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Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Canadiens: Potential First-Round Pick
As Forrest Gump would say, a draft is a bit like a box of chocolates; you never know what you're going to get, especially when you're picking mid-round like the Montreal Canadiens will be this time around. Scouts' job becomes that much harder when so many teams get to choose before you even have one selection. It's impossible to know who will still be on the board or who will be long gone (aside from the select few who are at the very top of the class). By the time the Canadiens take to the figurative podium since the draft is held remotely this season, many of their favourites might already been picked and while I'm not suggesting drafting for need, but if the best player available when they finally get to choose, happens to be either a promising center or a promising right-shot defenseman, I don't think many would complain. A prospect that would fit the latter option is Logan Hensler, a 6-foot-2 blueliner who weighs in at 197. Advertisement Canadiens: Kypreos Reveals Trade Target Canadiens: Martin St-Louis Finished Third In The Jack Adams Trophy Voting Canadiens: Potential First Round Pick - Radim Mrtka After spending a couple of seasons with the US National Team Development program, the towering blueliner joined the University of Wisconsin in the NCAA. Adapting to play against older and bigger players hasn't been easy for the youngster, who has only produced 12 points in 32 games, down from 32 points in 61 games in his previous season with the USNTDP. Still, he projects as a top-four defenseman who's strong with good skating abilities and uses his big frame to steer opponents away from danger zones defensively and box them out. There's no denying the Canadiens could use some sight and strength on the blueline, even if it means sacrificing a bit of attack in the process. In a depth role at the World Junior Championship, he could only manage a single point in seven games as the USA skated to the gold medal. Now that he's got more experience under his belt, he should play a more prominent role in the future. Advertisement He met with the Canadiens' organization at the Combine in Buffalo. He told TVA Sports' Anthony Martineau that he could reach another level offensively but preferred to focus on his defense this year. He models his game after Ottawa Senators' blueliner Jake Sanderson and wants to put on weight this Summer to improve his physical game. The prospect also told TVA Sports that David Reinbacher is an excellent right-shot defenseman just like him and that he doesn't fear the competition with him or anyone else. Big talk for the youngster, but confidence is a must in this business, and it should serve him well. Photo credit: David Reginek-Imagn Images Canadiens stories, analysis, breaking news, and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News, never to miss a story. Advertisement Follow Karine on X @KarineHains Bluesky @ and Threads @karinehains. Bookmark The Hockey News Canadiens' page for all the news and happenings around the Canadiens.
Global News
21-05-2025
- Sport
- Global News
Jets' GM and coach are proud of what players accomplished, but want improvements
When each player met with Winnipeg Jets head coach Scott Arniel and general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff for season-ending talks this week, they were given verbal pats on their backs. 'The first thing we did was that we complimented them,' Arniel said Wednesday as he and Cheveldayoff held their final media availability. 'We told them how proud we were of the year we had, the things we accomplished as a group. Just the fact that we won the Presidents' Trophy, that we were consistent for 82 games, all those things that we did.' The Jets won the trophy with a franchise-record 56 wins and NHL-best 116 points in the regular season, but were eliminated from the playoffs in Game 6 of their second-round series with the Dallas Stars by a 2-1 overtime loss last Saturday. It was one round better than the previous two seasons, but disappointing for a group that was aiming to hoist the Stanley Cup. Story continues below advertisement The next steps are something Arniel plans to discuss in-depth with each player during the upcoming two weeks after he gets input from his assistants. 'There's a lot of things for me that happened over the course of this playoffs that are extreme positives,' Arniel said. 'There's some things again that we're going to have to grill our group on to get better at, so that when we hit this again next year that we're better prepared for it to have the outcome fall in our favour.' Jets captain Adam Lowry is confident players will dig deep to reach another level next season. 'There's a lot of optimism that with another good summer, guys really pushing to get better to work on their game and to find ways to improve, that we can come back next year and put ourselves in a spot to be successful again,' he said. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy 'Put ourselves in a spot to go on another playoff run and hopefully this one ends in late June instead of late May.' Arniel, who's up for the Jack Adams Trophy for the league's top head coach, just finished his first year as Winnipeg's bench boss. He was associate coach the previous two seasons to now-retired Rick Bowness. 'One of the things that came through in our exit meetings in talking to some of the players, there was the accountability that (Arniel) was able to hold the players to,' Cheveldayoff said. 'The fairness. That word came out several times in conversations with the players. Hard but fair.' Story continues below advertisement Cheveldayoff said he believes the team can improve again next season. 'We're fortunate we have a real strong core of guys that are going to push, pull and prod,' he said. 'A lot of different guys that are on the good side of (age) 30, I guess, in the sense that there's still capacity for them to grow. 'That's the group of guys that we're going to challenge to help take us to that next level. And again, it can't be underestimated, we have the best goaltender in the world.' Connor Hellebuyck is likely to win his second consecutive Vezina Trophy as the league's top goalie, and third of his career. He's also a finalist for the Hart Trophy as most valuable player. He boosted his franchise record with 47 regular-season wins and had the league's best goals-against average (2.00) and most shutouts (eight). But Hellebuyck struggled at times during the post-season, including being pulled in three road games against the Blues. The Jets never won a road game in their series against St. Louis or Dallas. Winnipeg has eight pending unrestricted free agents, including winger Nikolaj Ehlers, who's playing for Denmark at the men's world hockey championship. 'When we get a chance to talk to him, we'll put our best foot forward with him to try to make our case to be a unique Jet-for-life type player and we'll see where it all goes there,' Cheveldayoff said. Story continues below advertisement 'The relationship is great and he did contribute to the success of this organization on many fronts and we hope that's something that can continue.' Ehlers recorded 24 goals and 63 points in 69 regular-season games. He added five goals and two assists in eight playoff games after returning from injury. 'I think I'd echo the statement of everyone in this room, that we'd love to see Nikky back,' Lowry said. 'He's a huge part of our team. He's a game-breaker. He's great in this room.' Lowry and top-line winger Kyle Connor are both heading into the final year of their contracts and could be offered extensions. 'That's kind of how I picture myself, as a Winnipeg Jet for life,' Lowry said. 'I love the city, love playing in front of these fans and I think that's something that hopefully we can take steps towards getting that out of the way this summer.' Cheveldayoff wasn't dismissing that possibility – for both Lowry and Connor. 'I believe they're a big part of our success, and want to keep it that way,' he said. The Jets also have six pending restricted free agents such as defenceman Dylan Samberg and forwards Gabe Vilardi and Morgan Barron.
Winnipeg Free Press
21-05-2025
- Sport
- Winnipeg Free Press
Jets' GM and coach are proud of what players accomplished, but want improvements
WINNIPEG – When each player met with Winnipeg Jets head coach Scott Arniel and general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff for season-ending talks this week, they were given verbal pats on their backs. 'The first thing we did was that we complimented them,' Arniel said Wednesday as he and Cheveldayoff held their final media availability. 'We told them how proud we were of the year we had, the things we accomplished as a group. Just the fact that we won the Presidents' Trophy, that we were consistent for 82 games, all those things that we did.' The Jets won the trophy with a franchise-record 56 wins and NHL-best 116 points in the regular season, but were eliminated from the playoffs in Game 6 of their second-round series with the Dallas Stars by a 2-1 overtime loss last Saturday. It was one round better than the previous two seasons, but disappointing for a group that was aiming to hoist the Stanley Cup. The next steps are something Arniel plans to discuss in-depth with each player during the upcoming two weeks after he gets input from his assistants. 'There's a lot of things for me that happened over the course of this playoffs that are extreme positives,' Arniel said. 'There's some things again that we're going to have to grill our group on to get better at, so that when we hit this again next year that we're better prepared for it to have the outcome fall in our favour.' Jets captain Adam Lowry is confident players will dig deep to reach another level next season. 'There's a lot of optimism that with another good summer, guys really pushing to get better to work on their game and to find ways to improve, that we can come back next year and put ourselves in a spot to be successful again,' he said. 'Put ourselves in a spot to go on another playoff run and hopefully this one ends in late June instead of late May.' Arniel, who's up for the Jack Adams Trophy for the league's top head coach, just finished his first year as Winnipeg's bench boss. He was associate coach the previous two seasons to now-retired Rick Bowness. 'One of the things that came through in our exit meetings in talking to some of the players, there was the accountability that (Arniel) was able to hold the players to,' Cheveldayoff said. 'The fairness. That word came out several times in conversations with the players. Hard but fair.' Cheveldayoff said he believes the team can improve again next season. 'We're fortunate we have a real strong core of guys that are going to push, pull and prod,' he said. 'A lot of different guys that are on the good side of (age) 30, I guess, in the sense that there's still capacity for them to grow. 'That's the group of guys that we're going to challenge to help take us to that next level. And again, it can't be underestimated, we have the best goaltender in the world.' Connor Hellebuyck is likely to win his second consecutive Vezina Trophy as the league's top goalie, and third of his career. He's also a finalist for the Hart Trophy as most valuable player. He boosted his franchise record with 47 regular-season wins and had the league's best goals-against average (2.00) and most shutouts (eight). But Hellebuyck struggled at times during the post-season, including being pulled in three road games against the Blues. The Jets never won a road game in their series against St. Louis or Dallas. Winnipeg has eight pending unrestricted free agents, including winger Nikolaj Ehlers, who's playing for Denmark at the men's world hockey championship. Ehlers recorded 24 goals and 63 points in 69 regular-season games. He added five goals and two assists in eight playoff games after returning from injury. 'I think I'd echo the statement of everyone in this room, that we'd love to see Nikky back,' Lowry said. 'He's a huge part of our team. He's a game-breaker. He's great in this room.' Lowry and top-line winger Kyle Connor are both heading into the final year of their contracts and could be offered extensions. 'That's kind of how I picture myself, as a Winnipeg Jet for life,' Lowry said. 'I love the city, love playing in front of these fans and I think that's something that hopefully we can take steps towards getting that out of the way this summer.' Cheveldayoff wasn't dismissing that possibility – for both Lowry and Connor. 'I believe they're a big part of our success, and want to keep it that way,' he said. The Jets also have six pending restricted free agents such as defenceman Dylan Samberg and forwards Gabe Vilardi and Morgan Barron. This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 21, 2025.
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Will The Coaching Carousel Cost The Canadiens?
Laval Rocket coach Pascal Vincent. Photo Credit: James Guillory-Imagn Images There are a lot of vacancies in the NHL team's coaching department. As things stand, the Anaheim Ducks, Boston Bruins, Chicago Blackhawks, Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Seattle Kraken, and Vancouver Canucks are all without a permanent head coach right now. Advertisement Canadiens: Caufield Speaks To The Media Canadiens' Farm Team Laval Rocket Through To Round Three Canadiens: About That Crosby Pipe Dream... Meanwhile, Montreal Canadiens' coach Martin St-Louis has been nominated for the Jack Adams Trophy alongside Scott Arniel and Spencer Carbery. Meanwhile, Pascal Vincent, who's at the helm of the Laval Rocket, has been named coach of the year in the AHL. Before joining the Rocket, Vincent coached the Columbus Blue Jackets. He was put in a less-than-ideal position, leading the Ohio outfit to a 27-43-12 record with a .402 points percentage and finishing dead last in the Metropolitan Division. A year later, he's in charge of the Canadiens' affiliate in the AHL and had his team winning the regular season championship and currently coasting to the third round of the playoffs. Canadiens GM Kent Hughes has already said he won't stand in Vincent's way, if a team wants to speak to the Laval coach, they'll be allowed to, and it will be up to Vincent to decide when they can do that. Advertisement Speaking to the media, Vincent explained: If an (NHL) team wants my services, they will have to be patient. Usually when you really want someone, you can wait one week, two weeks, three weeks or even a month…Just to be interviewed for a head coaching job in the (NHL) is an immense privilege…But for now, my focus is on the boys (in Laval). - Pascal Vincent on teams being interested in his services. While it's reassuring to hear the coach is entirely focused on the Rocket's destiny right now, it certainly doesn't sound like a man who's not interested in making the jump. It would be a shame for the Canadiens to lose him, but you can't stop a man from moving up in the world. Canadiens stories, analysis, breaking news, and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News, never to miss a story. Follow Karine on X @KarineHains Bluesky @ and Threads @karinehains. Bookmark The Hockey News Canadiens' page for all the news and happenings around the Canadiens.
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Capitals Make Spencer Carbery Announcement Before Round 2 vs. Hurricanes
The Washington Capitals eliminated the Montreal Canadiens from the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs following a dominant Game 5 win at the Capital One Arena in D.C. Following series-clinching 4-1 victory on April 30, Washington (No. 1 seed) advances to the second round where they'll face the Carolina Hurricanes (No. 2. seed). Advertisement When asked what makes this team special, Capitals star Alex Ovechkin told reporters, "We just play for each other. We have fun. We have a chance to play the way we want, it's hard to play against us. We know it. We just have to play the same way against Carolina and try to keep going." For Spencer Carbery, hired by Washington ahead of the 2023-24 NHL, season, this marked his first playoff series win as a head coach. Washington Capitals head coach Spencer Carbery reacts against the Carolina Guillory-Imagn Images While Carbery kept the focus on the team's success as Washington moves on to the second round for the first time since 2018, the Capitals announced exciting news about their head coach on May 2. Advertisement Washington posted, "Congratulations to head coach Spencer Carbery on being named a finalist for the Jack Adams Award!" The Jack Adams Award honors the head coach that is "adjudged to have contributed the most to his team's success," as defined by the NHL. Carbery is one of three nominees, including Winnipeg Jets head coach Scott Arniel and Martin St. Louis of the Canadiens. After wild-carding into the playoffs and getting eliminated in the first round last season, Carbery added seven new players to team, including goaltender Logan Thompson. This season, the Capitals became the first team to clinch a playoff berth and the runner-up to win the President's Trophy. Advertisement Should Carbery win the Jack Adams Trophy, he'll become the fourth head coach in Capitals history to do so after Barry Trotz (2015-2016), Bruce Boudreau (2007-08), and Bryan Murray (1983-84). Related: Capitals Make Historic Alex Ovechkin Announcement During Canadiens Game
