This will be the first season where New England will closely track the QMJHL Draft.
Ever since the Canadian Hockey League ruling last November, prospects who play in that league can still be eligible to play NCAA Division 1 hockey. The CHL (made up of the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League, the Ontario Hockey League and the Western Hockey League) is all about regional rights. The QMJHL has regional rights to players in Quebec, Atlantic Canada and New England.
The QMJHL will host its 12-round draft at the Vidéotron Center in Quebec City on June 6 and 7.
In early May, the QMJHL posted lists of eligible players from Quebec and Atlantic Canada, as well as New England. The list also includes 42 players that QMJHL teams specifically requested to be considered for the draft. You can't be drafted if you're not on the list.
Players born in 2006 will be eligible for the draft. The big question: Will QMJHL teams draft '06s?
While this is the first draft with all of these New Englanders now fair game to be picked and potentially come, QMJHL teams will likely consider mainly '09s and then '08s early in the draft. Those players have the best chance of playing for multiple seasons in the league.
For '06s and '07s, the high-end ones may be picked in the back half of the draft. But most will likely either sign with a team right after the draft or just attend a team's camp later in the summer.
Again, this is the first time the draft will play out in this format. But from what I hear, that's the most likely way this will go.
Only 15 players born in 2006 are on the New England list, so we'll look at each player's stock heading into the draft.
Let's dive in.
