Red Deer phenom Madden Daneault dominating AEHL

“We won the fall classic here in Red Deer, so that was good to win, and I mean, the team has just been going. We’ve had lots of chemistry to start the year, and we are looking forward to keeping it going in the second half,” he said.

Daneault currently leads the AEHL in scoring, 29 points ahead of the league’s next-best scorer.

His stellar play has helped lead the Red Deer Rebels to an undefeated first half of the 2025-26 season with 18 straight wins in league play. They’re currently the only undefeated team in the league.

“[Head coach Justin Jarmolicz] has never had a team like this before, and I feel like just for him it’s awesome to give him this experience,” he added.

The Rebels hosted and won provincials in the 2024-25 season. During that stretch, Daneault led with 21 points in 10 playoff games en route to a gold medal victory over the Calgary Northstars.

Daneault said the goal is to win it again this year, and he feels they have the team to do it.

“We’re pretty skilled, and we like to play hard. Not many teams like to play against us, so I feel like we have a good shot,” Daneault explained.

He also played three games this season with the U18 AAA Red Deer Optimist Chiefs, where he notched six points.

He said it was a great team to be a part of.

“They welcomed me in right away,” he said. “They are all just great guys, and I couldn’t have been any happier that I got the opportunity to play with them.”

When asked if he plans to play for the Chiefs next year at 15, he said he will see how the draft and the offseason go.

“It would be good to play here and another year in my hometown,” he said. “Watching both of my brothers grow up through this program has been awesome, and I just want to follow in their footsteps.”

Multiple scouting agencies have Daneault going within the top two in the upcoming WHL Draft, including PuckPreps (first overall) and Elite Prospects (second overall).

He has garnered a lot of attention among scouts and hopes to show teams interested in drafting him that he plays the game hard on both ends of the ice, finishes checks and plays in the corners, and is a player that they can rely on.

(Amanda Brockhoff/Supplied)

A special player

Rebels head coach Justin Jarmolicz said Daneault is a special player.

“He competes all the time, and that’s the best part about coaching him. Obviously, his skill and high-end talent are there, but his willingness to compete on everything and be a good leader is the funnest part,” he said.

The Rebels’ bench boss explained that the level that Daneault and other players have brought to practice has elevated the team to new heights. He explained that his team is very deep this year, with the entire lineup contributing in their own way.

Jamolicz has coached some great players over the years, including Red Deer’s Nate Danielson, who was drafted ninth overall by the Detroit Red Wings in the 2023 NHL Draft.

He explained that Daneault is one of the top prospects he’s ever coached at this age level.

“He’s proven it with his point totals and his willingness to compete,” he said. “I’ve coached a lot of great players that are going to play the game for a long time at a high level, and Madden has the potential to be another one of those as long as he keeps on his development curve and works towards that. He’ll be one of those guys you get to talk about when you’re old.”

Jarmolicz said he’s known Daneault since he was seven-years-old and has coached both of his brothers, Ty and Easton.

“I wouldn’t want to play against him ever because he plays the game to win it and plays it hard. He’s an unreal kid, everybody loves him, he’s good to all of his teammates and everyone at the rink,” he added.

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An outside perspective

Director of scouting for PuckPreps, Joel Henderson, said the way Daneault moves and thinks the game is what separates him from the other draft-eligible players.

It’s also his composure, the way he collects pucks, and the details that make him into the player he is today.

“Since I’ve been doing this for several years now, throughout different years I’ve been able to see the style of players, the way that they move, the way that they think the game, and the way they can affect the game,” he said. “The only player that I can compare him to as far as all of those sorts of things is he moves and thinks the game the way that Macklin Celebrini did in his 15U season.”

Henderson said Daneault, much like Celebrini did at that age, has room for improvement in terms of pacing, strength, and speed. However, he also sees a lot of the same strengths.

“He thinks the game, he can tip pucks, he makes plays, he moves laterally so well, and is a dual threat shot passer,” he said. “He’s just an incredible player.”

At this point, Henderson believes Daneault has a good shot of being selected first overall in the WHL Draft, but he isn’t the clear runaway favourite.

He explained that in Western Canada, there’s a solid showing of players that, if they progress the right way, will be some of the top players in North America.

“He’s currently at a pace that’s similar to where Berkly Catton was at the time, but he moves and plays the game stylistically like Celebrini. I think that’s exciting for people to know and watch as he moves through because those players matured very well and ended up as top 10 picks in the NHL,” he added.

by Ian Gustafson

Red Deer phenom Madden Daneault dominating AEHL

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