FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Truro, N.S. (June 20, 2026) – The 2026 Maritime Junior Hockey League (MHL) Entry Draft, presented by McDonald’s Canada, was held Saturday in Campbellton, N.B. with 119 of the best young hockey players in the region selected to the league’s twelve teams over the course of ten rounds. The first two rounds were carried live on Eastlink Community TV and on Eastlink’s YouTube channel.
With the first overall selection, the Valley Wildcats picked forward Alex Peterson. The 17-year-old from New Maryland, N.B. had sixteen goals and 26 assists in 37 games for the Fredericton Caps U18 last season. He had four goals and nine assists in 11 playoff games as the Caps won the NB Major U18 Hockey League title. At the U18 AAA Atlantics, Peterson had two goals and three assists in four games.
The Yarmouth Mariners had the 2nd overall pick, selecting forward Matthew MacDonald from the Steele Subaru U18. The 16-year-old from Dartmouth, N.S. had nine goals and seventeen assists in 29 games last season, with two goals and nine assists in nine playoff games.
The West Kent Steamers were next, selecting forward Miguel Duplessis from the Moncton Flyers U18 third overall. The 16-year-old from Moncton, N.B. had seven goals to go with nineteen assists in 38 games for the Flyers, with three assists in playoff games.
Valley were back on the clock with the fourth pick and selected defenseman Quinton Land from the Steele Subaru U18. The 16-year-old from Bedford, N.S. had ten goals and fifteen assists for Dartmouth in the regular season, with three assists in nine playoff games.
The Mariners picked forward Drew Moores from Rothesay Netherwood Varsity U18 at fifth overall. The 17-year-old from Conception Bay South, NL had seven goals and sixteen assists in sixteen games last season, adding one goal in three playoff games.
The Eastlink North Division champion Edmundston Blizzard were up next, selecting defenseman Jamie Jaillet sixth overall. The 16-year-old from Moncton, N.B. had two goals and six assists in 35 games for the Moncton Flyers U18. He notched one assist in eleven playoff games.
At seventh overall, the draft host Campbellton Tigers selected forward Nathan LeBlanc. The 16-year-old from Moncton, N.B. was the third player selected from the Moncton Flyers U18 in the first round. LeBlanc had seventeen goals and eleven assists in 38 games, with four goals and an assist in seven playoff games for Moncton.
The Blizzard were back on the clock at eighth overall, selecting defenseman Carter Giberson from the Fredericton Caps U18. The 15-year-old from Woodstock, N.B. had three goals and eight assists in 36 regular season games, as well as one goal and one assist in eleven playoff games.
Valley made their third and final selection of the first round at ninth overall as they picked centre Hunter MacLean from the Steele Subaru U18. The 16-year-old from Bedford, N.S. had ten goals and six assists in seventeen games last season, with five goals and four assists in nine playoff games.
Yarmouth also had three first-round picks and again looked to Newfoundland, selecting forward Luke McGuire tenth overall. The 16-year-old from Conception Bay South, NL had fifteen goals and nineteen assists in 27 games with Edge School U17 last season.
The Grand Falls Rapids had the last two picks of the first round. At eleventh overall, they selected forward Bodan McFadden from Rothesay Netherwood Varsity U18. The 16-year-old from Moncton, N.B. had six assists in fourteen games last season, with one assist in three playoff games.
Finishing off the first round, Grand Falls picked defenseman Samuel Williams. The 16-year-old from St. John’s, NL had three goals and thirteen assists in 29 games last season for the East Coast Blizzard U18. Williams tallied one goal and two assists in eight playoff games.
The MHL congratulates all players selected during the draft. Full results from the 2026 MHL Entry Draft are available at: https://mhldraft.rinknet.com/
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Media Contact:
James Faulkner
Director of Communications
Maritime Hockey League
jfaulkner@themhl.ca