On New Year’s Day, NU Hockey Blog broke the news that Northeastern had received a commitment from Noah Laberge, a defenseman currently playing for the Newfoundland Regiment of the QMJHL.
Laberge (pronounced lah-barej) is a left-shot defenseman and stands at 6-foot-1, 185 pounds. He is in his third year in the QMJHL, the first with Newfoundland. This year he has amassed 31 points (6 goals) in 34 games, good for fifth-best among QMJHL defensemen. Fellow commit Marcus Kearsey sits at sixth-best with a 9-21-30 line in 35 games for Charlottetown. Prior to this season, Laberge played two years for Acadie-Bathurst, scoring 59 points (16 goals) in 128 games. He played heavy minutes for both of his teams, and plays in all situations including powerplay and penalty kill. For Newfoundland, he las played on both sides of the defensive pairing, showcasing versatility. He was selected by the Buffalo Sabres in the fifth round of the 2025 NHL Draft, and played for the Sabres in the 2025 Prospect Challenge last September.
Ahead of the 2025 NHL Draft, Laberge drew positive reviews from scouts, most commonly for his defensive play, hockey IQ, and puck-moving ability. Elite Prospects’ draft guide stated “Laberge is an intelligent and mobile blueliner who specializes in suppressing opposing rushes. He plays a patient defensive game based mostly on his stick work. He funnels puck carriers to the outside, anticipates their movement and matches them, and cuts passes as they’re fired, limiting the opposition’s ability to orchestrate chances. When he regains possession, he immediately looks to the inside for an outlet, connecting with teammates as they rush up the ice, before following their movement.”
Neutral Zone scouting called him a “dependable, well-rounded minutes eater” and “a player who can anchor a pairing and handle difficult minutes.” When analyzing his game, Neutral Zone discussed his offensive upside, including his 35 points in 63 games, 4 shot attempts and 2.1 shots on goal per game during his draft year, indicating a willingness to fire the puck from the blue line and generate offense. NZ also highlights his competitive edge, physicality, and his efficiency and smarts as a puck mover, citing an 88% completion percentage for his passes, 1.04 pre-shot passes, 1 hit per game, and a 2:1 ratio of takeaways to giveaways.
After he was drafted, Joey Fortin Boulay of McKeen’s hockey discussed his rise in the eyes of the scouting community, saying “He has emerged as one of the league’s top defensemen, playing like a steady on-ice general. His game is more calculated and consistent, and he now thrives in all situations, deployed on both special teams, logging heavy minutes — often around 26 per night — while showing comfort on both sides of the ice. His value as a future pro lies in this growing versatility.” Boulay continues to marvel at the growth Laberge has had this year: “A smooth four-way skater with excellent edgework, he uses his flowing mobility for quick support and efficient transitions. He’s poised on retrievals, escapes pressure cleanly and delivers successful exit passes. In the offensive zone, he’s constantly involved, rotates fluidly with teammates and makes smart plays from the blue line. Defensively, his strong gap and reach steers opponents wide. His identity is now more defined and his rawness refined…as a 19-year-old, his development is impressive.
Laberge is slated for arrival in Fall 2026. He joins Marcus Kearsey, Owen Keefe, and Garrett Frazer as part of NUHB’s projected defenseman class for 2026. Given his extensive game experience and the heavy workload he is currently undertaking, we’d expect him to be counted on early in his NU career as well. Northeastern is looking at potentially all three left defensemen next year being freshmen in Laberge, Kearsey, and Keefe, however given their extensive junior hockey playing experience, the learning curve could be a small one. Laberge profiles as someone who will be a stalwart on the Northeastern blue line for years to come before he eventually signs with the Sabres organization.
Congratulations to Noah on his commitment to Northeastern!
As always, go Huskies!
Feature photo via Brian Babineau of Getty Images