A hectic start to 2026 continued for the Laval Rocket on Saturday as they rolled down I-90 in New York for a Saturday evening showdown with the Syracuse Crunch. The Rocket fended off a fierce effort by the Rochester Americans on Friday on the back of a 47-save effort by Kaapo Kähkönen. Friday night’s win ensured that Laval would hold on to first place this weekend regardless of the result against the Crunch.
Saturday did bring some good news for Laval, with Laurent Dauphin rejoining the l...
30 days ago
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Montreal Canadiens news and notes
Kaiden Guhle said he tried to play through his adductor injury, but it wasn’t healing. When it worsened in the fifth game of the season, the decision was made to have it surgically repaired. [ Journal de Montreal ]
Why Alexandre Texier has been a better complement to Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield than Zachary Bolduc. [ RDS ]
Is the return of Phillip Danault the spark Brendan Gallagher needs? [ Montreal Gazette ]
Comparing the rebuilds of ...
30 days ago
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First period
The crowd is giving early wave energy in this game.
Alexandre Carrier fires a stretch pass right onto the stick of Nick Suzuki for a breakaway, but the captain’s shot goes wide. I’ve really liked Carrier’s game recently. He’s been creating some good things, and come in on a three-game point streak as a result.
Ivan Demidov collects the puck at hs blue line and leads a two-on-one with Oliver Kapanen. He gets the puck through, and Kapanen’s shot squeaks through John...
about 1 month ago
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Game 45: Montreal Canadiens vs. Detroit Red Wings
Start time: 7:00 PM EST / 4:00 PM PST In Canada: CityTV, Sportsnet East (English), TVA Sports (French) In the Red Wings region: FanDuel Sports Network Detroit Streaming: ESPN+, Sportsnet+
Missing the last 39 games after undergoing surgery, Kaiden Guhle will be in the lineup for the first time since October 16. He will provide an important defensive boost versus a potent Detroit Red Wings team, and try to help slow their especially da...
about 1 month ago
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Game 45: Montreal Canadiens vs. Detroit Red Wings
Start time: 7:00 PM EST / 4:00 PM PST In Canada: CityTV, Sportsnet East (English), TVA Sports (French) In the Red Wings region: FanDuel Sports Network Detroit Streaming: ESPN+, Sportsnet+
When the Detroit Red Wings lost 5-1 to the Montreal Canadiens in their first game of the season, there was concern that they were once again due for a mediocre season, just good enough to challenge for a playoff spot without making the post-sea...
about 1 month ago
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Laval came into Friday night’s matchup against the Rochester Americans looking to take advantage of a divisional matchup and rebound from last week’s loss. Laval faced an opportunity and a challenge on Friday, missing key forwards, but with an opportunity to increase its lead over Rochester in the standings.
With Laurent Dauphin out with an illness and Joshua Roy out four to six weeks, Jared Davidson got the nod on the first line next to Alex Belzile and Sean Farrell. The Rocket’s third l...
about 1 month ago
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Montreal Canadiens news and notes
“I’m trying to give myself every chance to stay here,” Alexandre Texier said after his six-point performance in the recent back-to-back. [ TVA Sports ]
Nick Suzuki explains why Texier has been able to excel in Montreal when he couldn’t find a role in St. Louis. “I think we lift guys up. We do a good job of bringing them in and treating them like family right away.” [ The Athletic ]
Texier became the second player from France to score a hat tri...
about 1 month ago
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After a dominant 4-1 win over the Calgary Flames to open their home stand, the Montreal Canadiens were right back in action less than 24 hours later against the Florida Panthers. With a chance to take the lead in the Atlantic division, they put up a touchdown on the defending Stanley Cup champions, winning 6-2 to take that lead, at least for the time being.
There was a lot going on last night, so instead of my customary focus on one aspect of the game, here are a collection of general tho...
about 1 month ago
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Montreal Canadiens news and notes
Montreal has a lot of leverage heading into the trade deadline. [ RG.org ]
Could the Canadiens target Blake Coleman? [ RDS ]
Phillip Danault is thriving in his second Habs stint. [ The Hockey Writers ]
Juraj Slafkovsky headlines Team Slovakia for the Olympics. [ NHL.com ]
The Laval Rocket prepare for a busy and important weekend. [ La Presse ]
A stint with the Canadiens gave Jared Davidson plenty of food for thought. [ Montreal ...
about 1 month ago
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Brad Marchand is out. Nagging injury? Xhekajitis? The Panthers weren’t forthcoming with the details.
First period
Florida has iced the puck three times in the opening three minutes.
The third one is the one that hurts them. Oliver Kapanen won the offensive-zone faceoff, Mike Matheson quickly sent it across to Noah Dobson, and the Prince Edward Islander blasted it off the post and into Sergei Bobrovsky’s net.
Noah Dobson with a bomb from the point and it's 1-0 Habs! [i...
about 1 month ago
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Game 44: Montreal Canadiens vs. Florida Panthers
Start time: 7:00 PM EST / 4:00 PM PST In the Canadiens region: TSN2 (English), RDS (French) In the Panthers region: Scripps Streaming: ESPN+, RDS, TSN+
If you were looking forward to seeing some retribution from the Canadiens for Brad Marchand’s hit on Mike Matheson in their last meeting that forced the Habs defenceman to miss a couple of games, you won’t find any satisfaction tonight as Marchand is out of the lineup. Also out is defe...
about 1 month ago
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The Montreal Canadiens sent defenceman Adam Engström to the Laval Rocket on Thursday, ahead of the second half of their back-to-back against the Florida Panthers.
Les Canadiens ont cédé le défenseur Adam Engstrom au Rocket de Laval. The Canadiens have loaned defenseman Adam Engstrom to the Laval Rocket. pic.twitter.com/9uHC014Lql — Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) January 8, 2026
This could mean that Kaiden Guhle is set for a return to the lineup, but not necessarily on Thurs...
about 1 month ago
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After a very long, and very successful road trip, the Montreal Canadiens were back at the Bell Centre on Wednesday night to host the Calgary Flames. With a stellar road record in the first half of the season, they were looking to build some confidence on home ice against a team that is near the bottom of the Western Conference standings. They got precisely that, dominating the Flames en route to a 4-1 win for the first game of their home stand.
They say there’s no place like home, and whi...
about 1 month ago
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Game 44: Montreal Canadiens vs. Florida Panthers
Start time: 7:00 PM EST / 4:00 PM PST In the Canadiens region: TSN2 (English), RDS (French) In the Panthers region: Scripps Streaming: ESPN+, RDS, TSN+
Back from his conditioning loan, Samuel Montembeault’s first game action since early December was a start versus the Florida Panthers in Sunrise. He just focused on playing a simple game to get in front of the shots that came his way and not trying anything fancy, and it led to a great...
about 1 month ago
| 1 read
Montreal Canadiens news and notes
Lane Hutson’s impeccable work ethic has helped him avoid the sophomore slump. [ Sportsnet ]
Kent Hughes said he knew Hutson was good but he didn’t know he’d “become this good.” [ Journal de Montreal ]
Cole Caufield expressed his frustration and disappointment after being left off Team USA’s Olympic roster but Huston is rolling with it. [ Journal de Montreal ]
Philip Danault had his return to the Bell Centre circled on his calendar. [ Jour...
about 1 month ago
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First period
No worries about a letdown here as the Canadiens come out firing. Three shots in the opening 40 seconds.
A bit of a lull after the opening couple of minutes, but it’s still clear that Montreal is the better team. They don’t always prove that in this type of matchup.
Owen Beck is playing very well tonight, and just fired a mid-range shot off the post. He knows his days in the NHL on this recall stint are probably numbered.
Juraj Slafkovský had a couple of roug...
about 1 month ago
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Game 43: Montreal Canadiens vs. Calgary Flames
Start time: 7:30 PM EST / 4:30 PM PST In Canada: Sportsnet (English) In the Canadiens region: RDS (French) Streaming: ESPN+, RDS, Sportsnet+
The Montreal Canadiens return home to play a game at the Bell Centre for the first time in 18 days. When the Habs left for Pittsburgh after the match on December 20, they were one point up on the first team sitting outside of the wild-card race. Now, after seven games that saw them go 4-1-2 versus ...
about 1 month ago
| 4 reads
Game 43: Montreal Canadiens vs. Calgary Flames
Start time: 7:30 PM EST / 4:30 PM PST In Canada: Sportsnet (English) In the Canadiens region: RDS (French) Streaming: ESPN+, RDS, Sportsnet+
The Calgary Flames just missed out on a playoff spot last season, the team that lost out in the end-of-season charge by the St. Louis Blues. Ending the year on a four-game winning streak got them to 96 points, but with 14 of them coming from defeats beyond regulation time, they didn’t hold any wins...
about 1 month ago
| 6 reads
Montreal Canadiens news and notes
“We have a group of guys that are playing for each other; that’s the most impressive thing I see.” [ Montreal Canadiens | La Presse | RDS ]
The three-way battle for the net shouldn’t last long, says Kent Hughes. [ CTV News ]
The Habs success this season so far has been driven by talent. [ Sportsnet ]
Hughes remains focused on a brighter future. [ The Athletic ]
Oliver Kapanen says his Olympic selection was a good Christmas present. [...
about 1 month ago
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Hadi Kalakeche of EliteProspects and Eyes on the Prize, joins the podcast to talk about the Montreal Canadiens prospects in the tournament.
Mikus Vecvanags “He faced 41 shots, allowed 8 goals. I mean, there’s only so much you can do with Latvia in front of you. Overall, I thought that the Latvians tried their best to kind of get bodies in front of shots.” “He’s lower down the pecking order of the goalies I like within the Habs system. There’s a lot of other guys that are doing really we...
about 1 month ago
| 2 reads
Montreal Canadiens news and notes
Michael Hage, who led the tournament with 15 points, was one of the six players named by the media to the all-star team at the 2026 World Juniors. [ IIHF.com ]
Martin St-Louis explains that Juraj Slafkovský’s growing ability to control the pace of the game is why he’s become such a dominant force. [ La Presse ]
Slafkovský is featured in the latest episode of NHL My World:
Ivan Demidov has taken the team lead in offensive-zone...
about 1 month ago
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Gold Medal Game: Sweden vs. Czechia
How to watch
Puck drop: 8:30 PM EST / 5:30 PM PST In Canada: TSN (English,) RDS (French) In the United States: NHL Network Live stream: TSN+, RDS Direct
With the United States, Canada, and Finland, the three nations that have combined to win the past 13 championships, all eliminated on the way to the Gold Medal Game of the 2026 World Juniors, we’re going to see a team that doesn’t claim the title very often leaving the tournament with the gold...
about 1 month ago
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After having their hopes of playing for a gold medal dashed on Sunday, Canada and Finland had to regroup to play for a bronze medal on Monday afternoon.
Canada was the team that seemed to have recovered better from the disappointment, with a quick start. As many of their goals in the tournament have been created, Michael Hage set up the opening, carrying the puck to the crease and pulling a defender with him before slinging it over to an open Sam O’Reilly. O’Reilly just had to deke around...
about 1 month ago
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Frankly, I should know better.
For almost 16 years, Marie-Philip Poulin has made a career of it. When the moment gets tough, she meets the moment. Since 2015, I have watched her at the professional level and obviously her international exploits are well known.
So when the Montreal Victoire were staring down a fourth regulation loss in a row, a stretch that saw them fall to last place in the league, she met the moment. First, a diving effort to tie the game midway through the third pe...
about 1 month ago
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On Sunday night, the Montreal Canadiens finished up a long seven-game road trip. Thankful though they surely were to have it broken up a bit by the holiday break, it was no easy feat, as they saw some of the very best teams in the league on their schedule along the way. The end result for them was 10 of a possible 14 points, helping them remain near the top of the Atlantic.
In their final act, on the second half of a back-to-back against a Dallas Stars team that sits second in the entire ...
about 1 month ago
| 3 reads