Author: Dose

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QMJHL: 2026 NHL draft set to be tougher (1st round)

In the latest NHL draft, three QMJHL players were selected in the first round. Bill Zonnon, Justin Carbonneau and Caleb Desnoyers are the three guys in question. Is that a lot? Compared to what it’s been, or compared to the other two Canadian leagues, the answer is no. But seeing a Quebec player in the top-4 was interesting. Especially since in 2023 and 2024, the Q wasn’t represented in the first round…

(Credit: Hockey DB)

So, even if it’s hasty, we have to ask ourselves this: will the 2026 crop be interesting for the Québécois league? From what we understand, at the moment, it could be relatively… quiet in the first round. I say that because Scott Wheeler of The Athletic has ranked the top prospects in the 2026 crop. Xavier Villeneuve, a 5’10 defenseman from the Armada, and Lars Steiner, a Swiss winger who plays in Rouyn-Noranda and who Wheeler feels should go second, are currently ranked in the first round.[content-ads]

(Credit: The Athletic)

Yes, there are some honorable mentions (Cameron Chartrand, Maddox Dagenais, Dylan Rozzi and Yegor Shilov), but Villeneuve could be the only choice, really. That said, if we’re being pessimistic, we could also do the opposite. After all, this time last year, we certainly didn’t see Desnoyers in the top-4. And maybe Carbonneau and Zonnon weren’t in the first round in everyone’s eyes, let’s put it that way. There’s still some big hockey to be played before we can see what the outcome will be. [spacer title=’Overtime’]- Nice.

– CH: which players need to do better?[TVAS] – Really?

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Phillip Danault feels nauseous after losing to the Oilers

While one swallow doesn’t make a spring, the Los Angeles Kings’ rushed exit against the Edmonton Oilers in the first round has become almost proverbial. Despite making the playoffs in each of the last four seasons, the Californian club failed to advance to the second round, coming up against their Alberta rivals every time.

Even with home-ice advantage to start the series, the result has been the same, with the Kings losing in six games. And with the current ranking system, Los Angeles could well find Edmonton in their way at the next spring ball, and if it’s not in the first round, it’s likely to be in the second.

Defeating Connor McDavid and his gang is becoming almost a sine qua non if Los Angeles wants to aspire to top honors before seeing its window of opportunity. Phillip Danault is well aware of this and hopes this year will be the one, as we learn in an article by Stéphane Cadorette published on TVA Sports.

[content-ads] The former Canadien is fed up with losing to the Oilers to the point of nausea. It must be a very frustrating situation for the player. However, Danault also thinks that the Kings are only a few details away from being able to win against Edmonton.

The problem is that a few details can hurt you when you’re playing against players like McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, who demand constant vigilance. From a personal point of view, although offensive production has dipped a little in two seasons from 54 to 47 and then 43 points, Danault continues to be effective in his zone, as evidenced by his plus-20 differential last campaign.

The center is also pleased with the Kings’ new additions of defensemen Brian Dumoulin and Cody Ceci, and forwards Corey Perry and Joel Armia. The Québécois is particularly pleased with the arrival of Armia, whom he played with for several years with the Canadiens, and believes that Perry’s experience will be beneficial for Los Angeles.

All three players were part of the Canadiens’ run to the Stanley Cup Final in 2021, and if the past is any indication of the future, Perry’s presence should enable the Kings to reach the Final, albeit without winning the big one. spacer title=’Overtime’] – Oilers senior.

– Nobody likes a diva.

– The Canadiens are basketball champions!

– And in volleyball!

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Carey Price is immortalized at William Lake

Although Carey Price is still on the Canadiens’ payroll, he’s been enjoying his retirement for some time now. The former goaltender, who hasn’t played since 2022, was eligible for the Hall of Fame this year, but wasn’t included in the 2025 batch. It won’t be long now for Carey Price, who saw his former teammate and friend Shea Weber among those elected to the most recent selection.

For the time being, the Canadiens are not discussing retiring the number 31 from the goaltender who has played his entire career with the club. In 712 regular-season games with the Canadiens, Price posted a record of 361 wins, 261 losses and 79 losses in overtime, with an average of 2.51 and an efficiency percentage of .917.

His playoff stats are even more impressive with 2.38 goals allowed per game and .918 save percentage despite a negative record of 43 wins and 45 losses. Unfortunately, the lack of offense in front of him and a career cut short by a knee injury prevented him from winning a Stanley Cup.

However, while post-career professional honors are a long time coming for Price, he has just been immortalized in a beautiful way for his time in minor hockey in William Lake, B.C.

[content-ads] The Cariboo Memorial Recreation Complex has unveiled a magnificent chainsaw-carved wooden statue. The work, which commemorates his time with the local team from 2001 to 2003, shows the goalie in action and is beautifully crafted.

It’s incredible to think it was made with a chainsaw! It’s also a great honour for Price, and we’re betting it won’t be the last to mark his incredible career, both in the minors and professionally. However, while the former goalkeeper is living his best life as a retiree, many are wondering about his contractual situation with the Canadiens.

There’s still one year left on his 8-year, $84 million contract, and his annual salary of $10.5 million severely limits the Habs’ room to manoeuvre and their salary cap. While Price’s contract could hurt the Habs, it could help a team reach the salary cap, and like many, I wouldn’t be surprised if the club traded his contract before the start of the season. [spacer title=’Overtime’] – Jays loss.

– All good things must come to an end.

– Canada vs USA for the gold.

– Zdeno Chara is at it again!

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“Habs players aren’t just members of the club, they also become Montrealers.”

There’s a great culture permeating the Montreal Canadiens, where players and staff seem to have a lot of fun together and bonds are forged. Nick Suzuki is the perfect captain for this culture. He sets a good example every day, and the others follow suit. Suzuki likes to take advantage of the summer months in Montreal by going to places like the Lasso Festival (which took place over the past two days). Several Habs players were there this weekend, and even Martin St-Louis was spotted singing in the crowd. In short, many of the club’s players stay in Montreal during the summer, and by necessity, they immerse themselves in the Montreal culture. Stu Cowan discussed this on The Sick Podcast with Matthew Ohayon.

[content-ads]

“The Habs players are not just club members, they’re becoming Montrealers too” – Stu Cowan

It’s totally true what he said. There’s no better way to become a Montrealer than by living in the Québécois metropolis and spending your free time there, enjoying various events. The Habs players know that their fans are very intense and passionate, but this is reflected in every type of show in and around Montreal. Montreal crowds are always one of the best in terms of entertainment, whether it’s sports, music or anything else – just think of the fans who come to watch the players practice at the CN Sports Complex in Brossard every chance they get.

Lane Hutson and Ivan Demidov clearly enjoy staying in Montreal and seeing fans watch them practice in the middle of summer. It’s encouraging to see this fan support and to see them react when one of them decides to pull a rabbit out of their hat with a little lace, for example. The chemistry and culture are good in Montreal and it’s not about to go away.

[spacer title=’Overtime’] – Ekblad in Detroit, that would have been special.

– Read on.

– Unbelievable.

– What a beautiful gesture from Jelly Roll. He celebrated the 1300 days of sobriety of a fan in the crowd with him and started a song in his name to congratulate him.

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Patrik Laine wanted to give up hockey, but he hasn’t

It’s no secret that Patrik Laine had some pretty serious mental health problems in the past, when he was playing with the Columbus Blue Jackets. Laine had great difficulty getting over the death of his father in 2021, which greatly affected his performances on the ice, as well as his daily life. The Finnish forward was so unwell at one point, that he seriously considered giving up hockey altogether.

In a long and excellent interview with Helsingin Sanomat, a Finnish newspaper, Laine explains that, on several occasions, he informed his GM and agents that it was all over.

[content-ads] The Montreal Canadiens’ current forward just couldn’t take it anymore, as he was suffering too much mentally, and simply no longer had the desire to play hockey and the desire to practice.

It’s really sad to hear all this from a player as talented as Laine, who had had such a good start to his career with the Winnipeg Jets.

Fortunately, Laine said in the same interview that all thoughts of quitting hockey were gone, and that he was at a point where he was very happy again. Indeed, the Habs’ #92 explained that he was enjoying life and hockey again, which had not been the case for a long time.

Laine feels he can push himself again, and he’s very happy about that, as he feels he’s made a lot of progress and done a lot of work with himself. The bottom line is that Laine is more than happy in Montreal, and feels very much at home in his new city, while it’s clear he’d like to stay for the long term.

[content-ads] The coming season will clearly be decisive in this regard, as if the Finnish forward really wants to stay in Montreal, he’ll have to perform up to his talent. And let’s just say that it’s looking good, as the forward claimed to be in much better shape than at this time last year, which puts him in much better conditions to start the season. Laine trained most of the summer in Brossard, so he’ll be much more ready for the start of the season.

In short, we’re all happy to know that Laine is getting back into hockey, and that it’s happening in Montreal, a city he seems to love. Here’s the full article from the Finnish media, which is well worth a full read. spacer title=’Overtime’] – It’s really great to see.

– Great news,

– Unbelievable,

– To be continued.

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“I want to force them to keep me on the team” – Joshua Roy

Last season was full of positive elements for the Montreal Canadiens, especially given that for the first time since the start of the rebuild, the team was competitive all season long. However, if we overlook the fact that the Habs made the playoffs, that Lane Hutson was extraordinary, and that Ivan Demidov came to town, there were more negative elements.

And one of these was clearly Joshua Roy’s performance. Indeed, we all had pretty high expectations of the Québécois winger last season, after seeing him finish the NHL season in 23-24. We saw him making the team easily at practice, when he clearly had a position to lose.

In the end, Roy didn’t perform up to expectations, and worse still, he didn’t even do enough to keep a job that seemed predestined for him. So it was clear that the Habs’ #89 didn’t arrive ready for training camp, didn’t have the right mentality and didn’t have the knife between his teeth. But this year, things seem different listening to Roy talk, as he explained that he wanted to force the Habs to keep him in the NHL.

[content-ads] Indeed, as can be read towards the end of theabove article by Sébastien Deschambault, Roy seems to have a much better mentality ahead of the fast-approaching training camp.

This time around, Roy will arrive as an underdog rather than a guy with a job to lose, so the pressure will be off him, and he’s bound to surprise and make management think long and hard about him. And that’s exactly what Roy wants, when his goal is to play in the NHL and prove that he belongs there.

What’s even more striking about Roy’s comments is that he really does sound like a guy who will play in the NHL, or at least has a good chance of getting there, when yet, several guys have passed him by. Zachary Bolduc is the first name that comes to mind, when he was clearly acquired to fill the role that Roy failed to fill and keep.

[content-ads] Indeed, in the eyes of many fans, the Québécois has fallen in the club’s hierarchy, and he’s clearly not one of the names that comes to mind when we think of youngsters who could carve out a position with the Habs.And even in the eyes of management, we know he’s lost a lot of feathers, so it’ll be hard for him to force them to keep him after disappointing them last season.

Owen Beck, Oliver Kapanen and Florian Xhekaj are the guys we’re hearing a lot more about right now, not to mention Joe Veleno and Samuel Blais, two Québécois who’ll be desperate to carve out a place for themselves in Montreal. Nevertheless, Roy remains fairly confident that he has the same goal as his compatriots:

“All three of us want the same result, which is to play with the Canadiens. We’ve got competition, but we’re still chums in the same way.”

–

Joshua Roy

In short, even if it’s going to be very difficult for the Québécois to make his mark in Montreal, it’s good to see him with a good mentality, which is still encouraging for what’s to come. Roy knows that this is his last year of contract, and he knows that it’s going to be a big year and that he’ll have to prove a lot.

Spacer title=’En Rafale’] – That’s for sure.

– Well said.

– Very good news for soccer.

– Very tough game for Sealy.

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Patrik Laine says he’s in much better shape than at this time last year

Today, Patrik Laine was taking part in his annual charity golf tournament in Finland with Aleksander Barkov, and the Habs forward gave an interview to the Finnish daily Helsingin Sanomat in which we learned a number of interesting tidbits.

The best news is that Laine says he’s in great shape both physically and mentally. Compared to this time last year, the Finn feels much better in body and mind.

In order to be ready for next season, he has been training much harder than usual on an almost daily basis, including numerous on-ice exercises. Last summer, Laine trained just three weeks before the start of the campaign.

The 27-year-old is also aware that he can give the Canadiens more, especially in a five-on-five situation for a player with only three goals at even strength [content-ads]. For the man who once considered quitting hockey due to mental problems, this is an important subject and a cause that is particularly close to his heart, and one in which the athlete is deeply involved.

Laine has long struggled with depression following the death of his father in 2021, which manifested itself in a problematic addiction to video games. The Finn had to work hard and make many changes in his life to get back to normal, and decided to part with all his classic cars and settle for less ostentatious rental vehicles.

Since then, he and his wife have helped many people with similar problems, insisting on the importance of sharing their experiences and spreading the word. During the summer, Laine also spent a lot of time in Montreal and with his team-mates, including numerous weddings.

The forward’s time in Finland will be short-lived for Laine, who says he’s feeling more and more like a North American. However, he’s also aware that he could be traded by the Canadiens during the season, but prefers to concentrate on the things he can control, such as his choice of destination next year, as he becomes a free agent without compensation.

Let’s just say that it’s reassuring to see the Habs player in top form a month before practice, and who knows, maybe we’ll see the Patrik Laine of his heyday, when he scored 44 goals and 70 points in his second season?

[spacer title=’En rafale’] – A draw for CF Montréal.

–

do you think

– Victory for Canada.

🇨🇦🇺🇸

– What a pass!

– And what a catch!

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Patrik Laine and Aleksander Barkov at their charity golf tournament in Finland

Patrik Laine has been hard at work this summer, training and frequently on the ice in Brossard. But every summer, Laine, along with fellow Finn Aleksander Barkov, organizes a charity golf tournament in Nokia to raise money for sick Finnish youth.Laine left for Finland last week, following practice in Brossard. This year, the aim is to help Finnish youth with mental health, who will donate all their profits to a clinic covering mental health.

And today’s the day.

In the photo above, you can see that there is a large quantity of hockey pucks to be signed by the two Finnish stars and given to the children on site.

We know that Patrik Laine isn’t afraid to get involved in the community of the city where he plays, but he obviously still takes time out to help his own community.

To find out more about the event, here’s the official website (you can translate to French with your browser to help you understand the Finnish language). Last year, according to the official website of the charity event, they raised over 100,000 euros, and we can expect an equally big sum this year, if not even bigger. The ticket to get in seems pretty expensive (1,000 euros), but it includes several things.

There’s lunch and dinner included, equipment (clearly signed pucks, but possibly sticks and jerseys or something?) and giveaways. On the website, it also says that companies will receive visibility. Here are more details on the rewards for each third party:

(Credit: Patrik Laine and Aleksander Barkov Charity Golf Tournament)

So each package gets polo shirts (in addition to lunch and dinner included) and giveaway packages. Even if he’s no longer practicing while in Finland and can relax with his loved ones, Laine is keeping busy and taking advantage of the opportunity to support a worthy cause. spacer title=’Overtime’] – Great company at the Lasso Festival at Parc Jean-Drapeau.

– A first gold medal at this tournament for the Americans in 22 years (!!!).

– Must read.

– Myles Straw is on fire.

🚀

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Pascal Vincent is still head coach of the Rocket

Even though the Laval Rocket suffered a bitter elimination by being swept in the conference final by the Charlotte Checkers, the season of the Habs’ club-school can be seen as a success.

The Rocket was dominant throughout the season, even finishing first in the AHL to win the Macgregor Kilpatrick Trophy, and it was with a team full of young prospects and led by those same young players that the Rocket performed so well, which is really encouraging for the future of the Canadiens de Montréal.

And much of this success can be attributed to the excellent job Pascal Vincent has done at the helm of the team. He has been excellent and led the team masterfully, earning him a lot of praise throughout the season, and boosting his image too, after a very difficult season in Columbus in 23-24. And often, when a head coach enjoys success like this in the AHL, he receives job offers in the NHL, whether as an assistant or head coach.

In Vincent’s case, by the end of the season, even though we knew he was attached to the Rocket, we were sad to see him leave for a better opportunity in the NHL. The chances of him remaining at the Rocket’s helm were pretty slim after such a season, and so fans were preparing to mourn the loss of the Québécois coach.

But here we are in the middle of August, about a month before the opening of rookie camp and the start of all hostilities for the 2025-2026 season, and Vincent is still the Rocket’s coach.

It’s an ideal scenario that’s coming true.

[content-ads]About two months ago, Marc-Antoine Godin stated that Pascal Vincent would be back in Laval.

Obviously, there’s still some time to go before the season starts, but with all the head coaching positions now filled in the NHL, and the 25-26 campaign fast approaching, there’s every reason to believe that Pascal Vincent will be back at the helm of the Laval Rocket for a second season. This would really be great news for the team. Vincent was successful last season, and he knows the team’s key players – the most important young prospects for the Canadiens.

He treated them well last season, and got the best out of each and every one of them, which is really ideal for the further development of all these young players – Florian Xhekaj, Jared Davidson, Sean Farrell, Joshua Roy, Owen Beck, David Reinbacher, Adam Engstrom and Jacob Fowler.

[content-ads] There are others, of course, but these are the main ones that came to mind and that were very successful under Vincent last season, so it’s ideal that the various young Rocket players who aspire to a position with the Habs in the near future benefit from the same head coach under whom they enjoyed success.

In short, if Vincent is indeed at the helm of the Rocket for next season, we can really look forward to another successful season. Of course, several veterans have left, but in general, the Rocket still has the same core, and it will be highly competitive once again.

[spacer title=’En Rafale’] – Indeed.

– Montreal will be favourites for the first time in a long time, with

– To be continued.

– After just one match!

😳

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Gerard Gallant wanted to go to Dallas

Every off-season in the National Hockey League, there’s a merry-go-round of new coaches, and every summer, as many teams fire their head coaches and bring in a new one, either recently fired or from elsewhere. In general, we’re used to the same names coming back and forth across the NHL from one team to the next.

The NHL still remains a clique with a small variety of head coaches, but things are changing with hires like Martin St-Louis in the last few years. Still, we often hear the same names coming back, and one of those we expected to see return to the NHL was Gerard Gallant.

The former assistant coach of the Montreal Canadiens, and former head coach of the Columbus Blue Jackets, Florida Panthers, Vegas Golden Knights and New York Rangers, was hoping to return to the NHL as head coach after two years without a job, and it was recently revealed that he was very interested in the position in Dallas.

[content-ads] Indeed, Gallant was hoping for his chance to lead the Dallas Stars, but in the end, it was Glen Gulutzan who stole the job, after spending the last seven seasons as an assistant with the Edmonton Oilers.

“The last available NHL job was in Dallas and I was hoping for an opportunity for that, but it didn’t happen.”

–

Gerard Gallant

The 61-year-old coach was disappointed, as he explained in an interview on TSN radio, but quickly came around as he evaluated the other options he had on the table. He knew he had an offer in the KHL, and took a few days to think it over, before his desire to coach a team again drove him to accept.

Gallant has signed a two-year contract (with possible release after one season) with the Shanghai Dragons in the KHL, and he’s excited about this new challenge, as he knows it’s different to coach a KHL team.

Inshort, Gallant will be looking to take a team that usually finishes at the bottom of the KHL standings to the playoffs, which will be quite a challenge for the 61-year-old head coach. Let’s see if his potential success in St. Petersburg (where the Dragons play), could help him return to the NHL before long. [spacer title=’En Rafale’] – To be continued today.

– These will be two cases (Rossi and McTavish) to watch closely.

– Check it out.

– A good shower!