Here are the Montreal Canadiens news items, stories, and content you may have missed on Thursday.
Montreal Canadiens News
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The NHL’s holiday roster freeze comes into play on Friday, which means teams cannot trade, or waive a player, ensuring they have some stability during the holiday season. That being said, the Canadiens can still recall Samuel Montembeault from the AHL. [Impact of NHL Holiday Roster Freeze On Canadiens]
The Canadiens enjoyed a dominant performance versus the Chicago Blackhawks, powered by the dominant defenceman known as Lane Hutson. I promise I won’t use the word ‘dominant’ for the rest of the article, but there’s no other way of describing Hutson’s play in the NHL. We’re seeing domi… nus efforts from one of the best players in the country, also known as a dom… inion.
Full credit should be sent Zachary Bolduc’s way as well, seeing as he finally scored at the Bell Centre, and it was so nice, he did it twice. [Canadiens Highlights: Hutson Continues Domin… eering Ways]
Top prospect Alexander Zharovsky refuses to stop scoring for Salavat in the KHL. He’s now up to nine goals and 15 assists in 29 games, and continues to lead his team in scoring.
Good evening, Alexander Zharovsky 💥 pic.twitter.com/tVERpWPyco
— KHL (@khl_eng) December 18, 2025
ICYMI: The Habs have a pressing issue on the second line. Rookie Oliver Kapanen is among the best goalscorers on the team, and yet, his underlying numbers suggest he’s being outplayed on a nightly basis. It’s easy to suggest a change is needed, but the options to play alongside Ivan Demidov are limited, and goals are always difficult to come by. [Canadiens Analysis: Second Line Goals Versus Process]
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John MacLean will take his rightful place in the New Jersey Devils‘ Ring of Honour, becoming the fourth member, as announced by the team on Thursday. [New Jersey Devils]
The New York Islanders are winners of six of their last eight games. They sit five points behind the red-hot Carolina Hurricanes for first in the metro (and the East). But Bo Horvat’s injury could mean trouble for the Islanders, especially if he’s sidelined longer than expected. [New York Islanders]
The New York Yankees are looking for a starting pitcher while balancing the lineup this winter. New York continues to focus its attention on outfielders Cody Bellinger and Kyle Tucker, but the pitching staff should be the main priority. In fact, the organization has been named an expected finalist for a star Japanese pitcher. [Sportsnaut]
