Michael Hage is doing well in his first year in the NCAA.
He has accumulated 24 points (eleven goals) in his first 21 games of the season, proving that the Canadiens do not look crazy for selecting him with the 21st pick in the last draft.
When we see him score goals like that, we realize he has talent:
This Michael Hage kid is pretty talented but apparently he wasn’t deemed good enough to make “mighty” Team Canada at the World Juniors
Seeing him perform well at the college level, it’s natural to think he has a chance to sign his first contract with the Canadiens at the end of his college season.
This would allow him to jump to the pros quickly.
But Hage – in an interview with Guillaume Lepage (NHL) – asserts that there is no rush at the moment. He will sign his contract when the Canadiens tell him he’s ready to do so.
Before entertaining the idea of seeing his protégé leave the collegiate circuit to play professionally, Brandon Naurato would like the Canadiens’ prospect to start dominating (in a clear way) the NCAA:
He’s doing very well in terms of production. But he’s not dominating games.
Ryan Leonard dominates games. Lane Hutson dominated games last year. That’s the next step for Michael. – Brandon Naurato
The coach is right:
At what point will Hage be ready to graduate to the Canadiens organization? His coach believes he needs time, and Ramage is slightly putting on the brakes.
Michael Hage’s coach knows that his player has talent.
After all, Brandon Naurato does not understand Canada’s decision to overlook Hage for the last World Junior Championship, and according to him, the Canadiens’ prospect would be a player scoring around 150 points per season if he were playing in the CHL.
But the coach’s comments are logical because to make the jump to the pros at such a young age, a player must be too good for the league he’s in.
Hage is having a great season, and there’s no doubt about that. But he’s not dominating either, and we must not forget that the Canadiens’ prospect is only 18 years old.
He will celebrate his 19th birthday in April (the 14th)…
Could a second year in the NCAA hurt him? In my eyes, not necessarily. We all look forward to seeing him arrive in Montreal, and that’s normal, but a second college season would allow him to gain strength (and maturity) and give him the opportunity to be fully prepared for the awaited moment.
Unless he starts being really too good in the second half of the season at Michigan…
“Max, do you want to be the only one to interview Ronaldinho one-on-one during his visit to Quebec?”
How could I possibly respond no to that question?
Nilton… Gavino… what would you have said?
A freestyleweekend, just like the player Ronaldinho was
We’re not quite sure why Ronaldinho chose to spend two days in Quebec in the middle of January, but he was there. Recall that he was supposed to come in November, but his visit was canceled and then postponed to January.
Initially, Ronaldinho’s presence in the city was to promote a futsal academy that was set to launch in the National Capital, but we’ll have to wait a few months to learn more about this project, according to the president of Groupe Performance, the organization behind the Brazilian legend’s visit.
Ronaldinho arrived in Montreal on Saturday morning. He was supposed to take a flight to Quebec, but when he saw the “size” of the plane meant to take him from YUL to YQB, Ronaldinho preferred to travel by car truck. For a guy who doesn’t like to fly, the Montreal-Quebec flights are not always the most appealing…
Ronaldinho participated in three events that day.
1. He met with Mayor Bruno Marchand directly at Quebec City Hall. He signed the city’s guestbook and accepted a traditional arrowhead belt representing Quebec’s cultural origins. The mayor then presented Ronaldinho with a Rouge et Or jersey, while he gave the mayor a Brazilian national team jersey in return.
2. He participated in the late afternoon/early evening at an event at Toyota Ste-Foy, where he greeted the crowd before taking part in a 30-minute panel hosted by Olivier Brett. Ronaldinho repeated that young people should move more and that to succeed in life – both in sports and business – one must work, work, and work some more.
Everyone present could see how contagious the smile and joy of the former footballer were.
3. In the evening, Ronaldinho attended a VIP dinner at Kimono Sushi Bar. The entry price was over $350 per person. Some people told me they lived the best moment of their lives, being able to get items signed in the colors of Brazil, PSG, AC Milan, or Barça. However, others admitted to being disappointed not to have been able to interact with the main interest.
It must be said there was a whirlwind of excitement surrounding Ronaldinho. It’s not every day that a guy like him strolls through the streets of Quebec… and some adults can act worse than children in such situations.
On Sunday, Ronaldinho had one last event scheduled before leaving our Beautiful Province.
About 3,000 people – mostly young – gathered at the PEPS of Laval University hoping to catch a glimpse, take a photo, shake hands and/or get something signed that represents Ronaldinho.
(Credit: Maxime Truman)(Credit: Maxime Truman)
No media had direct access to Ronaldinho. None except DansLesCoulisses…
Ronaldinho entered through a door near the gym, and I had five minutes with him before he stepped out to the huge cheers of the crowd waiting for him.
(Credit: Max Truman Jr)
Ronaldinho, visibly affected by the northern cold but still smiling and generous, confessed that he probably wouldn’t have made it this far without futsal.
He also shared that if he had one piece of advice for young people trying to break into the world of soccer, it was to work hard but always remember that it’s a game. You must always know how to have fun.
Attention parents of young soccer players…
Ronaldinho admitted to not really knowing about Montreal, Quebec and/or Canadian soccer. However, many of his friends play in MLS. He knows the league and hears about it. He is also somewhat familiar with North American basketball.
I asked him if he ever considered, even for a few seconds towards the end of his career, coming to play in Canada or the United States.
“In the United States? That was an option at one point. I had invitations and conversations about it, but no, I didn’t go.” – Ronaldinho
The former Barça player claims he never found it burdensome to be an incredibly popular star. And when I say “popular star,” I’m referring to a global popularity that bears no comparison to the pressure someone like Jonathan Drouin might feel in Montreal, by the way…
“I’m living my dream as a child. I’m very happy that God gave me this opportunity.” – Ronaldinho
In closing, I asked the guest of honor of the weekend about the scenario currently being considered by MLS, which is to switch from a summer calendar to a winter calendar.
“MLS is thinking about changing its schedule. We’re used to playing in spring, summer, and fall; now we should play in fall, winter, and spring. Would you have been able to play in such cold?”
“Not me! The cold is not really for me.”
Without stating it explicitly, Ronaldinho sent a subtle indirect warming to MLS: mega stars, who have the choice of playing wherever they want on planet Earth, may shy away from certain cities that play outdoors during harsh winter months. Not all players are keen on playing in minus-18 on a January evening in Toronto…
Some more northern teams will therefore face even more difficulties in recruiting, while cities that compete in the same Association may also face challenges, knowing that their players will still have to play in difficult conditions several times a season.
Meanwhile, some other leagues will continue to offer many positive points, they…
Do you really think that if the match Miami vs Toronto were booked on the icy turf of BMO Field at the end of February or during March, a guy like Lionel Messi wouldn’t take off that weekend?
Do we really need another major challenge for clubs like CF Montreal, which already has tons to manage? I hope MLS will think twice before changing its schedule.
Extension
– Ronaldinho spoke French throughout the interview he graciously granted me. In the football culture, players tend to learn the language of the country they play in. Ronaldinho spent two seasons in Paris (PSG) before joining FC Barcelona; that’s why he was able to speak French to me yesterday.
There are sports that should take inspiration from this practice…
– I had the chance to chat with the family of a young boy named Zac. The 9-year-old, battling an incurable illness, had the opportunity to talk with Ronaldinho and even get his Barça jersey signed. His father and mother were incredibly grateful.
(Credit: Courtesy)
I spoke with the father a little earlier this morning, and I plan to go see his son practice a sport called Powerchair Soccer next weekend. Some amazing people got to receive a bit of life yesterday: we love that.
– Here are images of Ronaldinho’s arrival and departure yesterday at the PEPS.
Ronaldinho entered the PEPS to the cheers of a young crowd already won over.
I had the chance to do an exclusive interview with him before his entrance. He shared some interesting insights with me. I’ll tell you about it tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/Hh9V5gQkxO
It was madness around @10Ronaldinho this afternoon at the PEPS of Laval University. @DLCoulisses was on site and was the only media able to interview the former Brazilian star.
– I want to give a big love to all those who attended one of the weekend events but couldn’t get an item signed or take a photo with Ronaldinho. It was madness, and sometimes, when it gets crazy, things don’t go as planned from the start.
– I plan to post the video of the interview I conducted with Ronaldinho later this week. It might be in small segments or its entirety. We’ll see.
– Finally, I must sincerely thank Robert Boulos and André Lajoie for giving me the opportunity to interview a football legend like Ronaldinho. Yesterday was a good day.
Will the Canadiens make the playoffs? That’s the question on everyone’s mind.
While the Canadiens are in the midst of the infamous mix, it’s clear that being one of the top eight teams in the East by mid-April will be quite a challenge. But it’s not impossible.
Especially if the team continues to play this way.
(Credit: NHL.com)
But obviously, with a standings that are so tight, there are many teams that can aspire to qualify. It won’t be a walk in the park for the Habs.
And clearly, not everyone believes in the CH.
When we look at this article from The Athletic, where several columnists assess the chances of different teams making the playoffs (this is just one of many topics, by the way), we see that no one really believes that the Habs can qualify for the playoffs.
After all, when it came time to vote for the eight teams that will make the playoffs, the CH didn’t receive a single vote.
Athletic subscribers: NHL predictions 4.0: New Stanley Cup favorite, Vezina sweep and tight Eastern playoff race.
A columnist said that if he had known that no one wanted to vote for the CH, he would have done it. This shows that he was “on the fence” regarding his decision and does not think that the 0% of votes is representative.
But the numbers don’t lie: in the eyes of the site’s columnists, the CH is not in the top-8 in the East.
What the numbers don’t say is whether everyone, like Sean Gentille, sees the Habs on the verge of the playoffs. All we know is that there’s no talk of the top-8 in regards to the CH.
We talk a lot about Hutson, Laine, Dobes… but what a season Cole Caufield is having!
He is developing into a true first-line winger. We knew he was a fearsome scorer, but he’s progressing in other areas as well… pic.twitter.com/TTSM2ETeie
I’ve been thinking for a long time that the longer the Penguins wait to rebuild, the more time they lose.
I don’t see Kyle Dubas’s Penguins managing to build a team to win a fourth ring in just over 15 years, aside from the elements in the hands of the hockey boss.
But it’s not up to me to decide.
Right now, here’s where the Penguins stand: they want to be able to trade a few pieces this year in order to take a step back in 2025, but still continue to move forward looking towards 2025-2026.
To achieve their goals, the Penguins would like to retain Ryan Rust, Philip Tomasino, and Owen Pickering to surround the Crosbys and Malkins for the future.
D’Amico warns us: don’t send Crosby to Montreal as he is not part of the plans to trade him.
Fair warning, the «Crosby to Montreal» comments are the most lazy and boring comments imaginable.
But what this means is that Erik Karlsson and Kristopher Letang, according to RG’s information, are not among the untouchables of the Pennsylvania lineup.
And a source from the site, aside from the rising salary cap and the escrow that players will no longer have to pay by the end of the season, mentioned quite an interesting statement.
These contracts that you think are too burdensome for a trade are no longer.
Obviously, as things stand, this will open the door to speculation with the Canadiens, who need help on the right side. But between you and me, Karlsson at $10M (the amount on the Penguins’ payroll) until 2027 or Letang at $6.1M until 2028, does not excite me.
And this, even if there were to be a salary retention.
“Max, are you interested in being the only one to interview Ronaldinho one-on-one during his visit to Quebec?”
How could I possibly answer no to that question?
Nilton… Gavino… What would you have answered?
A freestyle kind of weekend, just like the player Ronaldinho was
We don’t really know why Ronaldinho came to Quebec for two days in the middle of January, but he was there. Let’s remember he was supposed to come in November, but his visit got canceled and then pushed to January.
Initially, Little Ronaldo’s presence in the city was meant to promote a futsal academy that was going to be launched in the national capital, but we’ll have to wait a few months to know more about this project, according to the president of Groupe Performance, the organization behind the Brazilian legend’s visit.
Ronaldinho arrived in Montreal on Saturday morning. He was supposed to take a flight to Quebec, but when he saw the “size” of the plane that was meant to take him from YUL to YQB, Ronaldinho preferred to make the trip by car truck. For a guy who doesn’t like flying, flights from Montreal to Quebec aren’t always the most appealing…
Ronaldinho participated in three events that day.
1. He met with Mayor Bruno Marchand directly at Quebec City Hall. He signed the city’s guestbook, in addition to accepting a traditional belt representing Quebec’s cultural origins. The mayor then presented Ronaldinho with a Rouge et Or jersey, while the latter gave him a Brazilian jersey in return.
2. He participated in the late afternoon/early evening event at Toyota Ste-Foy, where he greeted the crowd before joining a panel hosted by Olivier Brett for 30 minutes. Ronaldinho reiterated that young people need to move more, and that to succeed in life – both in sports and business – you must work, work, and then work some more.
Everyone present could see how contagious the smiles and joy of the former footballer were.
3. In the evening, Ronaldinho attended a VIP dinner at Kimono Sushi Bar. The entry price was over $350 per person. Some people told me they experienced the best moment of their lives, being able to get items signed in the colors of Brazil, PSG,AC Milan, or Barça. However, others confessed they were disappointed not to have been able to chat with the guest of honor.
It has to be said that there was a whirlwind of excitement around Ronaldinho. It’s not every day that a guy like him walks the streets of Quebec… and some adults are worse than children in such situations.
On Sunday, Ronaldinho had one last scheduled event before leaving our Beautiful Province.
About 3,000 people – mostly young people – were present at the PEPS of Laval University, hoping to catch a glimpse, take a photo, shake hands and/or get something signed that represents Ronaldinho.
(Credit: Maxime Truman)(Credit: Maxime Truman)
No media had direct access to Ronaldinho. None except DansLesCoulisses…
Ronaldinho arrived through a door near the gym, and I had five minutes with him before he was welcomed by the huge cheers of the crowd awaiting him.
(Credit: Max Truman Jr)
Ronaldinho, visibly affected by the northern cold but still as smiling and generous as ever, confessed to me that he likely wouldn’t have come this far without futsal.
He also told me that if he had just one piece of advice for young people trying to break into the world of soccer, it would be to work hard but always remember it’s a game. You must always know how to have fun.
Note to the parents of young soccer players…
Ronaldinho admitted that he didn’t really know much about Montreal, Quebec and/or Canadian soccer. However, many of his friends play in MLS. He knows the league and hears about it.
I asked him if he ever considered, even for just a few seconds at the end of his career, coming to play in Canada or the United States.
“In the United States? Yes. But it never materialized.” – Ronaldinho
The former Barça star claims he never found it burdensome to be an immensely popular figure. And when I say “popular figure,” I mean a global popularity that had nothing in common with the pressure a guy like Jonathan Drouin feels in Montreal, by the way…
“I got to live my passion while having fun. I will always be grateful.” – Ronaldinho
In conclusion, I asked the guest of honor of the weekend about the scenario that MLS is currently considering, which is to switch from a summer calendar to a winter calendar.
“MLS is thinking about changing its schedule. We’re used to playing in the spring, summer, and fall; now we would need to play in the fall, winter, and spring. Would you be able to play in such cold, you?”
“No! Never!”
Without saying it explicitly, Ronaldinho sent a little indirect warming to MLS: mega stars, who have the choice to play wherever they want on planet Earth, might snub certain cities that will be playing outdoors during the harsh winter months. Not all players want to play in minus-18 on a January night in Toronto…
Some more northern teams will therefore have even more difficulties recruiting, while cities that play in the same Association as these might also face some challenges, knowing their players will still have to play in difficult conditions several times a season.
Meanwhile, some other leagues will continue to offer many positives, they will…
Do you really think that if the match Miami vs Toronto was booked on the icy pitch of BMO Field at the end of February or during March, a guy like Lionel Messi wouldn’t take off that weekend?
Do we really need another major challenge for clubs like CF Montreal, who already have plenty to manage? I hope MLS thinks twice before changing its schedule.
Extension
– Ronaldinho spoke French throughout the interview he kindly granted me. In the football culture, players are used to learning the language of the country they’re playing in. Ronaldinho spent two seasons in Paris (PSG) before joining FC Barcelona; that’s why he was able to speak to me in French yesterday.
There are sports that should take inspiration from this practice…
– I had the chance to chat with the family of a young child named Zac. The 9-year-old, facing an incurable illness, had the opportunity to talk to Ronaldinho and get his Barça jersey signed. His parents were extremely grateful.
(Credit: Courtesy)
I spoke to the father a little earlier this morning and I plan to go see his son practicing a sport called Powerchair Soccer next weekend. Just some damn good people who got to receive a little gift from life yesterday: we love that.
– Here are some images of Ronaldinho’s entrance and exit yesterday at the PEPS.
Ronaldinho entered the PEPS to the cheers of a young crowd that was already won over.
I had the chance to do an exclusive interview with him before his entry. He shared interesting things with me. I will tell you about it tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/Hh9V5gQkxO
It was madness around @10Ronaldinho this afternoon at the PEPS of Laval University.@DLCoulisses was on site and was the only media outlet to be able to interview the former Brazilian star player.
– I want to give a big love to everyone who showed up at one of the weekend events but couldn’t get an item signed or take a photo with Ronaldinho. It was madness and sometimes, when things get crazy, they don’t go as planned from the start.
– I plan to post later this week the video of the interview I was able to conduct with Ronaldinho. It will either be in small segments or in its entirety. We’ll see.
– Finally, I absolutely want to thank Robert Boulos and André Lajoie for giving me the opportunity to interview a legend like Ronaldinho. Yesterday was a good day.
So? How did you find your weekend of Canadiens games?
As the Canadiens faced the Maple Leafs and the Rangers in two games over two nights, the team came back down to earth after a few weeks of fiery performances since the holiday return.
It was especially coming back down to earth against Toronto, in fact.
But what was important in yesterday’s game was to see how the Canadiens would respond, following a significant setback, against the Rangers’ adversity. New York is a team that is currently fighting like a devil in holy water.
And even though the Rangers led 1-0, 2-1, 3-2, and 4-3 in the game, at one point, the Canadiens found a way to emerge from the match with a W in hand. That’s good for the standings.
(Credit: NHL.com)
And in fact, this is not the first time the Canadiens have come back from behind to win a hockey game recently. Why? Because it has happened in their last seven wins, in fact.
That’s not nothing.
It happened four times against the Rangers, once against the Stars, twice against Utah, once against the Capitals, once against the Canucks, once against the Avalanche, and once against Vegas.
And on more than one occasion, the gap to overcome was more than one goal.
The last 7 wins of the Canadiens have been comebacks in the score.
Let’s agree that if there is one player who allowed the CH to climb back up (among many others), it is Lane Hutson. He found a way to help his team secure an important goal at the end of the game for them.
Note: I take nothing away from Juraj Slafkovsky, who scored it. But without the vision of #48, that goal does not exist.
The reason I’m positively highlighting Hutson this morning? It’s because he had a very difficult weekend, yet he found a way to remain himself despite everything.
Hutson was minus-5 against Toronto, and at that point in the game, when it was 4-3 for the Rangers, he was minus-2. But despite everything, he wasn’t afraid to be creative with the puck and charge forward.
This shows that he maintains his confidence and identity. The fact that he has scored a point in an eighth consecutive game is proof of that.
That’s why even though he was minus-6 this weekend (bringing his season total to minus-10 and minus-12 for his career), he still remains the best rookie in the NHL. And it’s glaring.
Lane Hutson this morning with his 38 points in 46 games:
– 1st scorer among rookies, 5 points ahead of his closest pursuer;
– 6th scorer among defensemen, 2 points behind the 4th.
As Marc-Olivier Beaudoin says, he has five more points than Matvei Michkov’s 33 among rookies. And with 38 points in 46 games, he is the sixth best defenseman in the NHL in terms of points.
He is even close to the fourth place.
In 48 NHL games (including the two games played last April), Hutson has three goals and 37 assists. He has therefore already reached the milestone of 40 career points, which is quite notable.
So even though he has work to do on 200 feet (his game against Toronto is a good example of that) and his differential isn’t perfect, I’m not worried about that. And in my opinion, I’m not the only one thinking this way.
But that’s not all I take away from yesterday’s match, which was still exciting for the people in attendance – despite a slow start to the game.
What do I take away from all this?
1. Aside from Juraj Slafkovsky’s goal, it was the veterans of the team (Brendan Gallagher, Christian Dvorak, and Nick Suzuki) who ensured the Rangers never made the game out of reach during even strength. Sometimes, it takes that… despite the numerous quality chances missed during the game overall.
And obviously, in overtime, it was Patrik Laine (thanks to Kaiden Guhle) who put an end to the debate. He also gave wings to the Quebecers. #LaCage
2. The joy of victory was palpable. To see a little Youppi! thrown on the ice after the CH’s win – and to see the guys have fun with it afterward – was particularly nice.
3. Owen Beck played his second career game in the NHL. He spent 8:13 on the ice (which is equivalent to two games for Michael Pezzetta) and he was quiet.
It must be said that he had a busy weekend with three games on the schedule. He will enjoy his day off today.
4. Last year, not only did the CH lose tight games, but they also lost the second games of back-to-backs. But this year, as mentioned on BPM Sports this morning, we are talking about a record of 6-2-1.
What a difference.
5. It is clear that all evening (and even before the game started), Arber Xhekaj and Matt Rempe were looking for each other. And their fight ignited the Montreal crowd and the Canadiens players.
The Sheriff doesn’t fight often this year… but when he does, we notice.
6. Jakub Dobes did not have as strong a game as his first four: he allowed four goals, thus doubling his total from four to eight in his first four games. But once again, he secured the win.
He did it in front of his father, whom he hadn’t seen for a year and a half. And especially, in overtime, he stepped up.
Jakub Dobes: “I haven’t seen my father in a year and a half and he was here tonight. I was a little nervous because I wanted to perform well in front of him. We will celebrate together, that’s for sure!”
7. Among the comedic moments of the match: Juraj Slafkovsky getting his stick stolen by the opposing goalie. Jonathan Quick, who acted like Marc-André Fleury on that one, was funny.
I found that amusing.
Jonathan Quick STOLE Juraj Slafkovsky’s stick after losing his paddle and Slafkovsky just wanted it back pic.twitter.com/9rnx4hozb2
It is rare to see the Canadiens off on a Monday, but the two games over the weekend meant the CH didn’t really have a choice but to go this route on January 20.
Tomorrow, there will be a morning skate at the Bell Centre right before the showdown against the Lightning. I expect the only change to be in goal tomorrow… but at the same time, I think Jayden Struble will have to play at some point.
What is the difference between the Canadiens and the Canadien? Apart from the plural form…
The Canadiens (as in Team Canada junior) saw their coach Dave Cameron cancel several practices during last month’s tournament. And it hurt.
After all, the team was not ready to play.
But the Canadien (as in Martin St-Louis’ team) did the same thing in the last few days… and it paid off since the team has been doing well for the past few weeks.
Why is that? Because St-Louis has the pulse of his team.
Yes, the CH is winning. But especially, with the impossible schedule of the Flanelle in terms of travel, let’s say that the idea of resting the guys was a good one.
When we take the time to look back, we can see that the Canadien has not practiced much. And clearly, this is due to the many air miles accumulated by the team. Here, day by day, is what it has looked like.
January 7: day off
January 8: practice in Brossard (and press conference of Kent Hughes, to get back in context)
January 9: practice in Brossard
January 10: no morning skate before the game
January 11: no morning skate before the game
January 12: travel, no practice
January 13: practice in Utah
January 14: no morning skate before the game
January 15: travel, no practice
January 16: no morning skate before the game
January 17: travel, no practice
January 18: no morning skate before the game
January 19: no morning skate before the game
January 20 (today): day off
(Credit: NHL.com)
I know that the CH must have a day off on a regular basis (according to the collective agreement), but it’s still striking. And I’m not saying this negatively because the schedule is intense… and because we are in a results league and it is working.
And in the coming days? The plan, for now, is to have a morning skate tomorrow at the Bell Centre. I expect that to take place.
Martin St-Louis gave his players another day off today. Rest has paid off for the last 2-3 weeks, so we don’t change a winning formula. And the players are happy this way.
The CH will host the Lightning tomorrow evening at the Bell Centre. Will they hold a morning skate…
On Wednesday, a real practice (the first since January 13) is on the agenda. Afterwards, the team will head to Detroit and we should expect a morning skate Thursday in Michigan.
Friday? Day off. Saturday? Morning skate. And Sunday? Day off, according to the current CH plan.
This means that Monday the 27th will likely be the team’s 2nd regular practice only since the trip to Utah. And as a trip to California awaits the CH soon before the four nations tournament in February, the team will not have practiced much over a month.
Will this catch up with the CH at the end of the season?
In a nutshell
– Noted.
The Montreal Alliance is proud to announce the acquisition of the organization by a group of 100% Montreal investors made up of Joel Anthony, Léo Bouisson, and Ian-Philip Paul-Hus.
Ivan Demidov is dominating in the KHL – despite limited playing time. In fact, he’s been doing quite well for the past few weeks. #VisitOfKentHughes
And this morning we learned that the young prospect of the Canadiens has found a way to be named Rookie of the Week in the Russian league again. Nothing new under the sun.
In two games, he scored two goals and earned two assists. He played an average of 19:59 per game.
Congrats to Ivan Demidov on being named the KHL Rookie of the Week AGAIN
The more Demidov gains confidence, the better he performs. He is rewarded by his coach for his achievements and is also given more high-level hockey in return.
Imagine: Roman Rotenberg has realized that even without a contract at the end of the season, Demidov can still play well. Well.
But what stands out the most in this whole story is that Demidov has received his sixth nomination this season as Rookie of the Week in the KHL. This allows him to etch his name into the KHL record books.
Essentially, he joins Eeli Tolvanen as the only rookie in league history to win the Rookie of the Week title six times. He is just one big week away from claiming exclusive title rights.
6-time KHL Rookie of the Week
19-year-old Ivan Demidov tied KHL record for most ROTW titles (Eeli Tolvanen). pic.twitter.com/9V4YAPY5xH
With Lane Hutson being the best rookie – at least in my eyes – in the NHL, it’s clear that these are two major elements of the Canadiens’ future who are excelling as rookies in their respective leagues.
Is it possible to believe that, in a perfect world, the CH could have two rookies of the year in consecutive seasons (Hutson 2025, Demidov 2026) in the next 18 months in the NHL? Perhaps, yes.
François Gagnon, who has been covering hockey for a long time, announced on social media that he would be able to return to work and cover hockey again.
Hello group: it is with great satisfaction that I reconnect with you, with the #CH, with #RDS, and with the work that I have loved for so long after a medical break that was as necessary as it was beneficial. https://t.co/pgKaDxZXnJ
In the afternoon, the Senators visited the Devils and with a 2-1 victory, Ottawa starts the day at the top of the wild card teams in the Eastern Conference.
The Sens have 52 points, two points more than the Tricolore and one more than the Jackets.
at the World Juniors
pic.twitter.com/WDn7czRIm1
