Thursday Habs Headlines: Phillip Danault is a critical part of the Canadiens

Montreal Canadiens news and notes

• Phillip Danault’s impressive play as a shutdown centre has him as one of the most critical pieces for Montreal this season. [Montreal Gazette]
• The Canadiens showed their support for Luke Richardson’s family and worked to raise awareness around mental health on Wednesday night. [Canadiens]
• Habs prospect Jesse Ylönen scored his ninth goal of the Liiga season:

• Turns out, Donovan Mitchell of the NBA’s Utah Jazz is a huge hockey fan (with great taste in jerseys). [Canadiens]
• Alex Galchenyuk’s return to Montreal may not have been exactly what he hoped for, but he is enjoying his fresh start with the Coyotes. [The Athletic]
• Even though his hockey game is benefiting from a change of scenery, Galchenyuk admitted he has fond memories from his time with the Habs. [TSN (Video)]

Around the league and elsewhere

• Women’s hockey may be trending in the right direction, but as NWHL defenceman Alyssa Gagliardi points out, there is still a long road ahead. [Wisconsin Prep Hockey]
• Sometimes it looks like a player has an amazing season just before he’s due for a new contract, but maybe it’s not just optics. [Winging it in Motown]
• Pavel Datsyuk hasn’t ruled out a potential return to the NHL. [NHL]
• Smaller playmakers like Mitch Marner may not have had the confidence of GMs in the past, but numbers don’t lie...and they just might predict the future. [The Walrus]
• Don’t feel bad if you can’t tell the difference between the NHL and the WWE. [The Athletic]
• The 2019 NHL draft class sure is a fun one!