After the Moncton Wildcats’ incredible season that saw them win the Gilles-Courteau Trophy as QMJHL champions and earn a berth to the Memorial Cup, much of the chatter surrounded top draft prospect Caleb Desnoyers. It was learned he played through injury most of the season, including injuries to both wrists during the latter stages of the playoffs. It made a great season for the 18-year-old only more impressive.

Desnoyers was selected fourth overall by the Utah Mammoth in June and had high hopes for being able to rehab the injuries during the offseason. That, however, was not the case. The Mammoth announced Thursday that Desnoyers has undergone wrist surgery and will be sidelined approximately three months.

• Watch the QMJHL all season with a FloHockey subscription.
• FloHockey's 2025 NHL Draft Coverage
• QMJHL, FloSports Ink Multi-Year Streaming Agreement

The Mammoth have not yet signed Desnoyers to his entry-level contract. It was believed he was keeping all options open for how to start the season, but this surgery will keep him out of Mammoth training camp and likely not available to play for anyone until early November.

All this really does is push Desnoyers’s season back, but it curtails the likelihood of him starting in the NHL for any portion of the season. Coming back from injury and trying to get up to speed with the Mammoth seems like a tall order for a rookie. 

This potentially minimizes the risk that the Moncton Wildcats lose the player that led them in scoring last season and was named captain for the 2025-26 campaign. 

The injury does throw a wrench into planning for his draft-plus-one season, but ultimately Desnoyers was unlikely to make the NHL roster out of camp and this all but assures it. Now the question is how quickly will he be able to get back up to speed for the next step in his young career.

Desnoyers had 84 points in 56 games last season for the Wildcats, then another 30 during the playoffs.

Moncton has been very aggressive this offseason in adding to their mix for the 2025-26 campaign. The club has signed a number of American-born players ahead of next season including San Jose Sharks prospect Teddy Mutryn. If Desnoyers comes back at full strength in November, the Wildcats will be a formidable team once again in the Q. 

While this isn’t an ideal situation for anyone, it’s certainly not a worst-case scenario. 

The Wildcats will open their season on FloHockey on Sept. 18 against the Newfoundland Regiment on the road.

NHL Prospect Coverage On FloHockey

The best, and most complete, coverage of the NHL minor league hockey and NHL Draft is found on FloHockey. Don't miss the latest new prospect guides, rankings and more from Chris Peters and the FloHockey staff.

Watch the AHL, ECHL, QMJHL, USHL, And More On FloHockey

FloHockey is the streaming home to some of the best hockey leagues in North America, including the ECHL and more. Check out the broadcast schedule to watch more hockey.

Join The Hockey Conversation On FloHockey Social

• Follow us on Twitter @FloHockey
• Follow us on Instagram @flohockey
• Follow us on TikTok @flohockeytv
• Watch us on YouTube
• Like us on Facebook