Jose Iglesias' slick sliding stop
Macklin Celebrini Finishes Third In Calder Voting, Lane Hutson Wins Award
San Jose Sharks' forward Macklin Celebrini was a finalist for the Calder Trophy this past season, and while he had a strong campaign and made a push to win the honour of being named rookie of the year, he finished third place in voting behind Calgary Flames' Dustin Wolf, and Montreal Canadiens' Lane Hutson.
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3 hours ago
Johnny Gaudreau's widow pens heartbreaking Father's Day tribute to late NHL star
Meredith Gaudreau, the widow of NHL star Johnny Gaudreau, is paying tribute to her late husband ahead of Father's Day. The mom of three penned a personal essay, in the form of a letter addressed to her husband, for The Players' Tribune, published Thursday. In it, she opened up about their life together, starting with how she met the former Calgary Flames winger for the first time. "I remember how everyone gravitated toward you. Everyone wanted to be near you. To see you. And I was like, Who is this guy? I didn't know a thing about you," Meredith Gaudreau wrote. As they spent more time together, Meredith Gaudreau explained she came to know "just John" and said she knew early on that she was going to marry him. "You were perfect. My dream guy," wrote Meredith Gaudreau. The John and Matthew Gaudreau Foundation co-president described her husband's love for Calgary, his dedication to being a dad to their two older kids -- Noa and Johnny Jr., their move to Ohio after Johnny Gaudreau joined the Columbus Blue Jackets and more. She also shared new memories of their third child, whom she gave birth to two months ago on April 1. "And Carter, he looks exactly like you, too. How lucky am I for that? I wish so badly that you could meet your son," Meredith Gaudreau wrote. "I look at him and can't help but think of you and without fail he gives me a smile that makes my day every time. John, I wish you could have held him. I think about it every day." Johnny Gaudreau died, alongside his younger brother Matthew Gaudreau, who was also a hockey coach, after they were both struck while riding bikes by a driver suspected of being under the influence of alcohol, according to police. In her lengthy letter, Meredith Gaudreau also addressed her late brother-in-law and shared updates on his family. "Tell Matty I say Happy First Father's Day! Matty — your boy is perfect. He has your eyes," she wrote. "[Your wife] Madeline is truly the best mom. We miss you so much. Noa's godfather, who never showed up without little presents. Such an amazing uncle, who obviously would have been an amazing father." Meredith Gaudreau ended her essay on a note of love and gratitude, thanking their family, "all of Columbus, Calgary, and the whole hockey community" and the "man of my dreams." "You were the best spouse, my life partner forever. Happy first Father's Day as a father of three!" she wrote. "Thank you for the very best years of my life. Thank you for making us a family. Thank you for being my best friend, my favorite person, the man of my dreams. I love you so much. Forever and ever."
New York Times
10 hours ago
- New York Times
Canadiens likely to continue mining NHL Draft for size and physicality
BUFFALO, N.Y. – Windsor Spitfires centre Jack Nesbitt was sitting on a stool after his successful physical testing at the NHL Scouting Combine on Saturday morning, talking casually about why the Montreal Canadiens appeared, in his view, to like him as a prospect. His response was very matter-of-fact, very self-aware, and somewhat revelatory of what the Canadiens are likely looking for in this draft, and not just from Nesbitt. Advertisement 'I think they like how big I am,' Nesbitt said. 'I use my size to play physical, I'll always fight if I have to, sticking up for teammates. I think they like the gritty part of my game, so we'll see if that transfers to the NHL.' Nesbitt was a late riser this season, putting up 24 points in his final 23 regular-season games and 10 points in 12 playoff games. However, the context for all this is that he measured in at the combine at 6 feet 4 1/2 inches and 186 pounds. His skating's not ideal, but everything else is right in the Canadiens' wheelhouse for the reasons Nesbitt mentioned. Several players are available at various points of this draft who fit that profile. The Canadiens dug in on that profile to some extent later in last year's draft when they took Logan Sawyer in the third round, Tyler Thorpe in the fifth round and Ben Merrill in the sixth round. They were ranked, respectively, 114th, 111th and 127th on NHL Central Scouting's final North American list, but they also measured in at 6-1, 173 pounds; 6-4, 209 pounds; and 6-3 1/4, 190 pounds. The three players had frames with room to fill out. This came after taking Florian Xhekaj in the fourth round the year before and watching him blossom in his draft-plus-one year in the OHL. And now that Xhekaj has again blossomed in his first year as a professional in Laval, it's only further validation that this is a strategy worth exploring. Xhekaj was called a unicorn by Canadiens co-director of amateur scouting Nick Bobrov in their 2023 draft meetings. And then Xhekaj went out and proved he was a bit of a unicorn. However, it is not smart to simply look for size above all else in the draft. In 2013, the previous Canadiens administration took Michael McCarron, Jacob de la Rose and Connor Crisp in the first three rounds primarily because of their size. They also took one smaller player in the second round, Artturi Lehkonen, and he very quickly became the best of those four players. Advertisement But Xhekaj was not taken solely because of his size. He stood out because of his hands, offensive instincts, combative nature, willingness to be physical and the feet that allowed him to be physical. Size with tools that translate to the NHL is the goal, and it wouldn't be a surprise if that's the Canadiens' goal this year. Because there are other players like Nesbitt out there. The thing with Nesbitt is that taking him with the No. 16 or 17 pick might be a bit of a reach, or it might not, depending on who you ask. The Canadiens pick again at No. 41 and No. 49, and that might be too late to grab some of the other guys who fit that goal, including William Moore or William Horcoff. But we've heard the Canadiens have shown a fair amount of interest in one player who might be right in that second-round wheelhouse. Telling his story is more illustrative than predictive, because he fits a certain type — the Canadiens type. His name is Matthew Gard. We don't know if the Canadiens will draft him. But you shouldn't be surprised if the Canadiens draft someone like him. Gard, a centre for the Red Deer Rebels, is 6-4 3/4 and 195 pounds. And, by his own admission, he's raw. 'I think I'm starting to get closer to what my peak performance is going to be,' Gard said. 'I think I'm probably still three to five years away from it. It's just a gradual climb, year after year.' The Rebels made a few moves at the trade deadline that allowed Gard to take on a bigger role later in the season, and he wound up playing himself into a spot on Canada's U18 national team, which he never thought was possible. 'I always knew it was in me,' Gard said, 'but it was kind of wishful thinking at times.' He comes from an athletic family; both his parents played for the national volleyball team, his two older brothers play university volleyball, and his younger brother was just drafted by the WHL's Lethbridge Hurricanes. When Gard was 13 or 14, he estimates he grew seven inches in six months, from around 5-7 to 6-2, putting him on the radar for WHL clubs but also completely changing the way he plays hockey. He needed to adjust to going from somewhat average-sized to massive in less than a year, and it's a process that continues to this day. Advertisement 'It took me some time to grow into my body. Honestly, I still am, in a way,' Gard said. 'I'm just trying to build some speed with it and get more powerful and stronger in my big, skinny frame.' That skinny frame has been at the top of Gard's mind for years. At the start of his WHL draft year, he was 6-1 and 140 pounds, so he's added nearly four inches and 55 pounds since. 'Honestly, (adding weight) has been the main part of my summer for the past couple of summers,' he said. 'I've been pretty consistent adding 10 pounds a summer the past couple of years. It's coming, it's going to be gradual, but I think I'm only halfway to where I'm going to be in a couple of years. 'It's going to be exciting to look forward to where I can be.' Matthew Gard goes upstairs and gets Red Deer on the board @Rebelshockey | #NHLDraft — Western Hockey League (@TheWHL) March 23, 2025 This is essentially a blank hockey canvas with a very promising physical toolkit and an acute awareness of the work he has ahead of him and what he will be in the NHL. 'I think a middle-six guy,' he said. 'I think I'm pretty versatile in what I can do and where I can play in the lineup. I'll have a defensive role, probably, and bring a lot of physicality. Just chaos and mix that in with some skill.' We have no idea if the Canadiens will draft Gard, of course, but at some point in the draft, they are very likely to take someone like him: someone with a big frame with room to grow physically and a skillset that gives them some hope he can contribute to a big, heavy team in Montreal one day. The Canadiens watch the playoffs every year and see how physicality and heaviness help teams advance from round to round, and this year they saw for themselves how that helped the Washington Capitals advance past them. They will always prioritize skill earlier in the draft. But later on, that physicality and heaviness will surely become an increasingly important factor in how they approach their picks. (Photo of Matthew Gard: Larry MacDougal / Associated Press)
Yahoo
12 hours ago
- Yahoo
Could The Canadiens Accomplish a Rare Feat Next Season?
Could The Canadiens Accomplish a Rare Feat Next Season? Before Lane Hutson was announced as the Calder Trophy winner by the NHL on Tuesday morning, a Montreal Canadiens player had not won the honour since 1972 when Ken Dryden won it. Brendan Gallagher came painfully close in 2012-13 when the votes he received gave him a total of 1048 points, while the winner, Florida Panthers' Jonathan Huberdeau, had 1141 points. 2:09 Now Playing Paused Ad Playing
