Chicago Blackhawks prospect Xavier Villeneuve won’t let size deter his NHL dreams: ‘I believe in myself’
NHL teams usually allow time for their drafted defensemen to develop to a professional level. Diamonds such as Matthew Schaefer can pop up, but it’s normal for a player to need a season or more to develop.
The Chicago Blackhawks will do this with Xavier Villeneuve, their pick at No. 34 in the 2026 draft. He was their first selection after they traded the No. 4 pick to the Buffalo Sabres for Bowen Byram.
Villeneuve had 143 points (26 goals, 117 assists) in 152 games with the QMJHL’s Blainville-Boisbriand Armada. He’s an offensive defenseman who can glide across the ice and move the puck with equal ease.
“He was one of those guys that really popped for me when I met him in person — I just loved the passion he spoke with when he talked about the game,” general manager Kyle Davidson said June 27. “I just felt the passion oozing out of him (and) that gives you a good belief that he’s going to do everything possible in his power to become the player he can be.
“From a hockey standpoint, the offense and the skating is one that you need to see from a defenseman of his size.”
He’ll play at Boston University in 2026-27, following former Terriers Sacha Boisvert, Ryan Greene and Drew Commesso.
“He’s a great kid, he’s got great personality (and) great energy, but then also the way he plays the game, he’s going to help us in a lot of ways,” BU coach Jay Pandolfo said. “He’s certainly going to help us offensively, and we think he can push the pace for our group. We’re excited to have him.”
BU is known for nurturing players into NHL-ready talent. Macklin Celebrini, Jack Eichel, Brady Tkachuk and Jake Oettinger are BU alumni who have established themselves among the NHL’s best.
It was an easy choice for Villeneuve to commit to the Terriers.
“The first thing was the people over there, the coaching staff were really amazing,” Villeneuve told the Tribune. “I talk with them pretty much every day. They’re just great people. There’s a couple (other) things like the history over there — it’s a hockey university — (and) what they did with similar players as me.”
BU has a track record of fostering smaller defenseman, such as the Montreal Canadiens’ Lane Hutson (5-foot-9, 162 pounds), who won the Calder Trophy in 2024-25. That should help Villeneuve, whose size is his biggest question mark.
He measured 5-11, 163 before the June draft. In comparison, Schaefer was 6-2, 186 when selected No. 1 in 2025, while the Hawks’ smallest defenseman, Kevin Korchinski, clocks in at 6-1, 185.
It was a bold pick by the Hawks because it’s a change of pace from their taller, bulkier defensemen such as Ian Cole (6-1, 237) and Alex Vlasic (6-6, 217). Villeneuve said after draft day that “I’ve got to get bigger,” but he believes his skills make up for his smaller stature.
“The way I can move (and) how dynamic I am, I think that makes up for it,” Villeneuve said. “I don’t think I could do that at 6-4 or 220.”
The Hawks have driven down the small-blueliner road before with success. The crowning achievement is Duncan Keith, a Hockey Hall of Famer and member of the NHL’s top 100 players of all time.
Small defenseman were a rarity in the early 2000s. Size bias was extreme early in Keith’s career, and he heard it all when he measured 6 feet, 168 pounds before the 2002 draft.
That didn’t stop the Hawks from selecting him at No. 54. While he later bulked up to 192 pounds, he still would be one of the leaner defenseman on the Hawks today.
“I had lots of people tell me maybe I should be a forward instead of a defenseman,” Keith told NHL.com’s Tracey Myers in November. “I just liked the position, I felt comfortable on the defense and I just believed in myself.
“The desire to get better and improve and the hunger and drive was always there. I didn’t really need any extra motivation but definitely used some of that talk as motivation.”
Keith played 16 seasons with the Hawks and a final season with the Edmonton Oilers and was a three-time Stanley Cup and two-time Norris Trophy winner. In the last year, he was inducted into the Hockey and Blackhawks halls of fame.
Pretty good for a small guy.
Villeneuve is no Keith yet, but the 18-year-old labeled the Hawks legend as a player who “ made me fall in love with the position of defenseman” and he uses Keith’s journey as motivation.
“I remember going to a (Canadiens) game once against Chicago (and) he played like 35 minutes and had three points,” Villeneuve said. “I was like: ‘This guy’s really the guy. He can do it all.'”
Despite being young, Villeneuve doesn’t lack for confidence. He starts sentences with phrases such as “I hate to be cocky,” then goes into the type of player he wants to be.
“I think that confidence (comes with) the work that I’ve done and I keep doing every day,” Villeneuve said. “It’s what allows me to do some crazy stuff on the ice — I believe in myself and believe that (if) what I do during practice works, why would it not work in games?”
The belief in himself isn’t new. He said he knew he could do great things at an early age.
“This kind of sounds cocky a bit, but ever since I was super young, I was just running these stairs at home like 150 times every day,” Villeneuve said. “It was always more than a dream, so I knew if I worked, I could do it.”
The Laval, Québec, native was born to play hockey. Villeneuve’s uncle, Steve Maltais, had his No. 11 sweater retired by the Chicago Wolves, while his father, Alexandre, and brother, Charles-Olivier, have played in non-professional leagues.
As Oct. 2 — the day of Villeneuve’s presumed BU debut — approaches, he’ll keep some family advice in mind.
“There’s so many people around here that told me basically just enjoy it and keep the fun part about hockey always there,” Villeneuve said. “That’s the message: Enjoy and play the game I love.”