone this week.
“He was playing (hockey) in the beer league next to us (at the same time). After his game, we always had the ice for an hour. It was free hockey, you could just shoot pucks. As soon as he put a stick in my hand, I started to love it. He couldn’t get me off the ice.”
Young Xavier clearly was on to something.
Fourteen years later, Villeneuve, 18, has developed into one of the most intriguing prospects for next year’s NHL Draft. He isn’t physically imposing at a slender five-foot-11 and 157 pounds, but you won’t find many teenage defencemen with better stick or skating skills.
The dynamic Blainville-Boisbriand Armada blue-liner certainly has similarities to reigning Calder Trophy winner Lane Hutson of the Montreal Canadiens (five-foot-nine, 162 pounds). Villeneuve embraces the natural link to an NHL defenceman playing less than 40 km away from the home of the CHL’s top-ranked Armada.
“To be compared to a great player like that is motivation to me,” Villeneuve said. “… Without being too cocky, I want to be in the NHL and want to be that type of player, too.”
Added Armada general manager Olivier Picard: “The way he moves with the puck, the way he sells one play and makes another one, he has some similarities with Lane Hutson. His compete level is pretty much the same …The way he moves on the blue line, fake, fake, fake, then bring it to the net, there’s a lot of similarities with what Lane’s doing.”
While Villeneuve knows his offensive game is his strength, he is fully aware one-dimensional players tend not to excel in the pro ranks.
Working on his defence has been a priority.
“I made the acquisition of some players like (Mael) Lavigne who’s six-foot-four, and he wants to go against one of those guys (in practice) because he knows at the next level, there’s not going to be five-foot-seven players he’s going against,” Picard said. “He’s trying to go against bigger guys and practice and find ways to still manage to defend even if they are stronger, taller or have a bigger reach than him. He’s doing what he has to do to make sure he can have success at the next level.”
The early results are promising. Just the third player to win the QMJHL’s top defenceman award at age-17 last season, Villeneuve already is a plus-10 through six games this year after being a plus-14 for all of 2024-25.
“The big question mark for people with my size is obviously can he defend because my stick is smaller, I’m not as strong physically,” said Villeneuve, one of the first three players picked for the 2025 CHL USA Prospects Challenge next month in Calgary and Lethbridge, Alta. “But to be the style of player I want to be, you can’t be six-four or six-three. It’s (about) being agile and moving quick. I’m not too worried about (his size). I’ve got other big strengths I can bring to the game.”
Villeneuve, whose older brother Charles-Olivier played 121 games in the QMJHL from 2021-24, may have had his best game of the season last week against previously unbeaten Charlottetown.
His first goal of the season was an absolute beauty, as he took a pass at the point, eluded two defenders and then went backhand to finish.
He added two assists, including another play for the highlight reels.
“It’s funny, in practice I love to practice moves and stuff,” he said. “So that game, I had a nice goal, I would have never thought about doing it. It was just kind of a read-and-react thing.”
“Even our players on the bench, they’re not surprised but (they’re still kind of) stunned every time,” Picard said. “They’re looking at each other like ‘holy (expletive). Even in practice.”
Playing on a team with NHL first-rounders Bill Zonnon (Pittsburgh Penguins) and Justin Carbonneau (St. Louis Blues), Villeneuve feels his squad has what it takes to make a run for the Memorial Cup.
If that happens, it will only help him with his individual goals.
“I want to be a first-round pick. That’s always been a dream of mine,” he said. “To get there, every day I want to prove to everyone I’m not just good defensively, I can be great.”
Canadian conundrum
On one hand, Hockey Canada will be happy to see a healthy chunk of Canadian teenagers making opening-night NHL rosters.
On the other, it could hurt Canada’s roster at the world junior championship if some of these players stick in the NHL.
The national program will be watching closely as guys like Michael Misa (San Jose Sharks), Matthew Schaefer (New York Islanders), Zayne Parekh (Calgary Flames), Sam Dickinson (San Jose Sharks), Berkly Catton (Seattle Kraken), Brady Martin (Nashville Predators), Braeden Cootes (Vancouver Canucks), Beckett Sennecke (Anaheim Ducks), Harrison Brunicke (Pittsburgh Penguins), Benjamin Kindel (Pittsburgh Penguins) and Jett Luchanko (Philadelphia Flyers) attempt to stay in the NHL. If they play more than nine games, the first year of their entry-level contract kicks in.
Several of these players figure to be returned to their CHL teams in the next few weeks. They also could be loaned to the Canadian junior team in December before ending up back with their junior club teams.
Canada is desperate to get back on the podium in Minnesota after being eliminated in the quarterfinals the last two years.
Calgary calling
Could Flames prospect Theo Stockselius come to Calgary to play junior hockey?
It’s possible after the Hitmen acquired the Swedish forward’s CHL rights in a trade with the Seattle Thunderbirds last week.
The second-round 2025 pick currently is playing at home with Djurgardens. But the Hitmen traded a fourth-round pick and three conditional picks, including a first-rounder, to get him, so Calgary clearly is going to make a strong pitch. The Hitmen and Flames both are owned by the Calgary Sports and Entertainment Corporation.
Surprise stories
The QMJHL’s Charlottetown Islanders and WHL’s Penticton Vees are two teams to watch after impressive starts.
The Islanders, off to a 6-1-0-1 start while playing just one game (their season opener) at home, made their intentions to contend clear with a significant QMJHL deal this week.
The Islanders acquired overage defenceman Dylan MacKinnon from the Moncton Wildcats for three draft picks.
The Wildcats had a surplus of overagers, and decided to part ways with a steady defensive blue-liner from last year’s league championship club.
The expansion Vees (4-2-0-1), meanwhile, swept a three-in-three trip to the U.S. last weekend with wins over the Portland Winterhawks, the Thunderbirds and Wenatchee Wild. Penticton has jumped up to the WHL this season after being a longtime BCHL franchise. Fred Harbinson, a fixture behind the bench., has continued to coach the team in a new league.
New York Islanders prospect Jacob Kvasnicka leads the Vees with 10 points in seven games. His WHL rights were acquired by Penticton in an off-season trade with Wenatchee.
Games to watch
Thursday, Oct. 9: Blainville Boisbriand Armada (5-0-1-0) at Newfoundland Regiment (4-2-0-0), 5:30 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. NDT
The CHL’s top-ranked team pays its first visit to a market bubbling with enthusiasm over the return of major-junior hockey. The Armada franchise started as the St. John’s Fog Devils in 2005 before moving to Verdun, Que., and then its current home.
Friday, Oct. 10: Kamloops Blazers (3-2-0-0) at Prince Albert Raiders (5-0-1-0), 9 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. ST
Two first-round prospects for next year’s NHL Draft clash square off. Blazers forward JP Hurlbert entered the week leading the WHL in scoring, while Raiders defenceman Daxon Rudolph has six points in five games.
Friday, Oct. 10: Michigan Wolverines (2-0) at Providence Friars (0-0), 7 p.m. ET
The Wolverines, who heavily recruited CHL players after the rule change late last year, outscored Mercyhurst 18-1 in their season-opening, two-game set last weekend. Montreal Canadiens first-round pick Michael Hage was the top NCAA scorer in the first weekend of play, registering seven points (two goals, five assists) for Michigan. Providence features Anaheim Ducks first-round pick Roger McQueen.
Tuesday, Oct. 14: Guelph Storm (3-2-1-0) at Kitchener Rangers (4-2-0-0), 7 p.m. ET
First meeting of the year between regional rivals battling it out to host the 2027 Memorial Cup. The CHL is expected to pick its ’27 host team by the end of 2025.
