Meet Madden Daneault, the 2029 NHL Draft star terrorizing just about everyone

Nov 6, 2026, 10:00 EST

Meet Madden Daneault, the 2029 NHL Draft star terrorizing just about everyone

Credit: Steven Ellis

OAKVILLE, Ont. – “Holy f—.”

That was everyone’s reaction (including the 10-ish-year-old in front of the media box) after 2028 NHL Draft prospect Maddox Schultz stopped a flying puck late in a shift and got it to Madden Daneault for the one-timer. It wasn’t an overly important goal – Canada White’s sixth in an eventual 7-2 win over Sweden. But it was special watching two elite talents showcasing their skill to a jam-packed junior hockey rink.

It was Daneault’s third point of the night, giving him four through two preliminary round games. Daneault has seven points through three games, and while it’ll be tough to surpass John Tavares’ 13-point run back from 2005, he has still been outstanding.

Daneault is no stranger to the spotlight. He has been touted as the best 2011-born prospect in Canada for a few years now, and scouts took notice early. No matter the event, Daneault was always one of the top scorers. He’s a two-time John Reid Memorial Tournament MVP – one of the biggest tournaments in Western Canada. In one especially dominant performance in AAA last year, Daneault had 11 points in a 19-0 victory for the Red Deer Chiefs U-15 squad. He finished the season with 65 goals and 149 points, with no other player even reaching the 90-point threshold. On goals alone, he would have been tied for sixth in league scoring.

Daneault was the near-consensus No. 1 prospect for the 2026 WHL Draft, with Kelowna ultimately taking him with the top pick. The league gave Daneault a special exception to play up to 34 games in the WHL as a 15-year-old, the same distinction given to Schultz and Liam Pue in Regina last year. Typically, recently drafted prospects can only play up to 10 games, but Hockey Canada can allow up to half a season in certain high-profile cases.

And so far, Daneault hasn’t let it go to waste. He’s currently sitting at 10 points through eight games. As it stands, his 1.25 point-per-game average is second all-time among U-16 players behind Connor Bedard, who had a 1.87 PPG through 15 games in 2021. Daneault should most certainly blast past Bedard’s 28-point output and become one of the most productive U-16 players of the 21st century.

When he’s not in the Dub, Daneault is back in Red Deer, playing with the Chiefs’ U-18 program. Like Schultz and Pue before him, Daneault says it’s been a bit difficult juggling the two leagues and different competition, but he’s enjoying the experience.

“Obviously it’s a lot going back and forth between Kelowna and Red Deer, but it’s fun,” Daneault said earlier this week. “Everyone supports me. My family supports me the most. And then the management and coaching staff down in Kelowna support me. I have all my friends back home, so it’s an easy transition to come back and just see all my buddies again.”

But there’s a reason he’s able to manage both – he’s a special talent. The numbers don’t lie.

“The kid’s got a shot on him and seems to be always in the right spot,” Schultz said about his Canadian linemate. “He’s so smart all over the ice and gets in the right areas.”

Daneault had the unique situation of getting drafted by the team in the midst of a Memorial Cup season. The Rockets ultimately lost, but Daneault credits some of the veteran leaders from last year’s team with helping to get him up to speed against tougher competition.

“All the vets [in Kelowna], they take me in so well,” Daneault said. “They teach me new things, just teach me how to make plays faster, think faster, and be better with my stick. It’s fun being the youngest [on the team], I’ve been the youngest my whole life. The guys take me under the wing there and just treat me so well.”

Daneault’s a high-IQ forward who’s always looking to make something happen with the puck. Some scouts consider him to be one of the most confident 15-year-olds in recent memory. He knows how to exploit open ice, and he’s exceptionally dangerous down the middle – something that isn’t always the case for a young forward. Daneault might not be the biggest kid, but he makes up for it with his fearless attitude and willingness to take on contact along the boards. He needs to get a little stronger, but given he’s only 15, it’s completely understandable. As it stands, Daneault’s is very close to a complete offensive threat, thanks to his skating, playmaking and hockey sense.

Daneault is as close to a play-driver as you’ll find at his age, too. Even when he’s playing with older linemates in Kelowna, they seem to look towards Daneault to bring the puck into the zone and create a high-quality play. He has one of the most accurate passes scouts have seen out of a 15-year-old in the WHL, and he rarely makes a mistake with the puck.

“The upside here is absolutely insane,” one scout said. “The skating is elite. His puck work is unbelievable. He thinks the game at such a mature rate already. He’s as close to perfect as you’ll find at this age.”

That’s a bold thing to say about a Grade 10 student. But scouts seem convinced Daneault is the real deal. As always, you have to keep expectations realistic about a young kid who’s still so far away from the NHL Draft.

But, dammit. He’s so much fun to watch.

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