Author: Dose

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Combine: Justin Carbonneau and Bill Zonnon both want to play with Juraj Slafkovsky

A few years ago, when Juraj Slafkovsky was being considered to become the first player to be drafted in the 2022 auction, he mentioned that he could see himself, one day, playing with Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield.

History has taught us that this has happened.

And even this year, thanks in large part to Suzuki and Caufield, the Canadiens’ first line was among the most productive in the league after the holiday season.

Here we are a few years later, and now it’s the turn of the NHL’s young prospects to imagine themselves with Slaf.

Justin Carbonneau, for example, sees himself taking Cole Caufield’s place since, as Anthony Martineau reported, the Armada’s young Québécois could see himself playing with Nick Suzuki and Juraj Slafkovsky.

Carbonneau will meet 26 teams this week – including the Habs, of course. We wonder how he’ll be perceived, since we know that people sometimes question his attitude.

It’ll be up to the teams to judge.

It’s also worth mentioning that Carbonneau isn’t the only Québécois who sees himself playing with Slaf in Montreal. After all, there’s also Bill Zonnon, who spent the last few years in Rouyn-Noranda.

Now he’s been traded to the Armada… and he’s going to try to convince Justin Carbonneau to stay in the Q and not leave for the NCAA. Will he succeed? We’ll have to wait and see.

Zonnon sees himself with Slaf, but also with… Ivan Demidov.

The Montrealer says he had a good laugh with the Habs management, which isn’t exactly the comment that stands out the most when it comes to talking about the Canadiens’ interviews at the combine.

overtime

– Of note.

– Logical.

– Incredible.

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Removing Mitch Marner’s jersey in Toronto: TSN 1050’s crazy idea

As the folks at Collectif Impact Montréal would say: are these Torontonians crazy?

While in Montreal, our traditional sports media fill a lot (too much) of summer airtime with the eternal question of whether Carey Price should be stripped of his jersey, the folks at TSN 1050 went even further yesterday on the homecoming show.

Bryan Hayes, Jeff O’Neill and Jamie McLennan asked themselves the super good question: will Mitch Marner’s number be retired by the Maple Leafs, even if he leaves the organization this summer? I kid you not: it happened for real.

Slow news day while waiting for the first game of the Stanley Cup Final? Exaggerated way of talking about Mitch Marner and his very probable departure from Toronto because ratings are down at this time of year? Lack of imagination and creativity on the part of the intern hired for the summer?

They’ve even found a way to predict that even if Marner leaves town in July, he’ll be wearing Maple Leafs colors again before the end of his career.

It just doesn’t make sense! Mitch Marner is 28 years old, and although he’s collected 741 points in 657 regular games with the Leafs (nine seasons), he’s never won anything in London Toronto. Neither individually nor as a team..

Seriously, guys?
(Credit: Getty Images)

Make no mistake! He’s good, Mitch Marner, but can we really say he’s made as much of an impact on Toronto as the 17 players whose numbers sit atop Scotiabank Arena?

We’re talking about Syl Apps, Ted Kennedy, Turk Broda, Johnny Bower, King Clancy, Tim Horton, Charlie Conacher, George Armstrong, Frank Mahovlich, Darryl Sittler, Hap Day, Red Kelly, Borje Salming, Wendel Clark, Doug Gilmour and Mats Sundin.

The Maple Leafs aren’t the Senators; you don’t pull the jersey off a guy like Chris Neil. Especially since Marner will probably forever be associated with the most disappointing years in the organization’s history. I can’t believe a Bell Media station managed to do more than eight minutes on the subject…

At this point, I think I’d pull Darcy Tucker’s number before Marner’s, like…

I don’t think I saw a single Internet user answer yes to TSN’s question. And I searched a few places..

Just for fun, it would be great to see Tony Marinaro or Martin Lemay make it their question of the day. Damn, it would be fun to listen to the open lines..

overtime

– It starts tonight.

– File to follow.

– Joe Sacco leaves for the Rangers.

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David Reinbacher: seeing him talk about stiffness or inflammation in his knee is worrying

David Reinbacher got off to a very late start this year. We all remember his serious knee injury sustained during the Canadiens’ practice camp last year.

It caused less of a stir than Patrik Laine’s, but hey.

It took him a long time to get back into the game (and he missed some games following his return to action in Laval), but he managed to show, in the playoffs, that he was a solid player.

But does that mean everything is perfect? No.

In fact, listening to him speak to the media this morning on the heels of his club’s season finale, the Rocket, it’s clear that there’s still some concern about his knee. And that’s despite the fact that he says his knee is 99.5% fit.

Please note: I’m not saying that everything is going badly in his case. After all, it’s normal for him to need time to feel 100%. And in the playoffs, we saw that he was doing well.

But seeing the Austrian use words like stiffness, inflammation or checking is not good news. It means there are risks involved.

It’s not ideal, let’s face it.

I expect Reinbacher to be in top form at the next camp. But at the same time, I wouldn’t be completely surprised to see him undergo a minor knee operation.

I’m not saying he’ll have a full operation. But a little clean-up doesn’t sound like a crazy idea to me. However, I don’t expect it to be announced publicly.

Let’s hope the rest of the next few weeks will do the trick. After all, he needs to be 100% at the next camp.

overtime

– Exactly.

– To be continued.

– Touching.

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Johnny Gaudreau’s wife presented the Bill Masterton to Sean Monahan

For almost a year now, Johnny Gaudreau has been the talk of the town, for reasons we all know.

His death was the talk of the town (as was his brother’s, of course), and all year long, the NHL has sought to honor the man who was a star in the National League.

And very often, it was touching.

But now the league has found a new way to honor the memory of the former Flames and Blue Jackets star. How do they do it? Through the Bill Masterton Trophy, awarded to the player who has demonstrated the most qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey.

It’s always an important off-ice trophy.

This year, as Sean Monahan won the trophy, the NHL asked Meredith Gaudreau, Johnny’s widow, to present the trophy personally to Sean.

The league made a video. And we can see that the former Canadiens player still doesn’t like the attention…

The thing to remember is that Monahan and Gaudreau were very good friends. They became friends while both players were with the Calgary Flames.

Monahan signed in Columbus last year to play with Gaudreau (and because the contract was attractive, of course), but as fate would have it, they never played together in Ohio in the end.

After all, Gaudreau passed away just a few weeks after Monahan signed in town, and just a few weeks before the start of the Blue Jackets’ practice camp.

But today’s video, to honor Gaudreau and Monahan, is perfect.

overtime

– Official.

– He also met with the Habs.

– We agree.

– Wow.

– Makes sense.

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Pascal Vincent: “It will be a very important summer for Joshua Roy and Logan Mailloux”

Joshua Roy and Logan Mailloux are similar in some ways.

Although Roy was drafted later than Mailloux in 2021, both have a lot of talent. But both men haven’t quite lived up to expectations in the two years since they turned pro.

In fact, for the past year, both have not been where we expected them to be. They should have put themselves in a position to get more games in the NHL, but that hasn’t exactly happened.

So what’s next for them?

Obviously, until proven otherwise, both are still under contract to the Habs. They’re talented prospects and the club isn’t going to throw them away, we all agree on that.

But it’s not impossible that they could be traded. Especially the defender, whose name is circulating a lot these days.

Questioned on the subject this morning on the heels of the end-of-season press conference, Pascal Vincent is of the opinion that his two players will need to have a big summer in the coming months.

Vincent’s right: these guys thought they were going to start the season on top, but that didn’t happen. It’s their fault, but we understand their disappointment.

So yes, this summer will be a turning point in their careers, that’s for sure. They’ll need to get their priorities right.

That’s not to say that the guys didn’t necessarily improve last year. Mailloux, for example, was cited by the coach as one of the players who improved the most in 2024-2025.

But he needs to take it to the next level. Because to make his mark in Montreal, Mailloux will have to give more.

overtime

– Wow.

– Interesting.

– Logical.

– Official: he’s leaving the CHL.

– I love it.

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Marco Sturm named Bruins head coach

Barring a Mike Babcock-style surprise in 2023, we know who the 32 pilots will be for the next NHL season opener.

I say that because the Bruins, who were the last NHL team not to confirm their head coach for next season, have just announced that Marco Sturm is the new pilot.

It was expected, but now it’s official.

For Sturm, it’s a return to Boston. After all, the German, who was a first-round pick of the Sharks and played there for a while, was part of the famous Joe Thornton deal. He played in Boston from 2005 to 2010.

Sturm also played in Los Angeles, Washington, Vancouver and Florida during his (long) 938-game career in the Bettman circuit.

For the past three years, Sturm has been the coach of the Kings’ AHL feeder club. Prior to that, he spent several seasons as an assistant behind the Kings’ bench.

But in Boston, this will be his first NHL head job.

This means that hockey men looking for a position behind an NHL bench can no longer do so as chief pilot – unless there’s a big surprise.

There are still assistant positions, however. And Pascal Vincent comes to mind…

Note that Sturm is the third coach hired recently who will be taking his first steps as a pilot in the NHL. Dan Muse (Penguins) and Adam Foote (Canucks) are the others.

Lane Lambert (Kraken), Jeff Blashill (Blackhawks), Rick Tocchet (Flyers), Joel Quenneville (Ducks) and Mike Sullivan (Rangers) have filled the remaining vacancies.

This also means that all the teams that named an interim coach during the 2024-2025 season have recently changed pilots. We’re talking about the Bruins, Blackhawks and Flyers.

The Red Wings (Todd McLellan) and Blues (Jim Montgomery) also changed coaches during the 24-25 season, but in their case, it was never interim.

overtime

– Coming up.

– A true warrior.

– To watch.

– News from PWHL.

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Pascal Vincent: “Watch out for Rangers

The Laval Rocket’s season is over.

In fact, Pascal Vincent gave his assessment this morning. And of necessity, the subject of his potential departure(Marco Normandin has learned that we should expect a return to the NHL in 2025-2026) came up again.

Were you expecting a different response than the tape, with the Québécois saying that he’ll return to the NHL if there’s a fit, but that for now, he’s focused on the Rocket’s next season? It was the right thing to say #NoSurprise

We know that the Lightning and Islanders are two teams we’re keeping an eye on in the case for an assistant position in his case.

After all, the Islanders have a coach (Patrick Roy) who has never been afraid to make room for local coaches. And new GM Mathieu Darche learned from Julien BriseBois, another leader who recognizes the value of Quebec talent.

And in Tampa Bay? This same Julien BriseBois would have Vincent in high esteem. And since there are rumours of a separation from Jon Cooper in the short to medium term, it would make sense to prepare for the future by bringing Vincent into the organization.

But could other clubs be in the mix? According to Tony Marinaro, who spoke with JiC on TVA Sports yesterday, it’s not just the Islanders and the Lightning who should be considered.

Watch out for the Rangers. – Tony Marinaro

What Tony mentions is that Mike Sullivan, who has just been hired in New York, and Pascal Vincent share the same agent: Neil Glasburg.

He’s a man renowned for representing many hockey men. It was he who took Patrick Roy under his wing for a few months when the latter was looking to return to the NHL.

If Marinaro is talking about the Rangers, it must not be completely impossible. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have mentioned them, since the link isn’t as “easy” to make as it is for Long Island or Tampa Bay.

But it makes sense, when you think about it. And that’s even though Vincent says he considers himself a head coach first and isn’t looking for a position in the National League at any price. To leave, he’d need an offer he couldn’t refuse.

In the same TVA Sports column, we also discussed the (now impossible) case of Vincent and the Penguins, who officially hired Dan Muse a few hours after the Rocket’s elimination.

Jean-Charles Lajoie wonders if there isn’t a link between the Rocket’s physical shortcomings against the Charlotte Checkers and the fact that Vincent, who knows his club looked bad physically, didn’t get the job vacated by Mike Sullivan.

It’s an interesting thought. After all, Vincent’s name has been circulating in Pennsylvania.

And on that subject, let’s note that once again this morning, the issue of physical play came to the fore from the Laval Rocket head coach, who knows that his troops have crusts to eat. He also talked about it after game #4: he knows that his club hasn’t reached maturity, physically speaking.

overtime

– Definitely.

– Interesting.

– Ironic.

– To be continued.

– Indeed.

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“You run into Nick Suzuki at 3 a.m. in the casino”: here’s how the Habs test the prospects in Buffalo

As we all know, the Canadiens have a reputation for asking tough questions at the NHL combine in Buffalo.

The club’s mentality? See how prospects react when they’re out of their comfort zone. Understanding how they think under pressure helps them make decisions when it’s time to draft.

And in a market like Montreal, there is pressure.

What you need to know is that the Habs are taking advantage of this to build up a base of information on certain young players. And that’s even though they obviously won’t be able to draft everyone they interview.

Information is power, they say. That’s why, even if the chances are that Caleb Desnoyers won’t end up in Montreal, interviewing him is a good thing.

And now, on the heels of this year’s combine, some prospects have told Anthony Martineau, who is in Buffalo this week for TVA Sports, that they’ve been asked a good question.

The question? If you run into Nick Suzuki at 3 a.m. in the casino and Martin St-Louis asks you, the next morning, if you’ve seen him… what do you say to your head coach by then?

I guess the CH took Suzuki’s example because the chances of it happening are slimmer than other guys in the Habs dressing room, but also because he’s the captain.

If I were in the shoes of a prospect, I think I’d respond as Anthony Martineau suggested, by telling the truth. After all, in life, if you’re asked a question like that, your bosses already know the answer.

To me, that’s an excellent question. After all, it’s not an impossible scenario in the NHL, let’s face it.

I’d be curious to know how much the prospects, who are being groomed en masse for the combine, expect to be asked a question like that. Because I think it’s really relevant.

overtime

– Enjoy.

– Wow.

– Salary cap in the playoffs to come?

– Still.

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Game #1 of the final: the Oilers take control of the series

Last night, the Stanley Cup Final between the Oilers and Panthers finally got underway.

The Oilers won in overtime, despite trailing 1-3.

Victory in overtime by a score of 4-3.

In the second period, Sam Bennett made it 3-1 Florida.

At this point, the Oilers looked mixed up in their territory.

But Viktor Arvidsson scored a big goal to close the gap.

A good shot that Sergei Bobrovsky would still like to see again…

And later, Mathias Ekholm scored his first goal of the playoffs.

The net put everyone back to square one.

In overtime, Leon Draisaitl, who scored the game’s first goal, gave his team the win.

Of course, Connor McDavid picked up an assist on the goal.

Just before, Kasperi Kapanen almost sealed the game, but hit the post.

What a move!

Edmonton now leads the series 1-0.

The next game is tomorrow against Alberta.

Overtime

– It could have been a lot worse.

– This set the tone.

– Scorers of the match.

(Credit: )

– Tomorrow, 8pm, be in front of your screens.

(Credit: NHL.com)
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The Canadiens to meet Caleb Desnoyers this week in Buffalo

Caleb Desnoyers is a prospect who fits in perfectly with the values of the Canadiens organization. His style, off-ice demeanor and leadership make him a player who will be coveted at the next draft.

With the Canadiens having the 16th and 17th picks, Desnoyers should not be available unless a trade is made.

Kent Hughes and Jeff Gorton have nevertheless agreed to meet with the Moncton Wildcats player, and will do so this week in Buffalo at the combine.

It’s pretty interesting considering the circumstances, but the QMJHL’s top draft prospect deserves attention.

He scored 84 points in 56 games and won the President’s Cup. He’ll be captain of the Wildcats next year.

Depending on the price, I’d like to see Kent Hughes try to get him. At six-foot-two, he’s got the size the Habs are looking for, plus he’s a left-handed center, another rare commodity in Montreal.

The Habs won’t be talking to prospect Kashawn Aitcheson, who has flown under the radar for several months, but has been turning heads lately with his athletic ability.

It could be a smokescreen in both cases on the part of Kent Hughes and company. You’ll recall that the Habs staff didn’t show much interest in Ivan Demidov, as he was the team’s 5th-ranked target.

In other news, the Habs will meet Chinese prospect Simon Wang of the Oshawa Generals. Despite his low offensive production, his size and defensive game have many scouts salivating

Overtime

– New episode available.

– They’re on fire.

– Quite a playoff player.