The Montreal Canadiens won the most important game of the season on Saturday night against the Ottawa Senators, putting them up by three points in the Atlantic Division. That had them flying high until this morning when the team announced that Al Montoya has suffered a lower-body injury and will be unavailable for the game tonight against the Dallas Stars. Instead, the Canadiens have recalled Zach Fucale from the ECHL Brampton Beast to back up Carey Price tonight.
Fucale was drafted in the second round in 2013, and Montreal still has high hopes for the 21-year old. The young netminder has struggled since his draft year at different levels, but still has the raw talent to put it all together as his body matures. Goaltenders often put it together much later than skaters, meaning Fucale could still improve drastically. For now, he’ll get a taste of the NHL from the bench.
- The Detroit Red Wings have re-assigned Dan Renouf to the AHL after making his NHL debut just last night. He was called up on an emergency basis, and will now return to Grand Rapids for the time being. The 22-year old was an NCAA free agent last spring, and has had a solid professional debut this season. With 15 points in 58 games, he has provided a little offense for the Griffins in addition to his normal physical brand of defense. Renouf’s departure likely means the return of Niklas Kronwall to the Detroit lineup for the game against Carolina tonight.
- As expected, the Rangers have signed Vince Pedrie to an entry-level contract. The Penn State defenseman broke the news himself last night on Instagram, before deleting it and waiting for the team’s announcement. 23-years old and just finished his sophomore year, Pedrie will instead turn to the professional ranks for the next chapter in his hockey career. The puck-moving defenseman is a nice addition to a Rangers prospect system that has been stripped bare in recent years.