Author: Dose

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โ€œPascal Vincent, heโ€™ll be back in Lavalโ€

A few weeks ago, it looked like Pascal Vincent was on his last legs behind the Rocket bench. The coach had just enjoyed an exceptional season behind the bench of the Habs’ club-school and was seen as a logical candidate with so many positions to fill in the Bettman circuit.

He had really been able to restore his reputation after a difficult year in Columbus… in which he had not been placed in ideal conditions.

But all that has obviously changed since then. The Rocket has come a long way in the playoffs, so most positions have been filled… and it’s all ended up a bit awry for Vincent and the Rocket.

His goaltending hasn’t exactly been impeccable, even if the club’s troubles against the Checkers went further than that.

So a return to Laval suddenly seems more likely… and according to Marc Antoine Godin, who spoke to Tellement Hockey yesterday, we can expect to see Vincent back in Laval next year:

[Pascal Vincent], he’ll be back. – Marc Antoine Godin

At the moment, there’s only one head coaching vacancy left in the NHL: that of the Dallas Stars, who fired Pete DeBoer yesterday. At the moment, Vincent isn’t (really) a name that’s coming up in this race.

Glen Gulutzan (a powerplay assistant in Edmonton who once coached the Stars) and Neil Graham (who runs the Stars’ feeder club) are the popular names at the moment… and whether it’s Pierre LeBrun or Elliotte Friedman, Vincent’s name has never been mentioned for the job.

It’s worth remembering, however, that Vincent was rumoured to be heading to the NHL next season as an assistant. The Lightning and Islanders were mentioned as teams to watch, as were the Rangers.

Yesterday, however, the Lightning hired an assistant who is not Vincent. Has that door closed? The question arises.

More than ever, then, the possibility of Vincent staying with the Habs for next season seems very real. Missing out on a good part of the dance and finishing a little off in the playoffs may have cost him a chance to return to the NHL.

Of course, anything can change with a phone call… but some people seem to have reason to believe that Vincent will be back next year. And that would be good news for the Habs.

Overtime

– That’s got to feel good.

– I love it.

– Now that’s funny.

– He’s fascinating.

– Good point.

– Victory for the Roses.

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QMJHL: Martin St-Louisโ€™ son drafted by the Phoenix (and he could really come and play there)

A little over a year ago, Martin St-Louis had to leave the Canadiens’ entourage temporarily. The reason for this was not revealed at the time, but it was eventually revealed that it had something to do with his youngest son, Mason, who had suffered a serious injury while playing hockey.

His condition had deteriorated and he had to be hospitalized, so the coach left to join his family. And of course, everyone understood that.

And the good news is that Mason is now doing much better. He started playing hockey again this year, collecting 53 points in 33 games in the USHS-Prep, a development league.

But today, his name is back in the news because earlier today, at the QMJHL draft, he was drafted by the Sherbrooke Phoenix… and if Gilles Bouchard’s words are anything to go by, the club likes its chances of convincing him to come play in the QMJHL.

There have been positive discussions on the subject, at least.

It’s not unusual for players south of the border to be drafted into the QMJHL without ever setting foot there. Usually, teams in the Cecchini circuit use late-round draft picks to secure the rights of kids “just in case”, but this rarely works out.

In the case of young St-Louis, the Phoenix seem to like their chances. You’d think the fact that he’d be closer to his father would be a nail in the Phoenix’s coffin… as would the fact that Stรฉphane Robidas, his father’s assistant in Montreal, is one of the Phoenix’s co-owners.

Maybe that could tip the balance… even if it means he returns to the U.S. after a year or two in the QMJHL, as many young players are doing now.

What’s clear, though, is that the Phoenix would strike a blow if they could convince young Mason to come and play in Sherbrooke. We’re talking about an interesting young player, and Gilles Bouchard really seems to like him.

Let’s see if his father and/or Robidas will be enough arguments to attract him to Quebec, having spent his whole life in the United States.

Overtime

– Worth noting. That explains what we’ve been hearing on the air over the past few days.

– Interesting.

– A bizarre sequence in MLB.

– A good shot, that.

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Radim Mrtka: โ€œIโ€™ve had the most discussions with Montreal this yearโ€

Today marks the conclusion of the famous National Hockey League combine in Buffalo, where the majority of the top prospects in the upcoming draft undergo numerous physical tests, in addition to meeting NHL teams.

It was a very busy week for the scouts of the various NHL teams, as they interviewed a large number of prospects.

Once again this year, the Canadiens retained their title as the team asking the most unusual questions.

In short, the Combine is an important event for NHL prospects and teams, and for us too, as we learn a great deal of interesting information.

We learn about the interest of certain teams in certain prospects, and we learn from the prospects which teams have talked to them the most this season.

And in the second category of information, well, we learned today via Nicolas Cloutier, that for prospect Radim Mrtka, it was with Montreal that he had talked the most this season.

Now, most of you are going to ask me who this prospect with the unpronounceable name is.

So, here’s a general portrait of Radim Mrtka.

He’s a 6-foot-5, 218-pound Czech right-handed defenseman who played in the WHL this season with the Seattle Thunderbirds.

This was his first season in North America, and he scored 35 points, including three goals, in 43 games.

Mrtka is 17 years old, and will turn 18 in two days, on June 9.

He’s a very physical defenseman, and it’s clear that his size should allow him to be drafted in the top-15, if various projections are to be believed.

Anyway, now that you know more about Mrtka, let’s get back to the Habs’ interest in this giant-sized defenseman.

The Czech prospect said today that the Canadiens were the team with whom he had the most discussions this season, which is no mean feat.

This clearly indicates a strong interest on the part of the Habs, who are looking to add a very big, right-handed defenseman to their bank of prospects.

The problem is that Mrtka, who compares his game to that of Victor Hedman and Moritz Seider, is very likely to have already been selected with the Habs’ two first-round picks, the 16th and 17th choices.

In fact, Mrtka believes the Habs are hoping he’ll be available at #16.

Mrtka, who sees himself playing on Lane Hutson’s right, has no fear of competing internally with David Reinbacher and Logan Mailloux.

The Czech defenseman would be a very interesting addition to the Habs’ bank of prospects, but for that to happen, the Habs will clearly have to try to move up in the draft, barring a miracle.

In short, what’s interesting to note about the Habs after this week’s combine is that they met with several prospects who should no longer be available at 16th and 17th.

Does this reveal something about the Habs’ plan to move up?

Stay tuned.

Overtime

– One to watch.

– He’ll pocket a lot of money in his next contract.

– Awesome.

– Wow.

– Coco Gauff champion at Roland-Garros.

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Jack-Adams: Martin St-Louis edged out by Spencer Carbery

It’s individual honours season in the NHL, and in Montreal, there’s a lot of talk about Lane Hutson and the Calder. He is the favorite for the trophy, after all, and would be the first Habs player to win it since Ken Dryden.

But let’s not forget that the team’s coach, Martin St-Louis, was also nominated for the Jack-Adams… but he didn’t win.

Instead, Capitals coach Spencer Carbery took the honor.

St-Louis, one of the three finalists, came third in the voting. In addition to Carbery, Jets coach Scott Arniel also finished ahead of the Habs coach.

Pete DeBoer, who lost his job yesterday, also received votes.

For Carbery, who becomes the first coach in history to win Coach of the Year in the NHL, AHL and ECHL, it’s an honor that is richly deserved. Expectations for the Capitals were not high, but the coach was able to lead his team to the top spot in the East.

And that’s worth noting.

So, for the second time in just over a month, Carbery got the better of St-Louis. But in both cases, it’s hard to argue that logic wasn’t respected.

Extension

Still, it’s worth noting that the Habs coach got two first-place votes, which is still cool.

It’s a far cry from Carbery’s 81, we agree, but two people still felt he was the best coach in the league this year.

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Brad Marchand on his mother: โ€œSheโ€™s the kind of mother you have to put a muzzle onโ€

Brad Marchand has always been a very polarizing player in the National Hockey League.

Much hated by all hockey fans except the Boston Bruins throughout his career, Marchand has always been able to upset opponents, and especially to hurt them with goals and big plays.

He proved it again last night, scoring the winning goal for the Florida Panthers in the second overtime.

It was an extremely important goal, which sent the Panthers home with the series tied 1-1.

The importance of the goal was palpable among Panthers fans, but even more so in the reaction of Brad Marchand’s mother.

She was completely hysterical after seeing her son give Florida victory.

She screamed at the top of her lungs, while her husband can be seen smiling and somewhat trying to calm her down, but to no avail.

After the game, Marchand was asked about this reaction from his mother, and in the calmest of moods, he came out with the following sentence:

“She’s the kind of mother you have to put a muzzle on. She can get pretty excited during games.” – Brad Marchand

Of course, this response drew laughter from everyone in the media room, only to be followed by a more serious response from Marchand, who explained that his parents are the main reason behind his NHL career, because of all the sacrifices they’ve made for him.

Marchand is very happy to have been able to score this goal in front of his parents.

Anyway, getting back to the mother’s reaction, let’s just say it’s exactly how you’d imagine the mother of a guy like Brad Marchand.

Very emotional, and above all, very intense.

There’s no doubt about it, this is clearly the mother of the man often referred to as “the rat”.

Overtime

– Incredible.

– Not to be missed today. The Lions could be champions at home!

– Of note.

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Juraj Slafkovskyโ€™s father wonโ€™t tolerate โ€œthe stupidity of salon general managersโ€

Criticism is part and parcel of the sporting world, and that’s not about to change; on the contrary, it’s on the increase with the presence of social networks.

Virtually every player, every coach and every member of team management ends up being criticized and dragged through the mud by the media and fans alike.

This is even more the case in Montreal, as we all know, given that the pressure is even greater, with criticism coming from everywhere on a daily basis.

Of course, it’s normal for one or more players to be criticized and judged for their performance. They earn millions to help a team that has millions of fans behind it win.

However, this criticism sometimes crosses the line, and Juraj Slafkovsky’s father really doesn’t like it.

Senior Juraj Slafkovsky understands that there is criticism of his son, but he still hates salon general managers.

In his opinion, a lot of the criticism goes too far and is not respectful.

Whether it’s certain fans or even journalists, there will always be some who take a swipe at players, and that’s the case all over the world.

“Clearly, every country and city has its herds of idiots! – Senior Juraj Slafkovsky

Slaf’s father adds that many people, both in Montreal and in Slovakia, would like to see the Canadiens’ number 20 produce as much as the Crosbys, MacKinnons and McDavids of this world, simply because he was a first overall pick.

“People can’t have the same expectations of him as they do of those players. That’s a fact, and anyone who doesn’t understand it doesn’t understand hockey and is typing nonsense on his computer keyboard. It doesn’t take a genius to understand that guys who play like Juraj need more time.” – Senior Juraj Slafkovsky

In short, Slaf’s father comes to his son’s defense, and it also shows us just how involved he is in his young man’s career.

Slafkovsky’s parents watch every one of their son’s games, despite the time difference.

And after each match, Slafkovsky receives a call from his father to discuss his performance.

Slaf is therefore often very aware of his poor performances, as he discusses them with his father, who is not shy about telling him what he thinks.

In short, it’s easy to understand why Slaf’s father calls people who criticize his son fools, without any direct connection to Slafkovsky.

Slaf is very well surrounded, and he knows what he needs to improve, as the young man’s summer practice will testify, if the father’s words are anything to go by.

You can read Anthony Martineau’s excellent article in full here.

Overtime

– It’s a defeat that hurts the Oilers.

– Wow.

– To be continued.

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Brad Marchand plays the hero and brings the Panthers back to even in the series

Even though this year’s Stanley Cup Final is a carbon copy of last season’s, we’re all glued to our screens to watch every single game.

And why is that? Because we know it’s going to be quite a series, and above all, because we want to see Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers win the Stanley Cup, and bring it back to Canada.

After seeing the Oilers win Game 1 4-3 in overtime, we knew that every game in this series was likely to require extra time.

And we weren’t wrong to think so, as yesterday Game #2 also went into overtime.

Brad Marchand plays hero and levels the series

Right from the start of the game, you could sense that the Panthers wanted to bounce back after losing Game #1.

And it paid off, because after just over two minutes of play, Sam Bennett opened the scoring for the Panthers, netting his 13แต‰ (!!!) of the series. Bennett is atop the NHL’s playoff scoring charts.

12 of Bennett’s 13 goals were scored away from home, an NHL record.

After that goal, the Oilers woke up, and it was quite a first period.

In the space of about five minutes midway through the first period, we were treated to four goals. Three from the Oilers, and one from the Panthers.

After three goals in four minutes, it was tied 2-2, and that’s when Connor McDavid took matters into his own hands, exactly one minute after the Panthers’ second goal.

The best player in the world showed why he has this title, as he made a simply sensational play to serve a perfect pass to Leon Draisaitl.

A simply sensational game, which allowed the Oilers to go into the locker room with a 3-2 lead after one period.

However, the Panthers were better in the second period, scoring two goals to regain the lead. Brad Marchand scored the goal that gave the Panthers the lead.

And in the third period, the Panthers really seemed to be cruising to victory, until 40-year-old Corey Perry decided otherwise with 18 seconds left in the game.

It’s amazing how Perry, in his fifth final in six years, is still going strong at 40.

Unfortunately, Perry’s goal didn’t translate into victory, as in overtime it was the famous rat, Brad Marchand, who played the hero midway through the second overtime.

The Panthers won 5-4 in overtime to level the series.

The next game in the series, Game #3, takes place Monday in Florida, starting at 8pm.

The series is tied 1-1.

In Overtime

– Here are the top scorers from this game.

(Credit: NHL.com)
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Habs interested in Mason West, who also plays quarterback in football

Yes, you read that right!

The Canadiens, along with 26 other teams, spoke with quarterback Mason West at the most recent NHL Combine.

The 6-foot-6 (1.98 m), 207 lb (94 kg) athlete has decided to devote himself 100% to hockey, forgoing a potential career as a soccer player in the NFL for the man who was being courted by numerous NCAA universities.

West plays center forward when he laces up his skates.

He joined the Fargo Force in the USHL, the best junior league in the U.S., on March 14 and scored nine points (one goal, eight assists) in 10 games.

It was then that West realized his potential for hockey and decided to devote himself to it full-time.

And 17 isn’t too old to be taking up a sport like hockey?

West, in addition to his imposing physique, is an exceptional athlete, the kind of person who excels at everything.

What’s more, he’s still growing and developing physically.

What makes him so interesting is that if he starts practicing with hockey in mind, who knows how far he’ll grow.

The centerfielder is ranked 27th among North American skaters, so barring any surprises, he should emerge late in the second or third round.

The Canadiens have two picks in the second round and three in the third, and West could be an interesting project for the team.

Could his decision to devote himself to hockey full-time increase his value in the next draft if a team wants to take a chance on him?

And what is the Habs’ real interest in West?

We know the team has talked to him, but are they really interested?

Personally, a six-foot center with solid athletic ability is a gamble I’m willing to take.

In short, we’ll have the answer soon at the next draft.

Overtime

– A trend for Bennett?

– What a save!

– Brad Marchand gives the Panthers the lead.

– Montreal in control!

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According to McKeenโ€™s Hockey, the Habs have the best bank of prospects in the NHL

The rebuilding process is progressing well for the Canadiens.

The team has made the playoffs for the first time since 2021, and has demonstrated that it has the tools to compete in spring ball for years to come.

Right now, the Habs have a solid core of young players who should be at the heart of the team’s success for a long time to come.

And if that wasn’t enough for the fans, the Montreal club also has plenty of quality prospects who will be joining the team in the coming years.

In fact, according to McKeen’s Hockey magazine, the Habs currently have the best bank of prospects in the NHL.


No worse for a team that was once in the mix.

The other teams making up the top 5 of this ranking are, in order: the Sharks, the Red Wings, the Blackhawks and the Ducks.

With the exception of the Red Wings, who have been treading water for a few years now, the other three clubs in the top 5 aren’t likely to be competitive for a few years yet.

In fact, you’d have to go as far as seventh place to see any team other than the Habs making the playoffs last season.

That means the Canadiens aren’t just getting good, they’re going to be good for a long time.

And with the organization’s numerous picks, including two first-rounders, for the upcoming draft, it’s a bank of prospects that should remain well-stocked.

However, it must be said that the presence of Ivan Demidov at the top of this list, even if he has played a few games in the NHL, helps the Habs’ ranking a great deal.

In fact, all the players on this list have the potential to become regulars in the NHL and help the Habs in a few years’ time.

However, I’m a little surprised to see Joshua Roy ranked ahead of Logan Mailloux and even Oliver Kapanen.

I think these two players are closer to the NHL than Roy.

I’m also glad to see that Michael Hage still ranks high, as he’s a harder prospect for us to watch, and it’s reassuring to see a magazine like McKeen’s Hockey rank him fourth.

In short, the future of the Habs seems to be in good hands.

Overtime

– Bennett opens the scoring.

– What a shot from Kane!

– What can I say but wow!

– The Alouettes’ first touchdown.

– The first interception.

– And the first bag.

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โ€œDavid Reinbacher and Logan Mailloux are not ready for the NHLโ€

Barring a signing and a trade, there should be a battle for the Canadiens’ seventh defenseman next practice camp.

Many believe that the battle for a spot with the big club will be between David Reinbacher and Logan Mailloux.

However, former defenseman Bruno Gervais told Montreal 690 that neither player is ready to make the jump to the NHL next season.

According to Gervais, both players still need development and the Habs need to give them time before graduating them to the NHL.

You can hear the excerpt here.

Indeed, each of the players has experienced different problems in his learning process.

In Reinbacher’s case, it was simply his injury that forced him to miss most of last season, when he played just ten regular-season games, plus the playoffs with the Rocket.

One might think that in his case, it only delayed his development a little, and that if the Austrian had played a full season in Laval, he’d be ready to make the jump to the NHL next season.

In Mailloux’s case, however, it’s more a lack of consistency that seems to be hindering his development.

He often shows flashes of brilliance, but he just can’t seem to play at that level consistently. What’s more, he sometimes makes poor decisions on the ice, such as indiscipline that can get his team into trouble, as we saw in the series with the Rocket.

However, I think we’ll have to wait and see where Reinbacher and Mailloux are in their development at the next training camp.

On the other hand, if that’s the case and the Canadiens send both defensemen to Laval, they’ll have to acquire a defenseman for their blue-line brigade.

Right now, the club has six NHL-calibre defensemen: Lane Hutson, Kaiden Guhle, Mike Matheson, Alexandre Carrier, Arber Xhekaj and Jayden Struble, who is a restricted free agent.

Xhekaj’s situation is also unclear, and it’s hard to predict his future with the team.

What is clear is that the Habs will need reinforcements on defense, whether through the arrival of a prospect or the acquisition of a new player.

Could another defensive prospect like Adam Engstrom muddy the waters at next camp, or would the Canadiens be better off turning to an outside solution?

Overtime

– Ready for Game 2.

– It starts tonight.

– We hope so!

– Back for another season.

– Alexis Joseph is the QMJHL’s first choice.