Unless he changes his mind, Marc-André Fleury has played his last career game in the National League.
The 40-year-old goaltender will hang up his skates.
But… he’s got more to give for now. Fleury announced today that he would be taking part in the World Championship with Canada.
This will give him the opportunity to finish his career on the international stage, and he’ll have the chance to play with Sidney Crosby.
It’s the very first time he’ll be taking part in the event… and I get the impression he wasn’t hard to convince, given that we knew Crosby would be taking part too.
Crosby and Fleury together on the ice for one last time will make for some good times:
Marc-Andre Fleury will join Team Canada at the World Championships…
This is his FIRST World Championships appearance and will be reunited with Sidney Crosby as a teammate pic.twitter.com/aqzMRdvl6b
Canada is really going to have the resources to be dangerous on the ice.
Crosby, Nathan MacKinnon, Macklin Celebrini, Noah Dobson, Adam Fantilli, Bo Horvat, Travis Konecny, Ryan O’Reilly, Kent Johnson… let’s just say that the other countries had better be ready, because playing against Canada is going to be pretty tough.
Especially with Fleury in net, a goalkeeper who has won almost everything in his career. After all, the Quebecer has an Olympic gold medal and three Stanley Cups under his belt!
Talking to the media today, Fleury recalled that it had been a long time since he’d had the opportunity to play with Crosby on the same team.
And the goalie’s goal is to have fun on the ice with his buddy:
“I haven’t played with Sid in a while, it’s going to be fun to spend some time together!”
Marc-André Fleury will join Canada for the World Championship on RDS starting May 9! pic.twitter.com/VcteDdWfeP
Why did the Canadiens get beaten by the Capitals in the playoffs? Not least because they were a worse team. Of course they were.
But one of the reasons was clearly the weight of the two teams. The Capitals were big, and important players shuffled the CH guys throughout the first-round series.
Kent Hughes talked about Tom Wilson and Alex Ovechkin in his press conference. And I’m sure his players, starting with Alexandre Carrier, would come up with the same names.
So yes, the CH must continue to look for fast players and talent, but it takes more than that. Alex Newhook is proof of that.
That’s why it’s interesting to note that Jeff Gorton, at today’s press conference, talked about speed and talent… but also about the weight that must be brought to bear when looking for players.
Jeff Gorton’s shopping list for the Montreal Canadiens.
Adding players with compete, size and skill.
Weighs the importance of compete and size in his discussions with Kent Hughes on how to improve the team.
Does Gorton, who lost his job as GM in New York because his team was being shuffled around too much by the Tom Wilsons of the world, understand the importance of size?
If he reads the media as often as he implied in his (very pleasant) press conference with Kent Hughes, you’d think he’d know what people think, at least.
But how to improve the club, then?
Kent Hughes talked about finding the right balance in the short and long term, making a field hockey deal, the right price to pay and not blocking/demoralizing the youngsters in Laval by putting too many obstacles in their way.
The second trio has obviously been targeted.
It’s interesting to see Gorton talking not just about a center, but also about a guy who can play wing and score 100 points as a possibility for the future. #MitchMarner?
Jeff Gorton believes there’s more than one way to improve the Canadiens’ 2nd line.
Doesn’t have a clear target yet, but believes that they can go a few routes (mentioning 100-point wingers as play drivers).
Adding talent… taking advantage of momentum… building on the season… of necessity, there were going to be some clichés during the press conference. But I can’t wait to see what happens this summer.
After all, we’ve known for a long time that 2025 was going to be a summer of action.
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– That’s the way I see it.
“The playoffs don’t speed up the process, but they certainly help. We’re not done yet. There’s still work to be done” – Jeff Gorton https://t.co/pcEMpHYowB
In January 2022, Marc Bergevin was hired by the Kings to be Rob Blake’s consultant.
We know he’d like to come back as a GM in the National League… and now a door may have just opened for him.
He’s already with the organization, after all.
And the Kings know him well.
In all of this, we also have to wonder if the fact that Rob Blake wasn’t able to build a club to beat the Oilers had a role to play in the Kings’ decision.
Was he fired? This question also arises in the context of the Kings’ failure to live up to the expectations placed on the club in recent years.
As for Bergevin, there are also rumours that he’s headed for New York. The Islanders fired Lou Lamoriello in recent weeks and, like the Kings, are looking for a new GM.
But the word on the street right now is that Bergevin is in the Islanders’ sights for the position of president of field hockey operations.
If #Isles end up choosing Marc Bergevin as President of Hockey Ops – he remains one of a few leading contenders – there’s a scenario where Marc (60 in August) hires Mathieu Darche (48) as GM. This is one of a few combinations in play that would seem to satisfy NYI owners. https://t.co/xq5qD57Ayb
Kent Hughes and Jeff Gorton met the Montreal sports media this morning at the Bell Centre. The players last Friday… the management this morning… we’ve now turned the page completely on the 2024-25 season. Now it’s time for the summer of 2025, and the 2025-26 season to follow.
But above all, we’ve got several months of golf ahead of us!
We’re all wondering what the Canadiens’ line-up will look like in October, but before we think about what will be added (talent, character, toughness and so on), we must first think about what will be subtracted. It works the same way.
Jeff Gorton – who was in very good spirits, by the way – and Kent Hughes gave us a few clues, even if we’ll have to wait a little longer before knowing some of the details of management’s summer plan.
But this morning, we learned that..
1. No decision has yet been made regarding the future of Christian Dvorak, Joel Armia and Michael Pezzetta, all of whom are eligible for unrestricted autonomy this summer. Since Kent Hughes spoke of future autonomous players when discussing these three guys, we can also assume that Cayden Primeau(RFA) is also one of the players whose door is not closed in Montreal. At least not officially..
Except that, in order to improve the team, you have to let a few pieces go to make room for construction. There are certainly some who will have to leave Montreal.
2. Alex Newhook disappointed himself offensively this season. It’s true that 26 points in 82 games for a guy who plays with offensive players is pretty disappointing.
Newhook expected more from himself in terms of production, and he also expects more from himself for next season.
Kent Hughes pointed out that, much like Cole Caufield the year before, Newhook has improved his defensive game, which may have had a negative impact on his offensive production. Hmm…
The problem is that Newhook finished the regular season with a minus-21 differential, then the playoffs with a minus-3 differential. Has he really improved without the puck?
Kent and Jeff didn’t say it, but I’ll write it here: Newhook’s season was a disaster.
3. Kirby Dach has had two very difficult years, both physically and mentally. He has suffered two major injuries that have not allowed him to assert himself athletically.
Yes, management admits that there will certainly be a place for him in the line-up this autumn, but it will be up to Kirby Dach to tell us what it is.
“We’ll see how he responds to his rehab over the summer.” –Kent Hughes or Jeff Gorton, I can’t quite remember..
Kirby Dach had a hard time coming back from his first knee operation, especially with his skating stroke; he won’t be able to afford as much next campaign.
He’ll need a full camp, and that’s what Jeff Gorton believes will dictate what happens next for him.
Where will he start the season?
My two-cent analysis confirms with almost certainty that it won’t be at the center of the second trio. Why not? Because Jeff Gorton and Kent Hughes will be preparing their second trio over the summer, and the answers they get at camp (from Kirby Dach) will come too late.
In short, I think the second-center position will be filled by then.
The problem with Dach is that he’s only scored 22 points, and he’s regressed when we’d hoped to see him progress. A far cry from the center who was supposed to challenge Nick Suzuki on the first line..
Like Newhook, Dach also has problems defensively. He loses face-offs and finished the campaign with a minus-29 differential, one of the worst in the entire Bettman circuit.
The 2025-26 season, the last of his four-year contract signed after his acquisition, will be a mental and physical challenge. He knows it, we know it, management knows it..
My call: when they meet this summer, Kent Hughes and Jeff Gorton will place Kirby Dach on the wing of one of the last two trios, hoping he’ll be able to at least occupy that chair in October. But they won’t be making any major plans with him.
No more plans please
Dach… Newhook… I think that’s two pieces of evidence that Gorton and Hughes need to try something other than projects to improve the team this summer. Let them leave that to the Saputos, the inexpensive projects (which rarely work)..
The Canadiens need more certainty now. Talent, character, size..
Please don’t trade one of our two first-round picks for a youngster who won’t blossom elsewhere! Repeating the same mistakes over and over is a sign of insanity, according to Albert Einstein.
Where could the much-needed help come from?
To hear Jeff Gorton tell it, there could be more hostile offers across the league this summer. Why would that be? Because it worked with the Blues (Dylan Holloway and Philip Broberg) and the salary cap is going up. #CopyCatLeague
Before last summer, the last hostile offers were for Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Sebastian Aho, you know.
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– I wish at least one of the forty journalists on hand had asked a question about Arber Xhekaj. But hey…
– We still don’t know if Emil Heineman, Jayden Struble, Jakub Dobes, Rafaël Harvey-Pinard, Sean Farrell, Xavier Simoneau, William Trudeau, Gustav Lindstrom, Noel Hoefenmayer and Cayden Primeau will receive a qualifying offer.
– The guy utters a five- or six-word sentence, and everyone goes nuts. It doesn’t take much.
In the past, Kent Hughes and Jeff Gorton have never been afraid to give a young player a long contract.
Cole Caufield signed an eight-year deal at the end of his entry-level contract, but Juraj Slafkovsky and Kaiden Guhle signed long-term deals a year before the end of their rookie contracts.
Both are possibilities for the CH, then.
At this point, you have to wonder what the CH will do with Lane Hutson, who is logically the next jewel in the organization’s crown who should earn himself a long-term deal.
Naturally, Kent Hughes broached the subject during his end-of-season press conference, when he was asked about the youngster.
Basically, Hughes isn’t closed to the idea of signing him right now. He was cautious when discussing the matter (as he always is when it comes to contracts) with the media, of course.
But he wants to talk to his agent to see where he stands.
If we take it for granted that Lane Hutson won’t become a hot pepper overnight, securing a contract as soon as possible must be the most logical option.
Hutson has said he’s open to it. And Kent Hughes isn’t going to wait to talk to his agent to try and find common ground.
Lane Hutson will not be eligible for a hostile bid in the summer of 2026, when his entry-level contract expires. This inevitably gives Kent Hughes power in the matter.
After all, as we all know, it will be hostile bid season this summer… and no doubt for the rest of things.
“You’re going to see more hostile offers with the cap going up,” predicts Jeff Gorton https://t.co /pcEMpHYowB
Clearly, the Habs won’t retain Pascal Vincent if he’s courted for an NHL coaching vacancy. Kent Hughes mentioned that he won’t mind if a team wants to talk to him during the Rocket’s playoff run.
Personal news: My time @DailyFaceoff is winding down. My decision. It’s been an incredible journey building a premier field hockey media brand and I’m grateful for every second.
Like many in field hockey, I’m a free agent on July 1 and can’t wait to dig in on my next ventures. Stay tuned.
It took him a while to get going because he had to miss almost the entire 23-24 campaign due to injury.
We’ve seen a few flashes from him this season (as in the holiday season), but mostly he’s been inconsistent on the ice.
Under the circumstances, does the organization want to turn the page on him?
No. Absolutely not, in fact.
Jeff Gorton goes even further, saying that there is “definitely” a place in the line-up for him.
“Kirby has had 2 tough years with 2 major injuries. We’ll have to see how he responds this summer with another rehab, but there’s certainly a place for him in the line-up. Now it’s up to him to determine which one it is.”
But that doesn’t mean Dach won’t have to work hard to get back on track.
Not to say that this is his “last chance”… Jeff Gorton has made it clear that time is running out for Dach and that he needs to find a way to become the player the organization wanted to see when it went looking for him in Chicago in 2022, at the draft.
The Canadiens haven’t given up on Kirby Dach and will be monitoring his rehab.
Jeff Gorton didn’t look overly confident. Says Dach would need a big camp to hit the ground running.
Ultimately, it was thought that Dach would become the Canadiens’ 2nd center.
At one point, there was even talk of him overtaking Nick Suzuki in the lineup.
That said, we know that the CH wants to add talent for next season, and that there’s a big hole at center on the second unit.
Dach probably won’t be ready to take on an important role like that again soon, because he’ll have to find his feet again after missing the last third of the season.
But Jeff Gorton has said it: with or without Dach, there are “many” ways to improve the club’s second line.
And bringing in a quality center can certainly help.
Jeff Gorton believes there’s more than one way to improve the Canadiens’ 2nd line.
Doesn’t have a clear target yet, but believes that they can go a few routes (mentioning 100-point wingers as play drivers).
The Habs will be working hard this summer to improve their top-6, and the good news is that they have the resources to do it.
Kent Hughes will have room under the payroll to maneuver, and he’ll also be able to count on several quality picks / prospects if needed if he wants to make a big splash on the trade market.
We know that the CH GM is armed to the teeth. And we know he’s not afraid to move to improve his club, as we’ve seen since his arrival in Montreal.
It looks like he’s in for a big summer, Kent Hughes.
In a gaggle
– Ah oui?
There are whispers that Jason Pominville could become head coach or assistant coach with the Armada in the near future. https://t.co /ldSbdYLjPM
And the Canadiens knew that before they went looking for him in Columbus.
But even if Laine “got into trouble at 5-on-5”, in the words of Kent Hughes, the sniper still found a way to help his club.
After all, Laine finished the season among the NHL’s top power-play scorers. He scored 15, and ahead of him were Jake Guentzel (17), Brayden Point (16) and Leon Draisaitl (16).
The Finn has scored important goals, and that’s helped the CH sign more victories.
And it was in this context that Kent Hughes said this morning that the Canadiens wouldn’t have made the playoffs without Laine’s help.
Kent Hughes says the Canadiens wouldn’t have made the playoffs without Patrik Laine.
It wasn’t always pretty, at 5v5, but Hughes highlighted that Laine scored crucial goals and showed a willingness to improve.
It’s true that, at equal strength, we’d have liked to see Laine give more.
Above all, we’d have liked to see him more involved on the ice, which is also why he’s been criticized.
But as Kent Hughes also said, even though it was tough, the player wanted to learn.
Laine wanted to improve in the areas of his game where he wasn’t doing so well, and the Habs’ GM liked his attitude:
I was impressed by his willingness to learn and improve. – Kent Hughes
It’s worth remembering that Laine hasn’t had an easy adjustment with the CH either. He suffered a major injury during training camp, had to deal with health problems a few times during the season and was injured in the playoffs too.
That said, if Kent Hughes’ words are anything to go by, the organization is relatively satisfied with what Laine has been able to bring to the group this year.
There’s still a year left on his contract ($8.7 million per season) and clearly, with the GM’s comments, it’s possible to believe that Laine will be back next season to help the Habs.
Even if some would like to see him leave.
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Patrik Laine scored 20 goals in 52 games this season.
We’re talking about a 31-goal pace over a full 82-game season.
If Laine can stay healthy next year, he could become more important to the Habs…
John Shannon, who is involved in field hockey media in English Canada, posted a funny tweet yesterday.
Basically, he said that with Sidney Crosby and Nathan MacKinnon off to represent their country at the World Championship, it’s fair to wonder if Nick Suzuki and Connor Bedard regret saying no to Hockey Canada.
So at first glance, the Twitter commentary is catchy.
And when I take the trouble to think about it, it occurs to me that there are two theories that apply as to why John Shannon made such remarks about the CH captain. Which one is true remains to be seen.
The first theory is that Shannon is right. It’s possible that Suzuki lied publicly, or that the situation has changed and he’s really said no to Canada since then.
I can’t say I believe it, since Suzuki has no advantage in lying and because his refusal to go last year probably cost him a place at the Four Nations Confrontation, but it’s a theory nonetheless.
“I play against the best players in the world every night, so I think I could show what I could do.”
The second theory? Shannon doesn’t know what he’s talking about or he misinterpreted Suzuki’s “no”, regardless of injuries.
Could he be the first English-Canadian who doesn’t give a damn about what’s going on in Quebec (and I don’t just mean in field hockey terms) and doesn’t dig into the whole story before speaking?
Has he taken it for granted that not seeing him on the Canadian roster at this point is a refusal on the part of the Habs captain? I can’t say it’s a far-fetched idea. No?
But hey. Whether he goes or not, we should know soon – maybe even in the next few minutes, when Jeff Gorton and Kent Hughes talk to the media (10 a.m.) on the sidelines of their end-of-season press conference.
Why did Sidney Crosby choose to go to the World Championship this year?
After all, it’s the first time he’s been there in 10 years… but in 2023 and 2024, he didn’t make the NHL playoffs. So what’s different this year for the man who doesn’t need to prove himself for the Olympics?
Has he regained his taste for winning by playing in Montreal and Boston at the Four Nations Confrontation? Does he want to play with his boy Nathan MacKinnon? Or both?
With the clock ticking, the Penguins seemingly bogged down and Mike Sullivan now the coach of the New York Rangers, we wonder more than ever what the future holds for Sidney Crosby.
We know he’s loyal, and if you ask me, he’ll never leave Pittsburgh. And if he does, it will be in 2026, not this summer.
But that’s not going to stop other teams from courting him. And it’s going to start with Nathan MacKinnon, who will no doubt be playing with Crosby at the World Championship.
Because, as Elliotte Friedman said in his 32 Thoughts Podcast, the two guys are going to play together for Canada and train together in the Maritimes this summer. They’re going to spend the summer together.
Nathan MacKinnon will spend the summer convincing him to go to Denver. – Elliotte Friedman
Because, yes, MacKinnon is angry about losing early in the playoffs. And he’s got to know that to replace Mikko Rantanen, it’s going to take something big.
And Sidney Crosby is… big.
Nathan MacKinnon: “They were missing their best D and maybe their best forward. We still couldn’t beat them so, yeah, I don’t know what we’re gonna do.” #GoAvsGopic.twitter.com/PutQLM8HIY
Of course, no one in the NHL knows if Crosby really wants to leave since he’s loyal to the Penguins. However, you can’t stop the rumour machine, can you?
And at the heart of the machine, there’s bound to be the Habs.
But it’s worth noting that, should Crosby ever be traded, it’s not necessarily the Habs who will be the #1 target. Why not? Because Crosby will want to win now if he were to be traded.
If Crosby were to leave, it wouldn’t be to take the helm of a club that can one day win, but of a Stanley Cup contender. That’s why Denver is more likely.
Dubé also names the Golden Knights, Panthers, Oilers and Capitals as possibilities.
Crosby currently wants to finish his career (and start his post-career) with the Penguins. Moving to a club that is still officially rebuilding would not be his priority. And Kevin Dubé wrote his paper by talking to people around #87.
But the great thing about field hockey is that things can change very quickly. A year from now, the situation may be different for both the CH and the Penguins.
What’s next? How did you find the first round of the playoffs?
Obviously, it ended on a high note with a big weekend of field hockey. Whether it was Mikko Rantanen’s performance to eliminate the Avalanche (it’s still funny to say, though) or the Jets’ spectacular comeback, Game #7 was up to the task.
Two-goal comebacks in the third to win a #7 game have only happened five times in history… twice this weekend. Spectacular, you say?
2 goal comebacks in the 3rd period to win a game 7 in NHL history:
First 106 years: 3
Last 2 days: 2 #StanleyCupPlayoffs
To see a Neal Pionk play for more than 46 minutes (46:15, actually) is simply incredible. To see the Jets bounce back without Mark Scheifele and Josh Morrissey is also noteworthy.
It was a big challenge because the Blues were ready, too. Even if their five-on-six unit wasn’t up to snuff…
And to see that Connor Hellebuyck managed to overcome his Jordan Binnington demons in such an important game after such a bad series… let’s just say it’s got to feel good. #FourNations
If he’d lost this, let’s just say his reputation would have taken a hit. But now, he can breathe a sigh of relief.
With the Jets’ victory, it’s interesting to note that there are still three Canadian clubs alive: the Jets, the Oilers and the Maple Leafs. And none of them will face each other in the second round.
Three clubs from here in the second round is a first since 2004. Gary Bettman must be crying in his office.
For the first time since 2004, three Canadian teams will be in the 2nd round of the playoffs
2004: MTL, TOR and CAL
2025: EDM, WPG and TOR
– Guillaume Villemaire (@GVillemaire13) May 5, 2025
The Canucks and Flames didn’t make the playoffs, but that doesn’t mean they were bad teams – especially the Flames. Otherwise, the Canadiens and Senators lost in the first round.
That’s no surprise for the CH… and the Sens lost to a Canadian team in the first round.
Of necessity, seeing so many Canadian clubs still alive will be good for ratings for Canadian broadcasters. And mathematically, Canada has a 37.5% chance of bringing home the Stanley Cup.
Remember that the last Stanley Cup won by a Canadian club was in 1993. #Montreal
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That said, just because the Canadian clubs are in the second round doesn’t mean it will be easy to move on to the next level. After all, the duels will be tough.
Here’s the playoff table.
(Credit: NHL.com)
In reality, I have a feeling that the Maple Leafs won’t be able to beat the Panthers’ big machine, that the Oilers will lack depth against the Golden Knights and that the Stars will be too strong for the Jets and their ordinary goaltender in the playoffs.
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(@JeremyFilosa) 
