Lorette prospect Laliberte nabs NHL invite

Lorette’s Avery Laliberte continues to level up his stock as a hockey player.

From Mantioba Junior Hockey League standout with the Niverville Nighthawks, to NCAA commit, to USHL draft pick and now NHL prospect, the star defenseman has had a strong year on the ice.

Laliberte was invited to the Winnipeg Jets development camp as a free agent, competing against high profile future professionals like Brayden Yager and first round pick Sascha Boumedienne.

“My advisor thought there was a chance, and when (Jets director of player development) Jimmy (Roy) called me I was pretty ecstatic,” Laliberte said following the final practice of the camp July 4.

“I was golfing at the time, and I told my dad I didn’t care if I shot 170, I’m pumped. It was awesome… It doesn’t get much better than that.”

Normally if Laliberte would be taking to the ice inside the Hockey for All Centre he would be hoping to sustain a winning match-up against MJHL teams near the bottom of the standings. Last week he was grinding out drills against some of the world’s best players in his age group and signing autographs for throngs of waiting fans.

“Seeing all the little kids, I remember when I was one of those kids coming and watching these way back when,” Laliberte said.

“It was special for me. I’m just grateful and happy I was able to take part in something like this.”

Laliberte reached out to some of the previous year’s participants at the Jets’ camp he is close with including Steinbach’s Luke Mistelbacher and former Niverville Nighthawks forward Nathan Brown.

“Those guys laid it out for me what it’s going to be like so I knew what to expect,” Laliberte said.

“It was great to have (Jets third round draft pick) Owen Martin here, he’s from Oakbank, so I’ve known him for a long time.”

Martin and Laliberte even played together on the Eastman Selects in their U13. For a team with two future standouts, they weren’t exactly powerhouses.

“Not very,” Laliberte answered with a laugh when asked how good the team was.

“I think we played 40-something games and we won six. Some dark days but I made a pretty good friend out of it.”

Laliberte said preparation is the key to thriving at a development camp.

“You obviously have to be in good shape, I think you have to know your strengths when you come to things like this, try to be what you are and don’t try to be something you’re not,” he said.

“Play within your strengths — I don’t want to say your comfort zone, because you never want to be comfortable — but you kind of have to stick with what got you this far and show them what you’ve got.”

Laliberte will start the season with Waterloo in the United States Hockey League, as he looks to make the leap to Northern Michigan University at the start of the 2026/2027 season.