The Moncton Wildcats have always had a presence in Caleb Desnoyers’ life.
His uncle, Simon Laliberté, played four seasons in Moncton from 1996 to 2000, serving as captain of the team in his final season. Then, his brother, Elliot, was drafted 18th overall in the 2018 Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League Draft and played two seasons with the club.
When the Wildcats had the No. 1 selection in the 2023 QMJHL Draft, it seemed like a no-brainer that they would select the highly talented Caleb as a future cornerstone of the franchise.
“The whole organization has some great family values,” Desnoyers told TSN prior to the start of the QMJHL final. “To be able to [have this journey] with my real family back home and follow in the footsteps of all the great names, including my uncle and brother, it’s great.”
Desnoyers lived up to both his family and on-ice expectations.
The 6-foot-2 centre was one of the league’s top players during the 2024-25 campaign, recording 35 goals and 84 points and won the Mike Bossy Trophy as the league’s top professional prospect.
He then added nine goals and 30 points in the playoffs as the Wildcats needed only 19 games to win the Gilles-Courteau Trophy with Desnoyers winning the Guy Lafleur Trophy as playoff MVP in the process.
Desnoyers’ fantastic season led him to be drafted fourth overall by the Utah Mammoth in the 2025 NHL Draft.
After taking some time to decide where he wanted to play this season, Desnoyers returned to Moncton where he would follow in his uncle’s footsteps and be named captain.
“You know, [taking the captaincy] was one of the reasons I wanted to come back and get that experience with Moncton,” said Desnoyers. “It’s great to do it with such great company here and the staff has helped me a lot. There are a lot of good leaders in this group of guys. Everyone has good values and great leaders so it’s really easy to be the captain and embrace it this year.”
Desnoyers began the season on the injured list but came back to finish second in team scoring with 22 goals and 78 points in only 45 games. His Wildcats finished the season with the QMJHL’s best record for the second straight year as they make a push to become the first back-to-back champions since the Saint John Sea Dogs won in 2011 and 2012.
The Wildcats made easy work of the Sea Dogs and Val-d’Or Foreurs in the first two rounds of the playoffs, sweeping them both away, respectively.
They then ran into a strong Blainville-Boisbriand Armada team in the semifinal that featured the league’s top goal scorer in Justin Carbonneau.
It was a hard-fought seven-game series where Moncton had to overcome some adversity. The Wildcats lost Game 1 in a heartbreaking fashion, falling 3-2 in quadruple overtime.
Then entering Game 6 with a 3-2 series lead, Moncton had a 2-1 lead with less than a minute to play in the third period and a chance to eliminate the Armada. The Wildcats were denied that chance when high-scoring defenceman Xavier Villeneuve tied the game 48 seconds remaining and then Carbonneau kept the Armada’s season alive by scoring the winner with less than a second left.
However, Moncton was able to show off their winning pedigree in Game 7, defeating the Armada 6-2 with Desnoyers contributing a goal and two assists.
Despite the scare, Desnoyers felt that going through the adversity of playing those high-leverage games will only help his team moving forward.
“I think it’s a big advantage, you know,” said Desnoyers. “I’ve mentioned a couple of times over the past few years, the only thing you can’t buy in the hockey world is experience and I think it’s something we have a lot of in our group.
“The boys went through all that last year. We went to the Memorial Cup, and even some of the young guys that are very talented have been in those big-game situations. I think it’s going to be good for us in the final and not feel like we’re in a new situation.”
As predicted, Desnoyers and his Wildcats need to rely on their experience as they head into Game 6 of the QMJHL final down 3-2 to the Chicoutimi Saguenéens.
Chicoutimi finished just one point behind Moncton in the regular season and also cruised through the first two rounds of the playoffs, sweeping the Halifax Mooseheads and Quebec Remparts, respectively. They then defeated the Western Conference’s No. 1 seed in the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies in six games to reach the final.
For the Saguenéens, their appearance in the final is a historical moment for the franchise as they’re making their first appearance since 1997 and are looking for their first championship in 32 years.
With all this in mind, Desnoyers knew that his team was going to have a fight on their hands.
“I think since the start of the season, a lot of fans thought this would be the final,” said Desnoyers. “We are two really good teams, and we know it’s not going to be easy. We have to be ready for them and bring our best every night.”
The two teams split the first four games heading into Friday’s Game 5. Moncton appeared to take control of Game 5, building a commanding 4-0 lead into the second half of the second period.
However, the wheels fell off for the Wildcats when they allowed six unanswered goals and eventually fell 7-6 to the Saguenéens. They are now facing elimination and will head to Chicoutimi for Game 6 on Sunday.
Their experience is going to come into play as they fight to stay alive and try to push the series to a decisive seventh game back in Moncton.
“I just have to say cold-blooded, not panic, and know what to say as one of the leaders of the team,” said Desnoyers. “As I said, it’s experience and I think it’s a big advantage in the hockey world. “I just need to keep my blood cold, keep my cool during those tough moments or big situations, and always focus on the next game and the next shift.”
These final games of the series could be Desnoyers’ last in the QMJHL as he will have opportunities to join the Mammoth’s organization, either in the NHL or with the AHL’s Tucson Roadrunners.
As he looks back at his time in Moncton, he can’t help but feel pride in the organization from watching them grow from a team that drafted first overall to a team with a chance to claim back-to-back championships.
“I take so much pride in wearing that logo and playing for our owner Mr. [Robert] Irving,” said Desnoyers. “I learned a lot about myself in my time in Moncton, becoming a young professional. I learned all the good habits, what to do and what not to do, in order to be a great hockey player and a good teammate.
“I’ve mentioned a couple of times, the team values help you grow as a hockey player, but especially as a young man, I’m just taking so much pride in loving my time in Moncton.”
