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Jacob Fowler: “I think I am ready for the professional level”

Jacob Fowler continues his demolition work in the NCAA.

The Canadian prospect is having another season up to expectations and it’s great to see him progress.

It’s no wonder that he is seen as one of the top prospects at his position right now.

The American is only in his second year of college, but he’s already showing signs of making the leap to the pros at the end of this season.

And the reason is simple: Fowler has been dominating the NCAA since he arrived in the league. He has nothing left to learn when looking at his stats:

  • Record of 52-11-2
  • Nine shutouts (!)
  • A goals-against average of 1.96
  • A save percentage of .930

Difficult to ask for more!

That’s surely why Fowler himself says he feels ready to make the jump to the professionals. He wants to focus on his season at Boston College, but you can sense that it’s on his mind.

Jonathan Bernier (Journal de Montréal) met with him, and TVA Sports published an article on the subject:

I think I’m ready for the professional level. Moreover, every day I train to get closer to the next level. I want to do it sooner rather than later. – Jacob Fowler

Jacob Fowler seems eager to move to the next level and that’s what’s interesting in his words.

This also gives a good indication for what’s to come… Because I find it hard to believe that the Canadiens will force him to stay another year in the NCAA.

The two camps will make a decision together, but Fowler’s performance gives him strong arguments as well.

If he feels ready to make the jump and there’s a spot for him in Laval, I don’t see why he would choose to stay in Boston, nor why the Habs would want him to stay.

By developing Fowler “more quickly,” the Canadiens give themselves a better chance to be stronger sooner… And his development must also align with the timeline of the rebuilding process.

All this to say that we still do not have an official answer regarding Fowler’s future, but his recent comments speak for themselves.

It makes perfect sense to believe we’ll see him in Montreal/Laval sooner rather than later.

In Brief

– No doubt!

– No surprise here.

– He’s having a good tournament so far.

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Canada couldn’t endure Logan Thompson for 10 days?

The defeat of Canada last night has people talking… And not necessarily for the right reasons.

Just like in the last two World Junior Championships, there is (a lot of) criticism regarding the decisions made by Canadian officials.

Especially when we see Jordan Binnington allowing goals that a #1 goalie should stop…

Canada had the opportunity to trust Logan Thompson, who is one of the best goalies in the league this season.

But let’s remember that Bruce Cassidy and Peter DeBoer did not want him on the team because of the goalie’s stay in Vegas…

Couldn’t Canada endure Logan Thompson for 10 days?

That’s the question that needs to be asked right now.

After all, the officials must choose the best available players for a short tournament like this (and it’s the same for the World Junior Championship).

But it seems that those officials do not learn from their mistakes, even after seeing Canada bow out in the quarter-finals in the last two editions of the WJC…

There are criticisms regarding the goalies, but also regarding the offense.

Brad Marchand who is not making any progress…

Jon Cooper who preferred his players (I’m especially thinking of Anthony Cirelli here)…

Why is Mark Scheifele, who is the 4th highest Canadian scorer this season, not part of that lineup?

We know that like Thompson, it’s off-ice issues that led the officials to avoid Scheifele. But still, you must play to win…

Matt Duchene, Connor Bedard, Macklin Celebrini, Dylan Strome… These guys have undeniable offensive talent and Canada has only scored five goals in two games since the start of the tournament. Nick Suzuki could also have taken the place of a guy like Cirelli…

It’s not normal for Crosby – at 37 years old – to be the only Canadian player among the top 10 scorers of the tournament!

In the end, it’s the officials who appear (again) poorly and we see the results of their decisions right now.

If only they could put politics aside and focus on having the best possible team on the ice…

This tweet perfectly summarizes the situation:

In brief

– Good for Finland.

– Good news: Mailloux is able to play this afternoon.

– Good point!

– Phew.

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No Québécois will have participated in the match of the century in Montreal

As practically everyone mentioned, last night’s game between Canada and the United States was THE hockey match of the century in Montreal.

It had been since 2016 that the best Canadian and American players had faced off in an official match, and we were fortunate to witness this rivalry return to Montreal and the Bell Centre.

It truly was a historic game that we witnessed last night, regardless of the disappointing outcome.

We were able to see the best players in the world in action on the ice of the Bell Centre in a real competitive match, not just a fun game like the All-Star Game.

Honestly, we couldn’t have wished for better as hockey fans.

In fact, yes, we could have wished for better as Quebec fans.

Oh really, how so?

Well, consider that Montreal has just hosted the match of the century, and no Quebec player participated in this match.

Indeed, there were no Quebec players on the ice at the Bell Centre last night, and frankly, when you think about it, it’s really unfortunate.

There is only one Quebec player on the entire Canadian team, and that is the third-string goaltender, Samuel Montembeault.

For the rest, just Canadian players from other provinces.

And know that it’s not just a coincidence that there are not more Quebec players on the team; it’s simply because there weren’t any good enough to make the Canadian team.

And that is really a very telling sign of the decline of Quebec hockey.

Let’s say we are far from the good years when Quebec players were the strength of Canada, whether with Mario Lemieux or Martin Brodeur.

The last time there was an international tournament organized with the best players in the world was in 2016 during the World Cup of Hockey, and at that time, Canada had four Quebecers on its team, and not just any.

Claude Giroux, Patrice Bergeron, Marc-Édouard Vlasic, and Corey Crawford were on the team.

Let’s also add that on the North America team, composed of the best players under 23, Jonathan Drouin was featured.

If we go even further back, during the 2010 Olympic Games, Canada had six Quebec players in its lineup, including all three goaltenders.

Martin Brodeur, Marc-André Fleury, Roberto Luongo, Patrice Bergeron, Stéphane Robidas, and Martin St-Louis.

In short, times have really changed since then, and that’s really unfortunate.

This season in the NHL, the two best Quebec scorers rank 23rd and 24th among the top Canadian scorers.

It’s Jonathan Marchessault and Pierre-Luc Dubois who occupy those spots with 44 points each.

Jonathan Huberdeau follows not too far behind in 32nd place with his 41 points.

In short, this again shows how far Quebecers are lagging behind these days, which explains why there were none last night on the ice for the match of the century.

For some fans, it is clear that it must be difficult to identify with a Canadian team that has only one Quebec player, who isn’t even playing.

In a Nutshell

– Clearly.

– Kyle Okposo loved what he saw last night.

– Good point.

– Too bad.

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Michael Hage carries the puck 200 feet to score a beautiful goal

While all eyes were glued to the match of the century at the Bell Centre between Canada and the United States, there was also action in other hockey leagues.

Despite the NHL’s break for the Four Nations tournament, it’s important to closely monitor the performances of the various prospects of the Montreal Canadiens.

In fact, there is one player in particular who stood out last night in the NCAA.

Michael Hage indeed caught attention last night in the American college league, scoring a simply splendid goal in a 2-2 tie against the University of Minnesota while playing for the University of Michigan.

Hage carried the puck 200 feet, faking out nearly all the Minnesota players, and then found the back of the net with a great shot.

Here is his goal.

It’s truly a remarkable play from the Canadiens’ prospect, as he has demonstrated the full extent of his talent at just 18 years old.

What is even more impressive is that Hage made this play at a very important moment in the game, when his team needed a goal in the third period to tie the game.

This shows a nice “clutch” quality in Hage, which we all look forward to seeing in Montreal in the coming years.

With this goal, the Canadiens’ prospect now has 32 points (13 goals and 19 assists) in 29 games, which represents excellent production, especially for a first-year player in the NCAA.

Hage is following a very nice development curve, and with probably another season in college hockey, he will then be able to make the leap to the pros.

And if we go by Hage’s talent and potential, he could very well jump directly into the NHL with the Montreal Canadiens.

In Brief

– Vinzenz Rohrer and Bogdan Konyushkov also scored a goal each.

– Wow.

– The Americans’ locker room after the victory.

– The Rocket will be in action this afternoon.

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Canada: we need to change the goalkeeper for the next match

Unfortunately, Canada lost 3 to 1 last night against the United States in a completely crazy match at the Bell Centre.

This is a painful defeat, especially after the incredible start to the match we witnessed, but in the end, the better team on paper came out on top.

Canada had an excellent start to the match but faded away for the rest of the game.

Seriously, we likely saw the best ten minutes of hockey in the last century in Montreal, but for the rest, it resembled quite a classic Montreal Canadiens game.

Canada, just like the Habs, was less good than its opponent, and failed to capitalize on its chances, despite several very good scoring opportunities.

So, what could have caused such a big change in direction in this match?

Well, the answer is simple: it’s Jordan Binnington.

The turning point in this game was the very weak goal given up by Binnington to Jake Guentzel midway through the first period.

Jordan Binnington simply cannot allow such a weak goal at such an important moment in such an important game.

Jake Guentzel’s goal silenced the crowd at the Bell Centre, which remained quiet for the rest of the match.

In short, this goal had the effect of a cold shower and really broke the rhythm for Canada and the crowd.

This is clearly where the game was lost, not to mention the second goal allowed by Jordan Binnington, which was also weak, as the puck went through his body under his arm.

In short, even though Binnington made some big saves in the game, the reality is that he cost Canada the match by failing to make a key save on Jake Guentzel’s shot.

This goal cut the legs out from under the Canadian players and fans, and it energized the Americans, who did not look back after that, even though the game was tied for a long stretch.

You could feel that, on one side, Canada would have a hard time scoring one or two more goals against Connor Hellebuyck, while on the other side, a goal could come at any moment against Jordan Binnington.

After two periods, with the United States leading 2 to 1, Canada faced a big challenge ahead: scoring more goals than the Americans in the third period, which would mean breaking through the Hellebuyck wall and praying that no one gets one past Jordan Binnington.

It was practically a mission impossible.

In short, for me, the conclusion is quite clear after two games: Canada needs to change goalies for the next match, which is against Finland.

This will be a must-win game for both teams, as a win in regulation would mean automatic qualification for the finals against the United States.

And for this occasion, I genuinely believe that Canada should trust Adin Hill in net.

The ideal choice would have been Logan Thompson from the start of the tournament, but oh well…

Even though he is not having the best season with the Vegas Golden Knights, Hill won the Stanley Cup in 2023, and he has recently demonstrated that he is capable of playing big games, more so than Binnington.

Putting Hill in net against Finland would give Canada a new lease on life, as they have no room for error.

That would be my choice, and I sincerely believe it’s the thing to do to avoid catastrophe, which would be a loss against Finland.

We should know Canada’s choice soon, as the match will take place tomorrow at 1 PM.

With a regulation win, Canada would secure a spot in the finals, even if Sweden wins in regulation against the United States.

However, with an overtime victory, Canada could be eliminated if Sweden gets three points against the United States.

In short, it will be a big day tomorrow.

In Brief

— He was very good.

— Obviously.

— To be continued.

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National anthem booed: that’s why the Americans fought at the beginning of the match

Seriously, despite Canada’s defeat, I still haven’t gotten over last night’s game at the Bell Centre against the United States.

I was there, and no joke, it was by far the craziest sporting event I’ve ever attended in my life, which is why many are calling it the game of the century in Montreal.

The atmosphere was simply electric and the vibe was insane, as after just a few minutes, many fans, including me and my friends, had lost our voices.

Of course, what sparked all this was partly the American national anthem being booed passionately, but it was mainly the three fights after nine seconds that sent the Bell Centre into a frenzy.

The crowd at the Bell Centre was already ecstatic even before the first face-off of the game, so I’ll let you imagine what it was like when the first fight broke out between Brandon Hagel and Matthew Tkachuk.

It was simply a magical atmosphere.

It’s a shame that aside from the first period, you would have thought you were watching a classic Montreal Canadiens game.

In short, the fights set quite a tone for the game, so hats off to the players involved.

However, the latest news indicates that these fights didn’t just happen to hype the crowd even more.

Indeed, on the American side, they knew that the crowd would disrespect the American national anthem, and thus, the three fights represented the Americans’ response.

The Americans were expecting to see their national anthem booed, just like in their first match against Finland, and they were ready to react by engaging in the three fights that occurred in just nine seconds.

Moreover, the three American fighters, the Tkachuk brothers (Matthew and Brady) and J.T. Miller, had decided to drop the gloves early in this game through a group chat earlier in the day.

It’s quite a funny situation, and it shows how premeditated all of this was on the part of the Americans.

They didn’t take the disrespect towards the national anthem lightly, starting from the very first game for the United States in the tournament.

After the game against Finland, Matthew Tkachuk stated that he didn’t like seeing his anthem being booed and that he preferred to move on to another topic.

Moreover, hats off to Matthew Tkachuk, who didn’t play a great game after his fight, as he didn’t even finish the match, likely injured and bothered by pain, but in the end, he gained the respect of all his American teammates, even though he ended the game at the end of the bench.

Even though Matthew has been playing a lot of games for two seasons now, having gone through two Stanley Cup Finals, he never hesitated to be the first to fight to defend his country, which is worth its weight in gold in the eyes of his teammates and fans.

In short, all of this proves once again that sports and politics simply cannot be separated, as there will always be situations where the two intersect.

Ultimately, fights were the response to the booed national anthem, and thus, violence answered the disrespect.

It’s quite ironic for those who are against fighting in hockey but were in favor of booing the American national anthem…

In Brief

– He was incredible, just like the rest of the American defense.

– Magical.

– Here’s the standings, as the tournament now moves to Boston.

– A sixth consecutive win for Montreal.

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The Americans beat Canada and advance to the finals

After years of waiting, the best Canadian and American players were finally facing off again.

Finally!

However, Canada had to cope without its best defenseman Cale Makar, who was apparently not fully recovered from his virus. Thomas Harley replaced him in the Canadian lineup.

I hope you were seated as soon as the game started, because within the second second, Matthew Tkachuk, who did not finish the game, dropped the gloves against Brandon Hagel, who wasn’t going to say no.

And a second later, his brother Brady did the same against Sam Bennett.

Do you think the fights stopped there? No. Six seconds after Brady’s fight, Colton Parayko and J.T. Miller danced their way in.

What a start to the game! Three fights in nine seconds, indeed.

If Canada needed it, they could have asked GSP to step onto the ring the ice.

After tempers flared, it was time for hockey. Connor McDavid scored the first goal of the game with a superb rush.

But a little later, Jordan Binnington allowed a very poor goal.

In such an important game, you absolutely cannot give up a goal like that.

However, he made a good comeback later.

While shorthanded, he stopped the best American players buzzing near his net.

But at the end of the second period, after a bad change, Dylan Larkin gave the visitors their first lead.

In the third period, Canada spent a good portion of the period in offensive territory, but didn’t have many great chances to score.

The Americans held firm and scored the insurance goal into an empty net.

Final score: 3-1 the bad guys. They end their opponents’ 17 consecutive international victories.

Canada will play its last qualifying phase game on Monday at 1 PM against Finland. The game will take place at TD Garden, home of the Boston Bruins.

Overtime

Here is the standings of the four nations tournament after two games on each side:

1. United States 2-0-0-0 6 points

2. Canada 0-1-0-1 2 points

3. Finland 0-1-0-1 2 points

4. Sweden 0-0-2-0 2 points

On Monday, Canada will face Finland in the afternoon and in the evening, the Swedes will clash with the Americans. Both games will be presented at TD Garden in Boston.

Despite the loss, Canada still controls its destiny. With a victory in regulation time on Monday, our favorites would advance to the next stage.

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Trump, number 51, on a Canadian shirt: a supporter stirs reactions

Whether you love hockey or not, tonight’s match is a must watch. For sports, political reasons, or any other, the Canada/United States matchup is sure to draw a large audience.

This game is so important that even Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is present. He made an Instagram post.

Well-known personalities like Carey Price, GSP, and George Kittle are there too, by the way.

 

See this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Justin Trudeau (@justinpjtrudeau)

Donald Trump, however, is not in Montreal tonight, but he is on the minds of many.

Indeed, during the Sweden-Finland match (won by Finland in overtime), a fan was spotted wearing a Canadian Trump jersey with the number 51. The image circulating on social media is really causing a stir.

Well, I imagine the fan was trying to make a joke, but it really didn’t land.

To add a bit more context, the American president has stated his desire to annex Canada and make the northern country the 51st state of the United States. Hence the number 51 on the back.

I won’t repeat what was said in the comments of the post, but it did not go over well. I invite you to take a look.

Given the circumstances of the past few weeks, the country’s economic situation, and the stakes on the ice this Saturday night, it may not have been a joke to make in this context in the eyes of many.

Did the guy leave the Bell Centre in one piece? Did he dare to show up at tonight’s much-anticipated match…?

Note that, unsurprisingly, despite Michel Lacroix’s calls, the American national anthem was booed during tonight’s game. I’m not surprised.

As for the Canadian national anthem: just chills!

In a nutshell

– Hey guys!

– A national hero.

– Obviously.

– Really.

– Haha.

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National anthem booed, the two Tkachuk brothers fighting: what a crazy start to the match

What a crazy start to the match!

First of all, the American national anthem was booed (despite the instructions from Michel Lacroix) and there were not even three seconds played when the two Tkachuk brothers dropped the gloves.

Wow!

And at 19:51, after the first official stoppage of play, Colton Parayko and J.T. Miller threw down the gloves in turn.

Three fights in nine seconds. That must be a record.

Details to come…

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Donald Brashear was arrested for assaulting a woman

Sad news regarding a former player of the Canadiens.

Donald Brashear has been arrested for assaulting a woman, according to information from Maxime Truman, who discussed it on X. He has been charged, but he chose to plead not guilty.

The prosecutor opposed his release before the trial.

Brashear is currently at the Quebec detention center. However, he is reportedly kept separate from others for safety reasons, as reported by Maxime Truman.

This is therefore an important story.

It should be noted that this is not the first time Donald Brashear has been arrested in his life. He has previously pleaded guilty to charges of mischief and possession of cocaine in the past.

This was in 2019.

We hope this situation ends in the best possible way for everyone involved. After all, these are never pleasant stories to hear. Our thoughts are with the alleged victim.

Let us remember that Brashear was hired as an assistant in Quebec in the LNAH in 2024.