Marc Dumont
Here are the Montreal Canadiens news items, highlights, and stories you may have missed on Thursday.
Montreal Canadiens News
Michael Hage sat down with NBC Sports to discuss his excellent season as a rookie with the Michigan Wolverines, where he has managed to score an impressive 12 goals and 18 assists in 27 games. He also talked about the emotional factor involved with being drafted by the Montreal Canadiens. [NBC Sports]
While the playoffs are going to be a difficult task to achieve for the Canadiens, their AHL affiliate, the Laval Rocket, are currently the top team in the league. The Canadiens will always take priority, but with the NHL Trade Deadline looming, they’d be well-served by reinforcing the farm, or at the very least, they’ll be doing the organization a favour by not removing any important player from the lineup due to a trade or any other roster movement. [Canadiens Must Keep A Close Eye On The Surging Laval Rocket]
Speaking of Hutson, he received praise from one of the best defencemen in the league, fellow American and Norris Trophy winner Adam Fox.
“The talent & the skills are just through the roof…to do what he’s doing as a rookie is impressive.”
– NYR & Team USA defenseman Adam Fox on Lane Hutson pic.twitter.com/xguWcRjwn8
— /r/Habs (@HabsOnReddit) February 12, 2025
Patrik Laine and Joel Armia had a tough outing at the 4 Nations Faceoff tournament, losing 6-1 to a Team USA roster populated by high-scoring Tkachuk brothers. Regardless of what you think of Brady and Matthew, it was a pretty cool moment, because the Americans dedicated the tournament to Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau.
Hung up at the stall for player of the game pic.twitter.com/fm13uLqG3Q
— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) February 14, 2025
At the risk of being labelled a curmudgeon, the NHL is advertising this as a best-on-best tournament, but if we’re being honest, there are 17 countries represented in the NHL, and there are only four countries represented at the tournament. That doesn’t mean it’s a bad idea, or that the tournament is boring, but it’s clearly a misnomer. The level of play on Thursday night between the USA and Finland was pretty good, though I can’t agree with the notion that it’playoff-style intensity. It probably didn’t help that the Americans blew Finland out of the water early in the third period, and I do expect some of the upcoming matchups on Saturday to be a little more entertaining, with Canada facing the USA, and Finland facing Sweden, a double rivalry dose.
As for the Habs player involved, Laine played a little over 15 minutes and had one decent scoring chance, while Armia was held to just under 10 minutes in a defensive role.
Bonne chance pour Patrik Laine pic.twitter.com/Vj0jKE9Nip
— TVA Sports (@TVASports) February 14, 2025
While springtime hockey is in question for the city’s NHL team, the PWHL club is cruising to playoff hockey. The Montreal Victoire still have work to do, but they’re currently the top team in the league with several games in hand.
Your first #PWHL standings update after games on February 13. Still a ways to go before anyone can clinch. pic.twitter.com/sP1C3ekOY3
— Jared Book (@jaredbook) February 14, 2025
In prospect news, forward Ivan Demidov registered yet another assist (and I swear it’s not old news this time around!). The talented Canadiens prospect now has 19 goals and 27 assists in 56 games.
National Hockey Now Network
The Pittsburgh Penguins executed a minor trade Thursday that is unlikely to affect the NHL roster. [Pittsburgh Penguins]
Matthew Tkachuk got the best of four of his Florida Panthers teammates on Thursday night, scoring twice in the third to help Team USA beat Finland 6-1 in both teams’ opener of the NHL 4 Nations Face-Off in Montreal. [Florida Panthers]
We’re not even 60 games into the regular season yet, and it feels like every Avalanche fan has aged about 10 years since October. [Colorado Avalanche]
