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Montreal Canadiens Add Two More To COVID Protocol

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Welcome to Montreal, you’re going into the COVID protocol. The Montreal Canadiens have announced that Louis Belpedio and Gianni Fairbrother have both entered the protocol, just two days after they were recalled from the AHL.

Belpedio and Fairbrother join Paul Byron, Laurent Dauphin, Mike Hoffman, Artturi Lehkonen, Tyler Toffoli, Ben Chiarot, Joel Edmundson, Jeff Petry, Chris Wideman, Jake Allen, and Cayden Primeau in the protocol.

The Canadiens are still currently scheduled to take on the Carolina Hurricanes tonight, despite Montreal’s drastically impaired roster. The team is missing 13 skaters due to COVID (Lehkonen is skating but not yet activated) and another half dozen to injury.

Players like Rafael Harvey-Pinard, Lukas Vejdemo, and Corey Schueneman all made their season debuts on Tuesday against the Tampa Bay Lightning, a game that was actually one of the more competitive matches from the Canadiens all season.

It continues to be a nightmarish season for Montreal, who are now 7-21-4 on the year.

OHL To Reinstate Logan Mailloux

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The OHL has announced that Logan Mailloux, a member of the London Knights and first-round draft pick of the Montreal Canadiens, will be reinstated from his indefinite suspension effective January 1, 2022. In the press release, they explained the decision:

Since the time of suspension, with the support of the London Knights, Logan Mailloux has participated in therapy and counselling with Dr. Lindsey Forbes, and a personal development plan under the leadership of Wendy Glover. Ms. Glover is a London-based, experienced holistic athlete development practitioner, academic and personal development advisor, teacher and member of the Ontario School Counsellors Association.

The player’s Personal Development Plan has included weekly meetings, ongoing completion of certifications, and reflections of concepts explored. Some of the certifications and programs available to athletes that he completed were Respect in Sport, Mental Health in Sport, Sport Media, Ethics in Sport, Diversity and Inclusion, Sport Psychology, and Cultural Awareness.

After reviewing the program, speaking with the player and Ms. Glover, and receiving a commitment from the player to continue with his personal development program, the League is satisfied that Logan Mailloux has undertaken the necessary steps and will reinstate him, effective January 1, 2022.

Mailloux was suspended in September after news spread of an incident that took place in Sweden where he was playing during the 2020-21 season. Mailloux was charged with taking and distributing an offensive photo without consent, of which he was convicted in December 2020. Now 18, he tried to renounce himself from the NHL draft, asking teams not to draft him and saying at the time:

…I renounce myself from the 2021 NHL Draft and ask that no one select me this upcoming weekend. I feel that this would allow me the opportunity to demonstrate an adequate level of maturity and character next season with the London Knights in the OHL and provide all the NHL teams the opportunity to reassess my character towards the 2022 NHL Draft.

The Canadiens selected him 31st overall and explained that they would make a “commitment to accompany Logan on his journey,” providing him with support to guide him in his development. The OHL then suspended him for violating the league’s “expectation of appropriate conduct.”

Montreal Canadiens Add Five Players To COVID Protocol

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Dec 29: After getting in one game last night, the Canadiens have placed two more in the COVID protocol today. Paul Byron and Cayden Primeau are both now unavailable and join the rest of the absences in the protocol. Byron was closing in on a return from injury and Primeau was expected to play this weekend with Allen unavailable. McNiven will now likely be recalled to backup Sam Montembeault.

Dec 27: The Montreal Canadiens have added another five players to the COVID protocol today, recalling a handful of replacements in the process. Jake Allen, Ben Chiarot, Joel Edmundson, Jeff Petry, and Chris Wideman have entered the protocol, along with goaltending coach Eric Raymond. The team has recalled Cayden Primeau and Corey Schueneman to the active roster, while also bringing up Brandon Baddock, Gianni Fairbrother, Cam Hillis, and Michael McNiven to the taxi squad. The team will travel to Florida where they are currently scheduled to take on the Tampa Bay Lightning tomorrow night.

The new five will join Laurent Dauphin, Mike Hoffman, Artturi Lehkonen, and Tyler Toffoli, who were already in the protocol. The team also has almost countless injuries, meaning it’s not quite the full Montreal experience heading to face the Lightning. In a lost season for the Canadiens, nearly everything that could have gone wrong has, and they find themselves near the very bottom of the league standings.

If the games are played as scheduled, the team will no longer have to play short after the league amended the salary cap and emergency exception rules yesterday. Still, these recalls bring them close to the organizational limit; Primeau and McNiven were the only two other goaltenders in the organization signed to NHL contracts.

Devante Smith-Pelly Signs AHL PTO

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With a growing list of COVID absences in the organization, the Montreal Canadiens and Laval Rocket have turned to alumni to save the day. Devante Smith-Pelly, who played parts of two seasons for Montreal several years ago, has signed a professional tryout contract with Laval.

Smith-Pelly, 29, had a long, productive career in the NHL, spanning more than 400 games between the regular season and playoffs. He even won a Stanley Cup in 2018 with the Washington Capitals, scoring two playoff game-winning goals along the way. The bang-and-crash forward last played in the NHL during the 2018-19 season with Washington, before spending 2019-20 in the KHL and last year in the AHL with the Ontario Reign.

Like with some of the other former NHL players signing odd contracts around the world, one has to wonder whether this contract for Smith-Pelly could actually be a precursor for bigger things. The Olympics are coming in a few months and without NHL participation, Canada will be looking for players to represent the country in Beijing that are currently not contracted to an NHL club. A PTO or an AHL deal should allow Smith-Pelly to participate if he finds himself on Hockey Canada’s radar.

If that ever did occur, it would be a redemption story for the Scarborough native. In 2011, Smith-Pelly had made the Anaheim Ducks out of camp but was loaned to the Canadian World Junior team when the tournament arrived. He was supposed to play a huge role for the club and was named an alternate captain ahead of the event. Unfortunately, while blocking a shot during a game that Canada won easily–the kind of heart-and-soul play that Smith-Pelly would become known for–he suffered a broken foot and would not play again the rest of the tournament. Since then, he hasn’t had another chance to suit up internationally.

2022 WJC Participants By NHL Team

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The 2022 World Junior Championships will get underway from Edmonton and Red Deer, Alberta on Sunday. As is the norm and to be expected from the top U-20 competition in the world, the World Junior tournament field is loaded with drafted NHL talent. While most nations don’t have the prospect depth to form a roster completely composed of NHL prospects and those that do have opted to include some younger, future draft picks, there are still a whopping 106 drafted players on WJC rosters. Nine of ten WJC have at least one current NHL prospect and six of those nine have at least ten draft picks. Those players come from 30 of the NHL’s 32 teams, with the Carolina Hurricanes leading the way with ten prospects. While enjoying the WJC action in the coming days, keep track of who may one day be playing at the highest level:

Anaheim Ducks (4):
F Mason McTavish, Canada
D Ian Moore, USA
F Sasha Pastujov, USA
D Olen Zellweger, Canada

Arizona Coyotes (1):
F Dylan Guenther, Canada

Boston Bruins (1):
F Fabian Lysell, Sweden

Buffalo Sabres (4):
F Jakub Konecny, Czechia
D Nikita Novikov, Russia
D Owen Power, Canada
F Isak Rosen, Sweden

Calgary Flames (1):
F Matt Coronato, USA

Carolina Hurricanes (10):
F Nikita Guslistov, Russia
D Aleski Heimosalmi, Finland
D Ville Koivunen, Finland
D Scott Morrow, USA
F Zion Nybeck, Sweden
D Joel Nystrom, Sweden
F Alexander Pashin, Russia
F Vasily Ponomarev, Russia
G Nikita Quapp, Germany
D Ronan Seeley, Canada

Chicago Blackhawks (4):
G Drew Commesso, USA
D Wyatt Kaiser, USA
D Michael Krutil, Czechia
F Landon Slaggert, USA

Colorado Avalanche (1):
F Oskar Olausson, Sweden

Columbus Blue Jackets (4):
F Kent Johnson, Canada
D Samuel Knazko, Slovakia
F Martin Rysavy, Czechia
D Stanislav Svozil, Czechia

Dallas Stars (4):
F Mavrik Bourque, Canada
F Daniel Ljungman, Sweden
F Logan Stankoven, Canada
F Albert Sjoberg, Sweden

Detroit Red Wings (8):
G Jan Bednar, Czechia
G Sebastian Cossa, Canada
D Simon Edvinsson, Sweden
F Carter Mazur, USA
F Theodor Niederbach, Sweden
F Redmond Savage, USA
D Donovan Sebrango, Canada
D Eemil Viro, Finland

Edmonton Oilers (2):
F Xavier Borgault, Canada
D Luca Munzenberger, Germany

Florida Panthers (5):
F Elliot Ekmark, Sweden
D Kasper Puutio, Finland
F Mackie Samoskevich, USA
F Ty Smilanic, USA
F Justin Sourdif, Canada

Los Angeles Kings (6):
F Martin Chromiak, Slovakia
D Brock Faber, USA
D Helge Grans, Sweden
F Samuel Helenius, Finland
D Kirill Kirsanov, Russia
F Kasper Simontaival, Finland

Minnesota Wild (6):
F Marat Khusnutdinov, Russia
D Carson Lambos, Canada
F Pavel Novak, Czechia
D Ryan O’Rourke, Canada
D Jack Peart, USA
G Jesper Wallstedt, Sweden

Montreal Canadiens (3):
D Kaiden Guhle, Canada
F Oliver Kapanen, Finland
F Jan Mysak, Czechia

Nashville Predators (4):
G Yaroslav Askarov, Russia
F Simon Knak, Switzerland*
D Anton Olsson, Sweden
F Fedor Svechkov, Russia

New Jersey Devils (4):
F Alexander Holtz, Sweden
D Luke Hughes, USA
G Jakub Malek, Czechia
D Shakir Mukhamadullin, Russia

New York Islanders (0)

New York Rangers (4):
F Brett Berard, USA
F William Cuylle, Canada
G Dylan Garand, Canada
F Kalle Vaisanen, Finland

Ottawa Senators (5):
F Ridly Greig, Canada
F Roby Jarventie, Finland
D Tyler Kleven, USA
G Leevi Merilainen, Finland
D Jake Sanderson, USA

Philadelphia Flyers (3):
D Emil Andrae, Sweden
F Elliot Desnoyers, Canada
D Brian Zanetti, Switzerland*

Pittsburgh Penguins (3):
G Joel Blomqvist, Finland
G Calle Clang, Sweden
F Kirill Tankov, Russia

St. Louis Blues (3):
F Tanner Dickinson, USA
D Leo Loof, Sweden
F Jake Neighbors, Canada

San Jose Sharks (1):
F William Eklund, Sweden

Seattle Kraken (2):
F Matthew Beniers, USA
D Ville Ottavainen, Finland

Tampa Bay Lightning (0)

Toronto Maple Leafs (3):
F Roni Hirvonen, Finland
F Matthew Knies, USA
D Topi Niemala, Finland

Vancouver Canucks (1):
F Dmitry Zlodeyev, Russia

Vegas Golden Knights (4):
F Jakub Brabenec, Czechia
D Lukas Cormier, Canada
F Jakub Demek, Slovakia
G Jesper Vikman, Sweden

Washington Capitals (1):
F Oskar Magnusson, Sweden

Winnipeg Jets (4):
F Nikita Chibrikov, Russia
F Chaz Lucius, USA
F Cole Perfetti, Canada
F Daniel Torgersson, Sweden

*Switzerland roster pending finalization on Sunday; team has been in COVID-19 quarantine since Thursday but will be ready to begin tournament and participate as schedule, the Swiss announced.

What Your Team Is Thankful For: Montreal Canadiens

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As the holiday season approaches, PHR will take a look at what teams are thankful for as the season passes the one-quarter mark. There also might be a few things your team would like down the road. We’ll examine what’s gone well in the early going and what could improve as the season rolls on for the Montreal Canadiens (when it eventually resumes). 

What are the Canadiens thankful for?

Carolina’s playoff position.

There’s no getting around it, the Canadiens and Hurricanes have beef (manufactured for social media or not). After Montreal signed Sebastian Aho to an offer sheet in the summer of 2019, Carolina came back two years later and signed Jesperi Kotkaniemi to an outlandish offer that the Canadiens simply couldn’t afford to match. The Hurricanes didn’t make any attempt to hide the fact that it was a revenge play, even including the same verbiage Marc Bergevin had used initially in Don Waddell’s press release and adding a $20 signing bonus (an homage to Aho’s jersey number) in the Kotkaniemi contract.

It’s ironic then, that the Canadiens have so much riding on Carolina’s performance this season.

When Montreal traded for Christian Dvorak almost immediately after declining to match the Kotkaneimi offer sheet, they included a first-round pick in the package sent to the Arizona Coyotes. The Coyotes will receive the better of the two picks Montreal owns–their original selection and the one received from Carolina in compensation. That is of course unless one or both of the picks end up in the top-10, in which case the Coyotes will receive the worse of the two. Montreal looks destined to have a pick in the top-10 after this dreadful season, meaning it’s Carolina’s pick that will eventually transfer to Arizona. But there’s no additional protection involved; if Carolina somehow slipped out of the playoff race and fell down the standings, there’s a chance Montreal could be giving up quite the pick. Remember, the new lottery rules come into effect this year, meaning that teams outside the playoffs can only jump up a maximum of ten spots, but it would still be quite the nervous night if the Hurricanes managed to miss the postseason somehow.

Who are the Canadiens thankful for?

Nick Suzuki.

There hasn’t been much to celebrate in Montreal this season. Cole Caufield, the odds-on favorite to win the Calder Trophy according to many before the season, has just a single goal and six points in 23 games. Mike Hoffman, brought in to provide some offensive firepower has been injured, sick or ineffective and has just eight points so far. David Savard, brought in to stabilize the defense in Shea Weber’s absence, has been brutal and his four-year deal looks like a massive mistake.

Even Suzuki, the brightest star in a sea of dim light, has been underwhelming. He leads the team with 18 points through 31 games, but it’s his long-term contract that is something to look forward to in Montreal. Even if the team goes through a rebuild, they will know exactly how much their top center costs and how long they have him. Suzuki is signed through the 2029-30 and invested in the Canadiens success. Sure, had they waited until after this poor season to sign him it may have been a bit cheaper, but who knows if he commits to eight years after this dreadful campaign.

A comparison could be made to Dylan Larkin, who made it through the bad years in Detroit only to return to his explosive self this season when given some more talent to work with. Larkin hit a career-low of 23 points in 2020-21 and has 29 already this year. Even if it’s a forgettable year in Montreal and for Suzuki, he’s too good to be kept that way forever.

What would the Canadiens be even more thankful for?

A lottery win.

Listen, players like Matthew Savoie, Logan Cooley, and Danila Yurov are great talents and should have long productive NHL careers. But there’s a reason why all 10 scouts surveyed by Bob McKenzie of TSN put Shane Wright at the top of their board for 2022. The Kingston center was in a tier by himself in Corey Pronman’s rankings for The Athletic and colleague Scott Wheeler wrote that he is “not worried about his place at the top of this draft class” despite a rather pedestrian start by his standards (30 points in 22 games).

With the Canadiens now in 31st place, just a few points ahead of the Coyotes for last in the NHL, that first-overall pick is a legitimate possibility in 2022. Selecting second or third would certainly still help the rebuild, but nabbing Wright would lock in another top-six, two-way center that could give Montreal a considerable duo down the middle for 2022 and years to come.

What should be on the Canadiens’ Holiday Wish List?

Stalled young players.

While the Canadiens could and should target draft picks at the upcoming deadline, the team already does have quite a few to work with this year. They’ll pick seven times in the first four rounds even if they don’t make a single move, adding quite a few prospects to the pipeline. A more interesting strategy might be going after some of the young players around the league who have stalled in their development or need fresh starts.

Again, an example in Detroit could be of use here. The Red Wings acquired Robby Fabbri in 2019 for Jacob de La Rose, a player that now finds himself playing in Sweden. Fabbri had been a highly-touted youngster, but major knee injuries had stalled his career in St. Louis. Snatched for almost nothing, he rebuilt himself in Detroit by receiving top-six playing time that he wasn’t likely to get elsewhere and recently signed a new three-year, $12MM contract extension. If the Canadiens are going to clear some of the veteran names off the books, there will be opportunities in the lineup for young players to get back on track.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Montreal Home Games Could Be Rescheduled

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In their final game before being shut down, the Montreal Canadiens welcomed the Philadelphia Flyers to town. Things were going normally until the provincial government instructed that the game be played without fans. That caused “a lot of grumbling” according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, who writes that there is real worry about the reduced capacity in Canadian markets affecting the league’s revenue projections.

Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic adds that if the Canadiens are still not allowed to have fans at their home games in January, some of them could be rescheduled to later in the season. Montreal is set to return after the holiday break on a three-game road trip, before the Washington Capitals come to town on January 4.

Hockey Canada Names Captains For WJC

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There’s not a lot to be excited about when it comes to the Montreal Canadiens’ NHL squad this season, but that doesn’t mean fans won’t be in for a treat this holiday season. Kaiden Guhle, Montreal’s first-round pick from 2020, has been named captain of Canada’s World Junior Championship squad. He’ll be joined by Jake Neighbours from the St. Louis Blues and Cole Perfetti from the Winnipeg Jets, who will serve as alternates.

Guhle and Perfetti were both on last year’s squad, which took home the silver after losing to the U.S. in the final. Neighbours meanwhile was not, meaning he’ll get his first chance to compete for Canada at this level. All three were first-round picks in 2020 and have actually already played some professional hockey, though Guhle’s time in the AHL was limited to just three games last season.

The 19-year-old defenseman is an impressive, do-it-all blueliner who has the size, skating ability, and aggressiveness that will quickly make him a fan favorite. Known for his willingness to lay open ice hits when the chance presents itself, teams have actually started to avoid his side of the ice entirely when attempting a zone entry. The 6’2″ Guhle has improved his offensive output this season as well, racking up 18 points in 20 games so far this season, split between the Prince Albert Raiders and Edmonton Oil Kings. That trade, which brought Guhle home to Edmonton, also took him to a WHL contender.

That contender also happens to have Neighbours in the lineup on a nightly basis, something that other teams fear when figuring out who to stop. The 19-year-old Blues prospect started the year in the NHL, scoring two points in nine games, and has 18 in ten contests since returning to the WHL. Able to create chances for himself and teammates almost at will, Neighbours should be a huge part of the Canadian attack even in his first go-round at the tournament.

It’s Perfetti though who was drafted the highest, and the one that’s currently starring at the professional level. The 10th-overall pick in 2020, he proved he could handle himself in the AHL as a teenager last season when he put up 26 points in 32 games. That performance hasn’t changed this season, as Perfetti has registered 15 points in 17 games with the Manitoba Moose as one of the few junior-aged exemptions. Last year the former Saginaw Spirit center was a difference-maker for Canada, this year will likely be no different.

Blue Jackets, Canadiens Shut Down Through Holiday Break

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Two more teams have been shut down in the NHL as Columbus Blue Jackets and Montreal Canadiens will be put on pause through the holiday break. The Blue Jackets canceled today’s morning skate while waiting for COVID results and did not actually even travel to Buffalo, where they were supposed to play this evening. The teams were set to play a rematch in Columbus on Thursday, but that game has also been postponed. The Blue Jackets have subsequently placed Eric Robinson, Andrew Peeke, and Joonas Korpisalo in the COVID protocol.

The Canadiens actually didn’t have any games scheduled as they had already been postponed, but will also pause team activities. Still, Mike Hoffman was added to the protocol today, joining Artturi Lehkonen and Laurent Dauphin.

More than 40 games have now been postponed through the early part of the season, many of those coming over the last few days as the NHL deals with a massive COVID-19 outbreak. Several teams have been shut down completely through the Christmas break and all games that required cross-border travel have also been postponed.

While there is hope that things can get back to normal in the coming weeks, confidence from the NHL and NHLPA that the season will continue, and some teams still not really affected by the outbreak, it’s certainly not a perfect scenario for the NHL schedule maker. Remember, even if the league doesn’t go to the Olympics, deputy commissioner Bill Daly said during a media availability earlier this month that it would be difficult to use that three-week break for many rescheduled games. Buildings have already booked events for many of those dates, though there will likely be some opportunities to make up some of these missed games.

Laurent Dauphin Placed In COVID Protocol

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  • The Canadiens announced that they’ve placed center Laurent Dauphin in COVID protocol. The 26-year-old was recalled two weeks ago and has three points in five games since then including his first NHL goal in over five years.  The team has also shut down their facilities through December 26th.

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