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
Head coach Martin St-Louis opted to run new lines at practice, while keeping his first trio intact. Patrik Laine lined up with Kirby Dach and Zachary Bolduc, while Ivan Demidov took rushes alongside Alex Newhook and Oliver Kapanen. On paper, the new combinations raise more questions than they answer. [Canadiens Lines Give Insight To Opening-Night Roster]
All five Canadiens players cleared waivers, which means Sean Farrell will report to the Laval Rocket. Farrell will attempt to convince Canadiens management he should be among the first call-ups from the farm. [Canadiens Players Clear Waivers, Headed To AHL]
Tuesday
Speaking of the Rocket, their training camp officially opens on Tuesday. Most of the players who were cut following Saturday’s game will take part, with the exception of Vinzenz Rohrer, who will report to the ZSC Lions. Judging by Laval’s camp roster, goals should be fairly easy to come by, but the defensive situation relies more on depth than high-end talent. Given the endless list of injuries and call-ups that end up impacting AHL teams, depth is never a bad idea. [Latest Round Of Canadiens Training Camp Cuts]
Ça commence demain!
Détails au https://t.co/Xo5HCaP0nx
It starts tomorrow 🚀
Details at https://t.co/Xo5HCaP0nx pic.twitter.com/ULOzfbF6p8
— Rocket de Laval (@RocketLaval) September 29, 2025
It was just a simple drill, but the fact that Florian Xhekaj managed to maintain control of the puck while facing his brother Arber is an encouraging sign.
Florian Xhekaj vs Arber Xhekaj at Habs training camp.
— /r/Habs (@HabsOnReddit) September 29, 2025
Here’s Lane Hutson facing Cole Caufield in the battle of the Canadiens giants.
Lane Hutson vs Cole Caufield at Habs practice today.
— /r/Habs (@HabsOnReddit) September 29, 2025
Former Canadiens captain Max Pacioretty has reportedly received interest from several NHL clubs, but the 36-year-old forward is expected to hang up his skates rather than sign another short-term contract. Pacioretty scored five goals and eight assists in 47 games for the Toronto Maple Leafs last season.
Despite interest from multiple clubs over the summer, Max Pacioretty appears to be hanging up his skates.
He is now working with the University of Michigan.
— Nick Alberga (@thegoldenmuzzy) September 29, 2025
Wednesday
Head coach Martin St-Louis opted to sit his first line as he prepared to face the Ottawa Senators in Quebec City. Netminder Jakub Dobes was given the start, while Lane Hutson was paired with Arber Xhekaj. [Canadiens Preview: More New Lines And Pairings Versus Senators]
Ivan Demidov looked great versus the Senators, participating in the team’s first three goals in a one-sided 5-0 win. On top of dominating the Senators on the scoreboard, the Habs also took the physical battles, with the Xhekaj brothers leading the charge. There were half a dozen fights, not to mention a few dirty plays by each team. [Canadiens Highlights: Demidov Shines On Xhekaj Fight Night]
Demidov was forced to leave the game in the third period when Nick Cousins slashed him in a classic dirtbag play. There was no immediate update from St-Louis following the game, as Demidov was still being evaluated.
Habs coach Marty St. Louis when asked if he was worried about Ivan Demidov:
“Not right now. He’s still being evaluated, so not right now.” pic.twitter.com/gUyXu6tL53
— /r/Habs (@HabsOnReddit) October 1, 2025
Jayden Struble’s punch was one of the heaviest I’ve seen in a very long time. He could have felled a water buffalo with that punch. An absolute knee-buckler at its best.
Xhekaj quickly drops MacEwen, Struble lands a HUGE punch on Jenik, who goes down hard. #GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/kxGNXDcXyV
— Marc Dumont (@MarcPDumont) October 1, 2025
Kirby Dach was not impressed when Donovan Sebrango decided to jump him toward the end of the game.
Kirby Dach on being jump by Donovan Sebrango : « it’s not a hockey play. If you do that on the street you’ll be in a lot of trouble. » @CanadiensMTL @Senators
— Renaud Lavoie (@renlavoietva) October 1, 2025
Thursday
The Canadiens are now worth $3.3 billion according to Sportico, a 13 percent increase in franchise value. They’re ranked third in the NHL, behind the Toronto Maple Leafs ($4.25 billion) and the New York Rangers ($3.65 million). [Sportico]
The Habs did not provide an update on Ivan Demidov, as they had the day off. Expect an update once practice is over on Thursday. That being said, Elliotte Friedman does not believe Demidov’s injury is serious.
Don’t believe there’s any long-term injury concern for Demidov after the slash he took last night https://t.co/Jk8bwnfCE9
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) October 1, 2025
There were plenty of dirty plays on Tuesday night between the Habs and the Senators. In the end, the Department of Player Safety opted to fine two Senators players for their ugly plays, Nick Cousins and Hayden Hodgson. It should be noted that Jayden Struble escaped punishment for landing a heavy cross-check on Jan Jenik, who had to leave the game shortly after Struble dropped him in a one-sided fight. [Two Senators Fined Following Violent Game Versus Montreal]
Some Canadiens fans thought the Senators had called-up several players from the AHL ahead of Saturday’s game, but it’s worth noting the Senators are playing the St. Louis Blues on Thursday. The players recalled from the AHL are unlikely to face the Habs, as it would lead to the Belleville Senators not having enough players to ice a legal roster for their weekend games.
ROSTER UPDATE: Tyler Boucher, Hunter Shepard, Jorian Donovan, Oskar Petersson, Xavier Bourgault, Tomas Hamara, Keean Washkurak and Scott Harrington have been recalled from the @BellevilleSens training camp.
Tyler Boucher, Hunter Shepard, Jorian Donovan, Oskar Petersson, Xavier…
— Sens Communications (@Media_Sens) October 1, 2025
Friday
The Canadiens have 30 players remaining at camp, however, three of the defencemen are injured, which means there are four players left to be cut before the team can reach the 23-man roster required to submit a legal lineup prior to the start of the season. With that in mind, we predicted which players will be among the final cuts at camp, and which rookies will earn an NHL roster spot rather than being reassigned to the Laval Rocket in the AHL. As it stands, Owen Beck, Florian Xhekaj, and Oliver Kapanen are still very much in the mix. [Predicting The Canadiens Opening-Night Roster, Final Cuts]
Ivan Demidov was among the first players to jump on the ice on Thursday, connoting that the ugly slash that led to a fine from the DoPS for Nick Cousins did not result in a serious injury.
Ivan Demidov at Habs practice in Québec City today
— /r/Habs (@HabsOnReddit) October 2, 2025
Speaking of Demidov, I don’t necessarily want to re-open the fighting debate, but his chemistry with F. Xhekaj reminds me of a bevy of former NHL stars who quickly built a strong bond with the team’s designated enforcer. Fights will eventually be banned, but there’s a reason the most talented players in NHL history usually have a player with heavy hands riding shotgun throughout their career.
The Florian Xhekaj & Ivan Demidov bromance is blossoming
— /r/Habs (@HabsOnReddit) October 2, 2025
There was a long list of players added to waivers on Thursday. It’s funny, fans always worry that tweeners will get claimed, but if we put tribalism aside, most teams have three or four similar players, and they rarely get claimed, unless they happen to be a right-handed defenceman, because they’re gold in the NHL.
Waivers ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/LEWMEZvqNm
— Renaud Lavoie (@renlavoietva) October 2, 2025
The Habs are now recognized as a team on the rise. I don’t necessarily agree that they’re done with the rebuild, as teams that qualify for the playoffs can still be in rebuild mode, especially in the modern NHL landscape, but there’s no doubt the Canadiens have momentum on their side as one of the youngest lineups in the league.
The Habs are ranked 14th on the NHL Super 16 Power Rankings:
“The word ‘rebuild’ is now a thing from the past in Montreal. They are now ready to push for another playoff appearance.”
👇👇👇 pic.twitter.com/pKB6mDvPSe
— /r/Habs (@HabsOnReddit) October 2, 2025
There was a time when players avoided Montreal, but that has changed since Kent Hughes and Jeff Gorton have taken over. Noah Dobson quickly realized he was joining a close group of players who will go out of their way to defend their teammates, always a plus when trying to attract high-end players to a particular city.
Noah Dobson on joining the Habs:
“You don’t really know what to expect but I know I was coming into a great situation, a great organization from top to bottom, a great group of guys…You feel like you’ve been here a while now with how tight-knit the group is.” pic.twitter.com/EbjZ7Vw9cA
— /r/Habs (@HabsOnReddit) October 2, 2025
Saturday
Even though the Habs are yet to sign Lane Hutson, according to Elliotte Friedman, the two parties aren’t that far apart in contract negotiations. Fans can expect Hutson to sign in the “nine-ish” range, which aligns with our offseason projections of the potential annual average value of the contract extension. [Hutson Contract Extension With Canadiens Reportedly Advancing]
With just one preseason game left on the docket, the Habs are yet to decide which of the remaining players at camp will earn a roster spot. Given the Canadiens lost the services of Michael Pezzetta and Emil Heineman during the summer, the NHL hopefuls know that their physicality will play a big part in the decision. [Final Canadiens Roster Decisions Influenced By Physical Play]
Habs prospect Logan Sawyer opened the scoring in Providence College’s exhibition game versus Simon Fraser University.
Bales with a great dish to Sawyer on the odd-man rush to give us a 1-0 lead. John Mustard also earns an assist on the play.https://t.co/VGPVClEcwS x @ESPNPlus pic.twitter.com/qvdSwgCor9
— PC Men’s Hockey (@FriarsHockey) October 3, 2025
Top prospect Michael Hage also hit the ground running, finishing a very nice play for Michigan University. He would go on to score another goal in the Wolverines’ dominant game versus Mercyhurst.
All net for Hager. pic.twitter.com/mtUi9Cu1sn
— Michigan Hockey (@umichhockey) October 4, 2025
Despite concern the Senators were calling up AHL players ahead of their match-up against the Habs on Saturday night, they quickly returned the players to the Belleville Senators.
ROSTER UPDATE: Tyler Boucher, Xavier Bourgault, Jorian Donovan, Tomas Hamara, Scott Harrington, Oskar Pettersson, Hunter Shepard and Keean Washkurak have been loaned to the @BellevilleSens.
Tyler Boucher, Xavier Bourgault, Jorian Donovan, Tomas Hamara, Scott Harrington, Oskar…
— Sens Communications (@Media_Sens) October 3, 2025
Another long list of players were added to the NHL’s waiver wire, including five members of the Boston Bruins organization.
Today’s Waiver Wire: https://t.co/so7qgeK2D3
Sign up for PuckPedia Alerts & select waivers to get the waiver wire activity sent to your inbox each dayhttps://t.co/zZESpQlAgp pic.twitter.com/PhevKqoakG
— PuckPedia (@PuckPedia) October 3, 2025