MONTREAL — There’s always Montreal Canadiens news to be absorbed on a daily basis, but there are only so many hours in a day. On Sundays, we recap the most exciting and relevant NHL news stories that you may have missed throughout the week so that you can stay in the Canadiens loop.
Monday
The Canadiens may have qualified for the playoffs this season, but judging by the Stanley Cup Final, there’s a lot of work to be done before anyone could suggest Montreal is a Cup contender. [Top 3 Canadiens Lessons Learned From The Stanley Cup Final]
The F1 event in Montreal always brings out the local hockey players. It’s a good fit when you think about it, especially since speed and endurance are at the heart of both sports.
Nick Suzuki, Patrik Laine & Alex Newhook at the F1 race in Montreal 🏎️ pic.twitter.com/2i1edaCM3r
— /r/Habs (@HabsOnReddit) June 15, 2025
Carey Price essentially just hunts, fishes, and then spends time with his family. It’s a pretty good gig if you can get it.
Carey Price & his kids on Father’s Day ♥️ pic.twitter.com/ePRK1JSWYm
— /r/Habs (@HabsOnReddit) June 15, 2025
Tuesday
Vinzenz Rohrer spent the last two seasons playing in Zurich, giving him an opportunity to play against professional opponents from a very young age. He’ll need time before he’s ready for the NHL, but his development with the ZSC Lions has gone quite well, with Rohrer emerging as a hardworking forward. [Canadiens Prospects: Projecting Vinzenz Rohrer Impact]
Juraj Slafkovsky was among the first players named to Slovakia’s Olympic roster. He’ll join former Hab Tomas Tatar as Slovakia prepares to defend their impressive bronze medal win at the 2022 Olympics in Beijing.
Slovakia’s Olympic countdown is on. Here are the first 6 players on their preliminary roster.🇸🇰👏#IIHF #Olympics #NHL #NHLPA @hockeyslovakia @olympics @nhl @nhlpa pic.twitter.com/rgo2iYLrdH
— IIHF (@IIHFHockey) June 16, 2025
The last time Slafkovsky participated in the Olympics he scored seven goals in seven games, clinching the tournament MVP in the process.
Here’s the last time Juraj Slafkovsky played for Slovakia 🇸🇰 at the Olympics back in 2022 pic.twitter.com/7HeSgZsjCT
— /r/Habs (@HabsOnReddit) June 16, 2025
The Trois-Rivières Lions are having a fun time now that they’ve captured the Kelly Cup.
16/16✅ pic.twitter.com/AywAFk7hng
— xy – Lions de Trois-Rivières (@Lions3r) June 15, 2025
Wednesday
Congratulations to the Florida Panthers on their dominant defence of the Stanley Cup. The repeat champions set the tone early on Tuesday thanks to Sam Reinhart’s excellent first-period goal. As per tradition, the Edmonton Oilers’ offence dried up at the worst possible time, while most games featured less-than-stellar defending. That being said, at some point the Oilers will have to stop wasting Connor McDavid’s prime and finally acquire an above-average goaltender. [Top 3 Canadiens Lessons Learned From The Stanley Cup Final]
Sam Reinhart with a great goal to open up the scoring for the Florida Panthers. 1-0 #NHLPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/ZYWDK32PJC
— Marc Dumont (@MarcPDumont) June 18, 2025
2025 NHL Draft-eligible prospect Logan Hensler may have dropped drastically in recent rankings, but the right-handed defencemen’s mobility should lead to a first-round selection. The Montreal Canadiens happen to have a pair of first-round picks that are set for Hensler’s projected range. [Canadiens 2025 Draft Targets: Smooth Skating Logan Hensler]
Ivan Demidov seemingly has the support of every Russian hockey player. Few, if any, have had anything but good things to say about the Canadiens prospect.
«I’m afraid to jinx him, but he’s going to be a great player» — Vasily Podkolzin about Ivan Demidov pic.twitter.com/7qvW3ZZoK5
— Милена (@D1VDsAGUJsk2iPk) June 17, 2025
Lane Hutson continues to be reciprocal when it comes to the intense support from Habs fans.
Lane Hutson last week on the support from Habs fans:
“The fans have really been our lifeline for the entire season…They’re the heartbeat of our team & it’s what makes playing in Montreal so special. We have a pretty special thing going on in Montreal, and I’m just fortunate… pic.twitter.com/u7LcRrjaeh
— /r/Habs (@HabsOnReddit) June 16, 2025
Thursday
For the first time in three years, the Montreal Canadiens do not own a top-five pick heading into the NHL Entry Draft. However, thanks to a few smart trades, their pre-draft pick value remains quite high compared to previous seasons. [Canadiens Maintain Surprising NHL Draft Pick Value]
With the NHL’s buyout window set to open, the Habs really don’t have any obvious targets worthy of such a drastic decision. It speaks to the smart approach by general manager Kent Hughes in contract negotiations. [Canadiens Buyout Options: Kent Hughes’ Impact ]
The fourth-longest tenured head coach in the NHL turned 50 on Wednesday. Yes, head coach Martin St-Louis is now 50 years old, and yes, somehow there are only three active coaches who were hired by their team before St-Louis took over in 2022. You could argue Andre Tourigny has been around for longer, making St-Louis the fifth-longest tenured coach, but Utah and Arizona are not the same franchise. Either way, the mere fact that St-Louis is in the top five speaks to the complete lack of job stability in the NHL over the course of the last few seasons.
Happy birthday to Canadiens head coach Martin St. Louis, who turns 50 today. #Habs @mtlgazette photo by John Mahoney pic.twitter.com/XkVYjCLLUx
— Stu Cowan (@StuCowan1) June 18, 2025
Saturday
Lynden Lakovic mentioned to TVA Sports that he’d love to play alongside Montreal Canadiens forward Juraj Slafkovsky. The lanky forward may be available once the Canadiens take to the podium midway through the first round.[Canadiens 2025 Draft Targets: The Intriguing Lynden Lakovic]
“Jouer avec Slafkovsky? Ce serait le rêve!”
Je l’avoue, j’avais mes réserves sur Lynden Lakovic avant d’avoir pu le rencontrer.
Mais confidence: il est depuis devenu l’un des mes favoris de cette cuvée.
Et partisans du CH… vous aimerez sa dernière déclaration!
😉🔵⚪️🔴 pic.twitter.com/71dynnJxGK
— Anthony Martineau (@Antho_Martineau) June 19, 2025
Speaking of the draft, Ben Kindel isn’t the biggest prospect available, but he might be the best playmaker. With 99 points in the bank this season, Kindel is sure to garner first-round interest.[Canadiens 2025 Draft Targets: Elite Playmaker Ben Kindel]
Development coach Paul Byron had nothing but great things to say about Ivan Demidov. Beyond his excellent play while active, the Canadiens are lucky to have a standout person like Byron working for the team.
Paul Byron on Ivan Demidov:
“He’s been working a lot on his skating (this summer). I think it was a great opportunity for him to get in the league & see the level of competition. He’s a player with a lot of talent, great hands, great vision…I think with the time that he has,… pic.twitter.com/r3KqOJVI3z
— /r/Habs (@HabsOnReddit) June 20, 2025