On May 14th, 1977, the Montreal Canadiens concluded an impressive season in which they achieved a record-breaking 132 points in the regular season, outshooting their opponents 441-194. In the Stanley Cup Finals, the Canadiens swept the Boston Bruins in four games, with Jacques Lemaire scoring the winning goal in overtime, leading to a 2-1 victory. This was the Canadiens’ 20th Stanley Cup victory, capping off a remarkable season for the team. Goaltender Ken Dryden season for the team. Goaltender Ken Dryden finished with 41 wins, while forward Guy Lafleur set a new record with 136 points.
I first would like to thank Marlene Wall very much for editing my articles as Judy Pitcher takes some time off for personal reasons.
The one thing I find ironic is that the HABS have the fifth overall draft pick for the second straight season, and didn’t move from where they would have drafted if no lottery , is that due to the HABS having probably the best player to wear #5 in Bernard “Boom Boom ” Geoffrion.
The only thing we know from the HABS themselves is that GM Kent Hughes said the HABS most likely would be drafting a forward with this draft pick , few names were mentioned. For those who forgot last year at 5 overall, the HABS drafted David Reinbacher who in his 11 games with the Laval Rockets had 2 goals and 3 assists for a total of 5 points , had 6 minutes in penalties and was a +4
For someone who just came from Austria I’m very impressed. Let’s hope that this year’s number 5 will be just as good or better . I can fully understand Kent Hughes logic of wishing to draft a forward, as the HABS presently have lots of young defense prospects and not as many forwards.
What I would do and is something my late father told me way back many moons ago is never draft for position but rather draft the best overall player , as if you have too many prospects in one position, it normally means other teams don’t have enough thus you can make a trade and perhaps get a premium as you have what they are looking for .
Then even before a team decides , they should wait a few days before the actual draft and you can interview the players one on one with the teams sport psychologist on hand to interpret the players response to the very hard questions. We saw in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft that Shane Wright who everyone was saying would be the number one overall pick chosen by the HABS and instead they went off the wall and drafted Juraj Slafkovsky . What I believe happened and I wasn’t present was when they interviewed Wright several times and HABS management met alone and didn’t like Wrights attitude thus passed on him . For more information on this please see my article at
Also , besides that we don’t know who the other teams will draft , maybe the player Kent Hughes had circled in for the Habs first pick this year and that we will never know .
Whatever player the HABS choose , I’m sure will work out long term for the HABS, since Kent Hughes took over as GM , he has been doing an excellent job of developing the young draft picks and prospects.
First of all I would like to thank Marlene Wall very much for editing my articles as Judy Pitcher takes some time off for personal reasons. I would also like to thank Martine McGuire for her help in researching this article.
I decided to write this article as there was discussion on X (formerly Twitter) about Justin Barron and I would like to give my thoughts and I’ll do it the way I normally do an article.
I’m very sure most of you know that come July 1st, 2024 , Barron will be RFA.
If I were Kent Hughes the first thing I would do is to make a qualifying offerjust in case some team decides to give Barron an offer sheet , like what happened to the HABS team when Jesperi Kotkaniemi was given and accepted an offer sheet from the Carolina Hurricanes back in July 2021.For more information on this, please see my article athttp:// montrealsportsblog.wordpress.com/2021/08/30/jesperi-kotkaniemi-gets-offer-sheet-for-carolina-hurricanes
We also know full well that Kent Hughes doesn’t like losing a player for nothing , this way he will get a draft pick and Kent can use it the way he feels is better for the HABS, perhaps trading it for a player he feels that is a better route like Marc Bergevin did .
Now don’t think for a minute that I don’t want Barron on the HABS, I see him open the HABS current defenseman at the very bottom of the totem pole .I also place Laval Rockets defenseman David Reinbacher, Logan Mailloux , Jayden Struble and recently signed Lane Hutson as well as Adam Engstròm ahead of Barron.
What I would do is try to trade Barron before or at the NHL draft for a 3rd to 5th round draft pick although Barron was the 1st round 2nd overall player drafted in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft by the Colorado Avalanche
.
The reason I am saying lower round draft picks has two reasons, first to be sent back to the AHL he will have to clear waivers and there are NHL teams that may claim Barron as they are short right-handed defenseman. If claimed on waivers he can’t be sent down to the AHL but be returned to the HABS. Secondly I haven’t improvement in his defensive game and that’s what a defenseman is supposed to do.
Barron has been playing professionally since the 2021-22 thus three years and by that time you should be fully developed. The HABS do have several offensive minded defenseman who play better defensively than Barron, so why not keep the best for us and trade off what we feel we don’t need for something we do need .
There are several NHL teams that are looking for an offensive defenseman and that Barron is .
I will admit Kent Hughes may wish to keep him on the HABS roster as Barron was the first player acquired by Hughes when he became the HABS GM , he insisted that Barron be included in the Artturi Lehkonen trade , until Barron was included Hughes didn’t make the trade. Also Hughes was Barron’s agent before becoming the HABS GM .
One of the greatest goaltenders to ever strap on a pair of leg pads is celebrating another trip around the sun today (52), born on this day , May 6th, 1972
He played 22 seasons in the NHL and won the Calder Trophy , 4 Vezina Trophies and 3 Stanley Cups with the New Jersey Devils
Photos below Marty Brodeur with trophies
Brodeur ranks as the leagues all-time regular season leader in wins (691) , shutouts (125) , games played (1,266) and goals scored (3)
He won at least 30 games in 12 straight seasons between 1995-96 and 2007-08 and is the only goalie in NHL history with 8 , 40-win seasons
He has the most postseason shutouts in league history (24) and is ranked 2nd all-time in playoff wins (113) and games played (205)
He celebrated his 40th birthday on May 6th, 2012 by beating the Philadelphia Flyers 4-2 in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals
Not only did he become the oldest goaltender to start a playoff game on his birthday , but he also became the only goaltender to play in a postseason both as a teenager and a 40-year-old.
Drafted out of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League by the Devils with the 20th pick in the 1990 draft, Brodeur made his NHL debut on March 26, 1992, with 24 saves in a 4-2 win over Boston.
When you’ve won the most Stanley Cups in NHL history as the Canadiens have , you’ve won a lot of games during the month of May.
1966 The Montreal Canadiens beat the Detroit Red Wings in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final to win their 2nd straight championship and 15th in franchise history
Henri Richard entered game 6 with zero goals in the 1966 playoffs , but that ended at 2:20 mark of OT
The game winner was the only OT goal of Richard’s career
Red Wings goaltender Roger Crozier won the Conn Smythe Trophy for being MVP of the playoffs
1977
Bob Gainey scored twice to lead the Montreal Canadiens to a 2-1 win over the New York Islanders in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Semifinals
With the win , they advanced to the finals against the Boston Bruins which they won in 4 games
1979
2 years later , defenseman Larry Robinson scored a goal and added 2 assists to lead the Canadiens to a 5-1 win over the visiting Bruins in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Semifinals
They won the series in 7 games before beating the New York Rangers for their 4th straight Stanley Cup
2002
The Canadiens had no business winning Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals
Despite being outshot 46-16 by the Carolina Hurricanes, they won 4-1 thanks to the heroics of goaltender Jose Theodore and Doug Gilmour’s 60th career postseason goal
First of all I would like to thank Marlene Wall very much for editing my articles as Judy Pitcher takes some time off for personal reasons.
I decided to write this article as Strauss Mann decided to write this article as Strauss Mann has been bouncing back and forth between the Laval Rockets and the Trois-Rivières Lions and I would like to give my thoughts on what I feel this means .
I’ll start at the beginning so everyone will be up to speed on Strauss Mann as I’m sure very little is known about him
Mann was born August 18,1998 in Greenwich , Connecticut USA. He is 6ft tall (183cm) and weighs 174lbs (79kg) , he is a goaler who catches left . He is an undrafted player and had signed an ELC (entry level contract) at the age of 24 with the San Jose Sharks on April 19th, 2022 , that contract was for one year. He hasn’t played any NHL games .
Between the 2018-19 and the 2020-21 seasons , he played for the Univerity of Michigan in the NCAA. In the 2021-22 he played for the Skellefteò AIK of the SHL. That season he also played 4 games in the WJ for Team USA as well as other championship games.
In the 2022-23, he played 20 games for the San Jose Barracuda of the AHL and 13 games with the Wichita Thunder of the ECHL.
For the signed Mann and he played 15 games for the Laval Rocket and 11 games for the Trois-Rivières Lions of the ECHL. Both times in the AHL level, his numbers weren’t good. When playing earlier at the Univerity of Michigan in the NCAA, his numbers were much better If Mann had good numbers at one AHL team and not the other , I would say the player development didn’t work for him, but if in both some of it is on him.
When the Laval Rockets signed Kasimir Kaskisuo to a PTO (professional tryout contract) on Monday December 18th, 2023 , several weeks later Mann was assigned to the Trois-Rivières Lions of the ECHL and since then has been bouncing back and forth between the two teams. When called back up to the Laval Rocket, he never got to play another game. For more information on the Kasimir Kaskisuo to a PTO, please see my article athttps://montrealsportsblog.wordpress.com/2023/11/26/laval-rocket-sign-kasimir-kaskisuo-to-a-pto
Personally I don’t see the Laval Rockets extending Mann for the next season.
Jakub Dobesis playing well and is under contract for the 2024-25 season, this is a 2-way contract so the HABS can call up if need be . They also signed Kasimir Kaskisuo to a one-year Laval Rocket contract. I don’t see the Rocket wishing to carry 3 goalers and Kent Hughes saw first hand what happened this 2023-24 season when the HABS kept 3 goalers .
Lastly Mann’s numbers don’t help his cause to play in the AHL. There is no salary disclosed for Kasimir Kaskisuo and Strauss Mann as they are minor league contracts and with those contracts, salary is never disclosed just the players stats on Cap Friendly. Also in the AHL there is no salary cap thus the teams never disclose how much each player gets, thus the pay is between the player and the team.
Claude Lemieux was one of the most clutch playoff performers in NHL history. It seemed that whenever his team needed a big goal , he was there to provide it. He started this trend as a rookie .
Lemieux scored 5:55 into OT to give the Montreal Canadiens a 2-1 victory against the Hartford Whalers at the Forum in Game 7 of the Adams Division Final.
The rookie forward sends the crowd of 17,546 into pandemonium when he picks up a loose puck behind the Hartford net , whips around in front and lifts a backhand shot over the shoulders of goalie Mike Liutand just under the crossbar for his 6th goal of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Lemieux , a 20 year old who’s spent most of the season in the minors becomes the first rookie to score an OT goal in Game 7 of an NHL playoff series.
It’s a bitter loss for the Whalers who tie the game when Dave Babych beats rookie goalie Patrick Roy with 2:48 remaining in the 3rd period.
Lemieux finished the postseason with 10 goals , including 4 game winners , as the Canadiens went on to win the Stanley Cup. His 19 career postseason game-winning goals are tied for the 3rd most in league history.
More additions to the Laval Rocket for the 2024-25 Season
Written by Fred Arshoff
Editied by Judy Pitcher
First of all I would like to thank my editor Judy Pitcher for her outstanding editing of my articles. Adding facts, information and updating stats between the time I write the article and it’s being published. A tip of my hat to you, Judy.
The following players have signed entry level contracts and joined the Laval Rocket line-up over the last 2 weeks of the 2023-24 season: Florian Xhekaj at center, Lane Hutson on defense and Luke Tuch on left wing.
I decided to write this article to inform people of a couple of other excellent young prospects coming up the pipeline.
Players who have not yet played 3 professional games between them. First we have Owen Beck
who was an emergency call-up by the HABS and played one game during the 2022-23 season.
Second we have Filip Mesar
who played two games with the Laval Rocket in the 2023-24 season before being loaned to the Kitchener Rangers of the OHL. Both Beck and Mesar are offensive-minded forwards who had career highes in goals this season in the OHL.
To make room for the new arrivals on the Laval Rocket, there are several players who will become UFA’s and RFA’s on July 1, 2024. I’m sure several will most likely be moving on.
The UFA’s are:
Philippe Maillet(center)
Mitchell Stephens(center)
Arnaud Durandeau(winger)
Brady Keeper(defense)
The RFA’s are:
Filip Cederqvist(winger)
Lias Andersson(center/winger)
Justin Barron(defense)
Mattias Norlinder(defense)
As we get closer to July 1, 2024, I will discuss which players I think the HABS will extend and those I feel will not be extended. I wish to wait until then, as trades can be made at the NHL Entry Draft.
For all those wondering about the status of Jacob Fowler
all indications are that he will be returning to the NCAA Boston College Eagles for the 2024-25 season. He can be invited to the HABS post-draft development camp but, must cover all his own expenses including travel, hotel, meals, etc.However, playing in the NCAA means he can not attend the HABS rookie camp.
First of all I would like to thank my editor Judy Pitcher for her outstanding editing of my articles. Adding facts, informations and updating stats between the time I write the article and it’s being published. A tip of my hat to you, Judy.
I decided to write this article after the HABS announced on the morning of Tuesday April 16, 2024, that they were calling up Logan Mailloux from the Laval Rocket. That game would be the second of the two home-and-home games against the Detroit Red Wings, which would also be the final game of the HABS 2023-24 season.
I know I’m not the only fan who wanted to see Logan Mailloux play at least one game for the HABS this season. We all got our wish and we were not disappointed. I know that Martine McGuire was really happy when she read the news, as she had seen him play with the London Knights prior to his coming up to the Laval Rocket to play this season. I believe the reason he was called up for the last game was to reward him for how well he has developed over his 1st year playing professional hockey. And to wish him a very happy 21st Birthday on April 15th.
There are several people who have worked to help develop him, starting with Rocket Head Coach Jean Francois Houle and the assistant coaches. Also contributing to his development are Head of Player Development Rob Ramage and Head of Hockey Development Adam Nicholas. Mailloux’s being paired with Arber Xhekaj, when he was sent down on a conditioning stint(and to improve his defensive play) after his shoulder injury, definitely helped Mailloux’s development. The 17 games Xhekaj and Mailloux played together, saw a marked improvent over this 2023-24 season.
After watching the game, I was impressed with Mailloux’s play and glad they gave him some ice-time in the overtime. I felt the extra ice-time he got in the overtime period, was Martin St Louis trying to boost his confidence, allowing him to play in OT in his very 1st NHL game.
Like Lane Hutsonthe previous night, Mailloux got an assist in his 1st NHL game.Mike Matheson retrieved the puck I’m sure it made him feel special and respected by his teammates.so Logan would have a souvenir
.
Photo below Logan Mailloux with puck his 1st NHL point
On Wednesday April 17, 2024, GM Kent Hughes re-assigned Logan Mailloux, Justin Barron, Jayden Struble and Joshua Roy to Laval for their final 2 games and a push to the playoffs. Hopefully, playing in the playoffs will help their development. I’m certain Jeff Gorton and Kent Hughes will be attending the Rocket games to see how all the young prospects are playing for these extremely important games.
In closing, Judy and I would like to wish Logan Mailloux the very best in his hockey career, especially with the HABS for many years to come.
I would like to thank two ladies for their help with this article. First, my edtor Judy Pitcher , adding in researched facts and new information between the time I’ve written the article and it’s being published. Second, Martine McGuire who messaged me as soon as it was announced that Arber Xhekaj would be out for the remainder of the season and with research for this article. A tip of my hat to Judy and Martine.
On Tuesday morning April 9, 2024 the HABS announced that Arber Xhekaj’s season was over. After evaluation by the team’s medical staff following the game against Tampa on April 4, 2024, the same game in which Kaiden Guhle was injured. Xhekaj would miss both the games on April 6 against the Leafs and the game on April 7 against the Rangers.On April 9th the day the HABS made the announcement that Xhekaj was out, he was already in Denver, Colorado undergoing surgery on his left shoulder, performed by the same Doctor who did the surgery on his right shoulder the previous season. If all goes well he should be ready to reurn to training camp for the 2024-25 season.
This is just to add to the injury list the HABS have already experienced this season. Although Kaiden Guhle has not returned to play, he has resumed practicing with the team wearing a non-contact jersey.
If there is asilver lining in the Xhekaj injury, it is that it is the end of the season and the HABS are already out of the playoff picture. This will give Arber plenty of time to heal and rehab before training camp begins without missing any further games. .
Arber Xhekaj’s stats this season: 2023-24 NHL GP44 G3 A7 Pts10 81PIM2023-24 AHL GP17 G3 A8 Pts11 34PIMLast 10 games +1
This injury will mean that Justin Barron, who was called up from Laval on April 9, 2024will remain with the HABS until the end of the season Barron may be loaned back to the Rocket for their playoff run, should they get in.
In closing Judy, Martine and I would like to wish Arber Xhekaj a full and speedy recovery and return next season even better.
JUDY’S THOUGHTS
Although everyone is looking at the game against Tampa as the game where Arber got injured. I feel the original injury to his left shoulder occured in the game against the Vegas Golden Knights on November 16, 2023 when he got hit into the boards by Ivan Barbashev. He missed quite a few games afterwards because his left shoulder was injured. When he returned to play, he was sent to Laval as a conditioning stint(improve his defensive play) for 17 games before being recalled to the HABS. April 9th must have been a bittersweet day for the Xhekaj family, because as Arber was undergoing shoulder surgery, his younger brother Florian was signing his 1st ever professional contract with the HABS.
Montreal Sports 