Simon Gagne Says James Scantlebury Joins Remparts in August 2026
Simon Gagné said this morning that James Scantlebury has decided to join the Remparts de Québec in August 2026, ending the wait on the club’s 2025 first-round pick. The move gives Québec the 9th overall selection it traded to obtain, and it brings another player from the draft class into the lineup pipeline.
Scantlebury Chooses Québec
“Nous sommes très heureux que James se joigne à nous dès le prochain camp d’entraînement, Lorsque nous l’avons sélectionné au dernier repêchage, nous étions confiants de le voir débarquer à Québec à un moment donné,” Gagné said at the morning press conference. His comments put a timeline on a decision the team had been waiting to see resolve since the draft.
Scantlebury had spent last season with the Chicago Steel of the USHL, and the Remparts respected his choice to continue there before he changed course. Gagné said, “James avait pris la décision de poursuivre son cheminement avec le Steel de Chicago de la USHL et nous avons respecté son choix. Quelques contacts ont eu lieu pendant la saison, mais ce n’est que lorsqu’elle s’est terminée que nous avons poursuivi nos discussions. La transaction que nous avons effectuée pour obtenir le 9e choix au total nous rapporte aujourd’hui ce que nous espérions.”
Québec Paid To Move Up
The trade with the Saguenéens de Chicoutimi that secured the 9th overall pick now has a direct payoff. Québec used that first-round slot on a Montreal center born on January 15, 2009, listed at 5 feet 10 inches and 172 pounds.
Scantlebury backed up the draft value with production in the USHL. He finished with 16 goals and 23 assists for 39 points in 62 games, and he was selected to the USHL rookie team. Those numbers explain why Québec pushed to get into position for him in the first place.
Third 2025 Draft Arrival
He becomes the third player from the 2009 birth year and the 2025 draft class to join the Remparts, after Thomas Charbonneau and Alex Desruisseaux. That gives Québec another drafted piece moving into the organization while the club keeps building around its 2025 group.
Scantlebury said, “Je suis très reconnaissant de l’opportunité que j’ai eu cette année avec le Steel à Chicago, et maintenant je suis fier et excité de me rejoindre aux Remparts de Quebec, une excellente organisation avec un groupe de joueurs excitant.” For Québec, the added piece is not just the pick itself but the fact that the player the club targeted at 9th overall is finally on track to arrive.
