Marc Dumont
Top Montreal Canadiens goaltender prospect Jacob Fowler will indeed be joining the organization, however the chosen route will take a detour by the AHL.
Fowler signed his three-year entry-level contract, which is set to kick in next year (2025-26). Seeing as his NHL contract is delayed, he will not be available to the Canadiens in the regular season, or the playoffs. Rather, Fowler agreed to an amateur tryout (ATO) for the time being, which will allow him to join the team’s AHL affiliate, the Laval Rocket.
It’s an ideal situation for the Montreal Canadiens. Not only do they get an early look at Fowler without burning a year of his entry-level contract, Fowler will be able to give Cayden Primeau a chance to rest before the playoffs, and it will serve as a perfect opportunity for him to dip his toes in the icy waters of professional hockey.
As for Fowler’s angle, he’ll bank a healthy amount of goodwill from the organization and the fans, as he essentially acquiesced to all of Kent Hughes’ demands (voir: suggestions). Keep in mind, playing in Montreal means a lot more money for a young man who is yet to bank a single dollar during his hockey career. He’ll still get his raise, but for now, his experience as a college student will help him keep costs to a minimum until his NHL contract kicks in.
I’ll be honest, I tend to push for goaltenders to spend as much time as possible in the NCAA, especially since there are two goalies in the system at this very moment who only spent two years playing college hockey, and their results have been fairly mediocre in a professional setting.
Fowler is a little different from Jakub Dobes and Cayden Primeau, in the sense that he’s already demonstrated his ability to maintain near-perfect positioning, and elite-level tracking, which wasn’t necessarily the case for the last two Montreal Canadiens goalies to develop in the NCAA.
There’s also very little pressure when it comes to his first start, as the Rocket have already qualified for the playoffs. In this case, the rich get richer, as the Rocket are the top team in the AHL, and have their aim set firmly on a Calder Cup win.
— x – Rocket de Laval (@RocketLaval) April 4, 2025
Fowler will wear No.1 with the Rocket, the number typically reserved for goaltenders. Unfortunately, he won’t be able to wear No.1 in Montreal, as Jacques Plante’s number has long been retired.
— x – Rocket de Laval (@RocketLaval) April 4, 2025
What To Expect From Jacob Fowler
Goaltending scouts have been paying particularly close attention to Fowler ever since he was given MVP honours during the Youngstown Phantoms’ Clark Cup win in 2022-23. He was billed as a big game player at the time, and despite not capturing a national championship with the Boston College Eagles, you’d be hard-pressed to suggest Fowler did not do his part.
The Eagles were one of the most talented teams in recent college history, from an offensive perspective. They didn’t give up a ton of shots, but when they did, they were often high-quality scoring chances.
Such is life when you play for a top-heavy, defence-optional team.
We shouldn’t expect Fowler to maintain the same type of jaw-dropping numbers he had in the NCAA, where he established a fantastic .940 save percent this season, but, his profile does suggest he’s well-suited for professional hockey.
At 6’2″, Fowler isn’t the tallest goaltender you’ll see, and yet, he does possess a fairly impressive wingspan. His greatest strength is his stoic approach. He forces opposing players to make the first move, using game theory and elite positioning to swing the odds in his favour.
He also excels at tracking pucks through traffic, a skill that will serve him well once he’s ready to make his professional hockey debut.
