JC Lemieux – 2026 NHL Draft Prospect Profile

JC Lemieux

2025-26 Team: Sudbury Wolves (OHL)
Date of Birth: June 19, 2008
Place of Birth: Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Ht: 6-foot Wt: 187 pounds
Shoots: Left
Position: Center
NHL Draft Eligibility: 2026 first-year eligible

Rankings

• NHL Central Scouting Final Rankings: 103rd (Among NA skaters)
• Baracchini’s Top 96 March Rankings (THW): 72nd
• Forbes’ Top 96 April Rankings (THW): 55th
• Tony Ferrari (THN): 67th

When the Windsor Spitfires drafted JC Lemieux in the second round of the 2024 OHL Priority Draft, the organization was hoping that he could become a part of the strong core of players on the roster (Liam Greentree, Jack Nesbitt, and AJ Spellacy), but with a deep roster, Lemieux found himself fighting for opportunities in the top half of the forward grouping the Spitfires had. That led to his being traded to the Sudbury Wolves during the 2025-26 regular season, where he found more opportunities and ran with them in his draft year.

While Lemieux had shown signs of being a player who could be a top-six OHLer in his time with Windsor, he got that chance in Sudbury and showed that he could handle that. He has an offensive game that makes him a threat to either shoot the puck or be a playmaker, though he’s not necessarily a play driver. He does his best work when he is away from the puck, causing chaos with his high motor and work ethic. He is relentless on the forecheck and a pure pest to play against, making sure his opponents know he is on the ice, then turning around to use solid but not strong skating to get into open ice and find a teammate. Lemieux’s skating mechanics will need some tweaking, as he tends to hunch over a bit too much to be a speedy skater at the next level.

On the defensive side of the game, Lemieux plays a responsible game from his center position and is just as big a pest on the backcheck as he is on the forecheck. His offensive game may not translate into being a high-end producer at the NHL level, but the grittiness and work ethic he has should catch the eye of an organization in Buffalo at the end of June. A solid showing at the U18 World Junior Championship with Canada also helped his draft value.

Other THW Draft Profiles

• Brett Liske
• Samuel Eriksson
• Ethan Belchetz

JC Lemieux- NHL Draft Projection

The way Lemieux put his game on display in the 23 games he played with Sudbury this season, along with a solid showing at the U18 WJC, he could end up hearing his name called in the third round of the 2026 Draft. He has the nastiness and motor that teams love to have in the bottom half of their forward lineup.

Quotables

“Lemieux plays with speed, and he’s a relentless forechecker. He’s not going to be a point-producer in the NHL, but he has the potential to be a legitimately dangerous bottom-six forward who can kill penalties.”- Steven Ellis, Daily Faceoff

“Lemieux has a great shot out there and he’ll need to use it a little bit more, but he’s pretty offensive type of hockey player who also plays 200 feet. He skates well and he moves the puck when it needs to be moved.”- Scott Barney, Sudbury Wolves head coach

Strengths

• Battles at both ends of the ice
• High motor
• Relentless on the forecheck and backcheck
• Has solid enough skating to be a threat with his speed
• Strong shot

Under Construction- Improvements to Make

• Skating mechanics will need work to take his speed to another level
• More of a play supporter than a driver
• Passing accuracy lacks at times

NHL Potential

At a minimum, Lemieux has the playing style to be a third or fourth-line center who is a pest to play against. He has the offensive game to bring some secondary offense and could carve out a role as a penalty killer as well. If he can take the next jump in his development, he could end up being a middle-six player.

Risk-Reward Analysis

Risk: 2.5/5 Reward: 4/5

Fantasy Hockey Potential

Offense: 6/10 Defense: 6/10

Awards/Achievements

• 2024 U17 WHC Gold Medal (Canada White)
• 2025 Hlinka Gretzky Cup Bronze Medal (Canada)
• 2026 U18 WJC (Canada)

Interviews/Links

• Sudbury Star- Sudbury Wolves’ JC Lemieux excited for opportunity with Canada U18s

JC Lemieux Stats

Videos

Power play precision 🎯

JC Lemieux jumps on the rebound and gets the @Sudbury_Wolves on the board in game two!#BFDvsSBY | #OHLPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/nI9pSBeidD

— Ontario Hockey League (@OHLHockey) March 29, 2026

WHAT A GOAL BY LEMIEUX 🤯@OHLHockey | @FloHockey pic.twitter.com/rgwEMNkcOs

— Sudbury Wolves (@Sudbury_Wolves) February 1, 2026

JC ON A TEE🚨

Jean-Cristoph Lemieux absolutely unloads a one-timer on the powerplay and now has a point in all three games for the @Sudbury_Wolves so far!@FloHockey | #NHLDraft pic.twitter.com/xc3iOkhp2m

— Ontario Hockey League (@OHLHockey) January 11, 2026