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Michael Hage Headed To USHL

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The USHL’s Chicago Steel landed a top CHL prospect when they signed a tender agreement with Macklin Celebrini earlier this month, and now they’ve done it again. Brad Elliott Schlossman of the Grand Forks Herald reports that Michael Hage has also signed a tender with the Steel, and will pass on the chance to play in the OHL.

Hage, 16, was expected to be a top-five pick in the upcoming OHL draft after his incredible performance at the 2022 OHL Cup, a tournament for the best U16 teams from Ontario and the United States. The young forward registered seven goals and 16 points for the Toronto Jr. Canadiens, only trailing Michael Misa–the latest player to be granted exceptional status into the CHL–in both categories.

While Misa is a top prospect for the 2025 draft, Hage is eligible for the 2024 event and figures to be a potential first-round selection at this point. While there’s still lots of time for that to change, joining the powerhouse Steel program should certainly help his development. It also means that Hage will retain his NCAA eligibility, perhaps leading to an opportunity to play college hockey in the future–something that disappears when a player suits up in the OHL.

At any rate, Hage will still likely be selected at some point in the OHL draft later this week and a team will hold his rights to try and convince him down the road. Fans in Chicago will be lucky enough to see him as he takes the next steps toward NHL relevance.

Latest On Carey Price

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  • The Canadiens recalled goalie Cayden Primeau from the Laval Rocket on an emergency basis in advance of tonight’s game against the Boston Bruins, and there was speculation on what that recall meant for the recently returned goalie Carey Price. Price was unavailable to the media after the team’s loss to the Ottawa Senators because he was receiving treatments from trainers, according to Sportsnet’s Eric Engels. Coach Martin St. Louis stated that the callup was not indicative of an injury-related setback for Price, but instead a measure to give him rest as he settles into the rigors of NHL action. Per St. Louis, Price will not travel with the team to New York for their tie against the Rangers but speculates that he could play on Friday in the team’s season finale versus the Florida Panthers.

Guy Lafleur Dies At 70

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Another hockey legend has passed away, as the Montreal Gazette reports the family of Guy Lafleur has announced that the Montreal Canadiens icon has died following a long battle with cancer. He was 70.

Lafleur, one of the most popular NHL players to ever live, hoisted the Stanley Cup on five occasions, took home the Art Ross as league scoring champion three times and twice was named the league’s most valuable player. A no-doubt Hall of Famer, he recorded 1,353 points in his 1,126-game career, almost all of which was spent in the province of Quebec, where he’d become a legend long before ever making it to the NHL.

In 1970-71, in his final year of junior hockey, Lafleur scored 130 goals in just 62 games for the Quebec Remparts of the QMJHL. That record would stand for more than a decade, until Mario Lemieux broke it in 1983-84, and still registers second all-time in the league’s history (Lafleur also has fourth, with 103 goals the previous season). The first-overall pick in 1971, the smooth-skating forward stepped directly into the spotlight and would lift the Stanley Cup in year two. By 1977, he would be setting a career-high of 136 points, while also representing his country at the Canada Cup.

There were very few players that combined the same level of talent and flash, as Lafleur did more than just rack up points. He excited the crowd every time he touched the puck and reached a level of popularity (or hate, depending on your allegiance) rarely seen in the sport to that point. Inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1988, he was a no-doubt selection when the NHL released their Top 100 players list in 2017.

The entire hockey world, including those of us at PHR, send condolences to the Lafleur family.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Snapshots: Byron, Team Canada, Perbix

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Paul Byron can’t catch a break. The veteran forward has been limited to just 26 games this season due to injury. While many of these absences came while Byron was recovering from hip surgery, he has continued to be in and out of the lineup ever since he returned. The Montreal Canadiens announced that he was returning to the lineup on Tuesday night – but the return was short-lived. Less than two periods into the game, the Habs revealed that Byron has left the game and would not return due to a lower-body injury. Its unclear if this is another new injury or a reoccurrence of his hip issue. Either way, with just five games remaining in a lost season, it might be time for Montreal to simply shut Byron down for the year. Byron has one year remaining on his contract and will be back with the Canadiens in 2022-23 if he isn’t traded or bought out.

  • The Canadian entry into the upcoming IIHF World Championship may look very familiar to the fans of a Canadian NHL team. Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun writes that Senators head coach D.J. Smith, who will be an assistant for Team Canada, has recruited several of his star players to join the tournament. If healthy, Drake Batherson, Connor Brown, and Thomas Chabot will suit up for Canada. Health is a question though; Chabot is currently on the injured reserve with a fractured hand and Batherson and Brown have both missed time due to injury this season and may not rush to play extra games if those issues flare up.
  • Another notable name has entered the NCAA Transfer Portal. Defenseman Jack Perbix, an Anaheim Ducks fourth-round pick in 2018, is leaving the University of Minnesota. Most would have expected that if Perbix was leaving the Gophers, it would be for the NHL. Older brother Nick Perbix, a Tampa Bay Lightning prospect, signed his entry level contract last month after four years at St. Cloud State University. Rather than follow suit, Jack will instead stay in college for his senior year but will don a different jersey and have a different name on his degree.

Michael Pezzetta Suspended Two Games

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The Montreal Canadiens will be without depth forward Michael Pezzetta for a while after he was given a two-game suspension by the Department of Player Safety for his hit on Washington Capitals forward T.J. Oshie this weekend. As the accompanying video explains:

On this play, both elements of the illegal check to the head rule are satisfied. First, Oshie’s head is the main point of contact on this hit. Pezzetta hits forcefully through Oshie’s head with his right shoulder, making no meaningful contact with any other part of Oshie’s body. Second, the head contact on this play is avoidable. While Oshie does make a play on the puck, he does not change the position of his head or body just prior to contact in a way which significantly contributes to the head being the main point of contact. 

Notably, Oshie did not suffer a serious injury on the play, even scoring on the subsequent powerplay, when Pezzetta was given a two-minute minor on the play. The Canadiens forward also does not have a history of supplementary discipline, though his NHL career to this point spans just 47 games.

That 47-game sample does include a huge amount of physicality though, as Pezzetta has racked up 143 hits and 74 penalty minutes during his rookie season. That bang-and-crash style will undoubtedly lead to some situations like this in the future, but he will now face increasing penalties for any further suspension-worthy incidents. He’ll also miss games against the Minnesota Wild and Philadelphia Flyers this week.

Michael Pezzetta To Have Hearing With Department Of Player Safety

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The Montreal Canadiens may be down a forward for a few days, as Michael Pezzetta will have a hearing tomorrow with the Department of Player Safety. The hearing will determine supplementary discipline following his illegal check to the head of Washington Capitals forward T.J. Oshie in yesterday’s game.

The hit occurred partway through the third period, as Pezzetta contacted Oshie’s head as the puck went up the ice. He received a two-minute penalty from the on-ice officials, while Oshie did not suffer a serious injury–or at least not one that kept him off the ice last night. The Capitals forward would remain in the game and score his tenth goal of the season on the ensuing powerplay.

Pezzetta, 24, is in his first season in the NHL and provides a huge amount of physicality for the Canadiens, racking up 143 hits in just 47 games. He’s also added 74 penalty minutes, as he carves out a fourth-line role for himself at the highest level. With this hearing, a suspension is likely, meaning he not only will have to miss some time, but his hits will be scrutinized even further in the future.

The Canadiens don’t play again until Tuesday, when they welcome in the Minnesota Wild and try to stop a five-game losing streak.

Carey Price To Return For Montreal Canadiens

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For the first time since July 7, 2021, Carey Price will start a game for the Montreal Canadiens this evening. The team confirmed that the star goaltender will be activated and play in tonight’s game against the New York Islanders, starting his first game since making 29 of 30 saves in a losing effort against the Tampa Bay Lightning in game five of last year’s Stanley Cup Final.

Without him this season, things have not gone according to plan. The Canadiens got off to a brutal start, costing head coach Dominique Ducharme and general manager Marc Bergevin their jobs, as the team floundered at the very bottom of the NHL standings. Since Jeff Gorton, Kent Hughes, and Martin St. Louis have taken over things have been improving, though the Canadiens are still nowhere near good enough to compete in the Atlantic Division and were eliminated from playoff contention weeks ago.

Even with very little to play for, Price’s return is a huge positive for the Canadiens. One of the highest-paid players in the league, the netminder carries a $10.5MM cap hit that cripples Montreal’s roster construction if he’s not performing at his best. Looking ahead to next season, the team has little chance of competing for a playoff spot without Price healthy and playing on a regular basis.

His return tonight will be an incredibly emotional moment for the netminder and the organization as a whole. A franchise icon even among such a storied history, Price will turn 35 in August and is coming off another serious injury, along with mental health and substance abuse struggles that led him to take time away from the game earlier this season. In November, he released a long statement explaining his absence, asking for privacy as he checked into a residential treatment facility for substance abuse and entered the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program.

The question now becomes his long-term outlook and whether he can get back to the goaltender that led Montreal through the playoffs last season, or even the one who was seventh in Vezina Trophy voting in 2019. A career .917 save percentage has been dragged down considerably by his past two campaigns, when he posted a .909 in 2019-20 and a .901 in 2020-21.

At any rate, he’ll be back on the ice tonight searching for win 361, which would inch him even further up the all-time leaderboard and toward the storied 400-win club. Only 13 netminders in history have achieved that number, with Ryan Miller the next closest at 391. Price, who is signed through 2025-26, already sits comfortably in first among Canadiens goaltenders, 46 wins ahead of Jacques Plante.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Montreal Canadiens Place Jonathan Drouin On LTIR

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If the Vegas Golden Knights’ flurry of moves wasn’t enough to satisfy those yearning for more long-term injured reserve (LTIR) machinations, the Montreal Canadiens have probably helped them out. The Canadiens have placed Jonathan Drouin on LTIR, according to PuckPedia. Drouin has been out since a late March contest against the Boston Bruins, and his season was ended by wrist surgery.

Drouin, 27, was the third-overall pick in the 2013 draft and has been known for his dazzling skills and somewhat enigmatic inability to parlay those skills into consistent production. He finishes this season with six goals and 20 points in 34 games, which is a 48-point pace. With next season being Drouin’s last before his $5.5MM AAV contract expires, it will be important for Drouin to put this injury-plagued year behind him and try to have as strong of a season as possible to set himself up for a valuable next contract.

For the Canadiens, placing Drouin on LTIR adds an interesting wrinkle to their season, which has largely been one to forget, save for the events following the hiring of interim coach Martin St. Louis. Because Drouin has been placed on LTIR, enough cap space has been “cleared” for the Canadiens to activate Carey Price, as noted by CapFriendly. Price has been practicing and seems to be recovered from the knee troubles that have cost him most of this season. He even traveled with the Canadiens for their road game in New Jersey. The Canadiens are a team in need of a lift, and Price’s return would undoubtedly represent a major one for their fanbase. With Drouin’s placement on LTIR, it seems that lift could arrive before this season comes to a close.

Justin Barron, Jake Allen Out Rest Of Season

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The Montreal Canadiens season hasn’t gone according to plan, and it’s ending a little prematurely for another two players. The team announced today that Justin Barron and Jake Allen will not play again this season, though both are expected to make a full recovery in time for training camp.

Barron, 20, was acquired by the Canadiens at the trade deadline and played five games for the team before suffering an ankle injury. It will not require surgery, but he won’t be back in the lineup in 2021-22. The young defenseman was the big prize for the team in the Artturi Lehkonen sweepstakes and represents someone that can play a full-time, impact role as soon as next season. Selected 25th overall by the Colorado Avalanche in 2020, Barron had 20 points in 43 games this season for the Colorado Eagles before the trade.

Allen meanwhile has had just a nightmare season, missing several months due to injury already. He appeared in 35 games, won just nine of them and posted a .905 save percentage. He suffered a groin injury over the weekend, but is expected to be ready by training camp. At that point he is expected to once again be the backup, given Carey Price’s expected return, though Allen will likely still see a lot of playing time. Signed through 2022-23 at a $2.875MM cap hit, he will hit unrestricted free agency at the end of next season.

The team also announced that Emil Heineman, another prospect acquired earlier this season and recently signed to an entry-level contract, is in Montreal being evaluated for an upper-body injury. There is no timeline for his return, meaning the Laval Rocket will have to wait to get a chance to see him on the ice.

AHL Shuffle: 04/10/22

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After a dozen games on Saturday, seven more are on the docket today. After colliding yesterday, the Capitals and Penguins are back in action Sunday and again face stiff competition. Washington will face the Bruins this afternoon, while the Penguins square off with the Predators later in the day. The Stars are also facing a back-to-back this weekend and looking for a better result today versus Chicago after falling to New Jersey on Saturday. Every point matters at this point in the season and teams are working diligently to make sure they are prepared for each and every game. Keep up with all of those roster preparations here:

Atlantic Division

  • After Jake Allen, who has been oft-injured this season, left with an injury yet again last night, the Montreal Canadiens have made a move to replace him. The team announced that Cayden Primeau has been recalled from the AHL’s Laval Rocket. The 22-year-old has played well in the minors this season, but struggled at the top level. In a dozen NHL games, Primeau has an .868 save percentage and 4.62 goals against average to the tune of a 1-7-1 record.
  • The Ottawa Senators have re-assigned rookie Mark Kastelic to AHL Belleville, opening up a roster spot for the return of Tim Stutzle. Kastelic is a big, two-way center and the former captain of the WHL’s Calgary Hitmen who is asserting himself as a solid bottom-six option for Ottawa, recording 25 points in 56 AHL games this season, in turn earning him 11 NHL games.

Metropolitan Division

  • Hayden Hodgson is heading back to the AHL after a brief recall to the Philadelphia Flyers. The team has announced that the recently-signed forward has been returned to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. After pro four seasons, spent mostly in the ECHL, Hodgson is enjoying a breakout campaign with 19 goals and 31 points in 46 games in the AHL, leading to an NHL contract and three points in six games with the Flyers over the past few weeks.
  • With center Casey Cizikas’ one-game suspension served, the New York Islanders are returning forward Andy Andreoff to the AHL’s Bridgeport Islanders. Andreoff, 30, is a veteran of 185 NHL games and has 39 points in 55 AHL games this season.

Central Division

  • The Nashville Predators have announced that with goaltender Juuse Saros out day-to-day with a non-COVID illness, goaltender Connor Ingram has been recalled from Milwaukee of the AHL. Ingram, 25, has appeared in 2 games so far this season and has a 1-1 record and a .906 save percentage. Ingram has a .914 in 50 games in the AHL this season.

Pacific Division

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