Friday Habs Headlines: Shea Weber and Ben Chiarot tasked with containing Alexander Ovechkin

Montreal Canadiens news and notes

• Shea Weber and Ben Chiarot will be tasked with the unenviable task of stopping Alex Ovechkin on Friday. [Montreal Canadiens]
• Roberto Luongo’s retirement and the cap recapture penalties surrounding it are causing people to wonder what will happen if the Canadiens captain, holder of a 14-year, $110 million contract, retires early? [The Athletic]
• The Canadiens’ wives and girlfriends are bonding through some on-ice competition of their own. [Sportsnet]
• With ten points in 16 AHL games, Charles Hudon is not afraid to hope for a return to the NHL. [Journal de Montreal]
• Between Jesperi Kotkaniemi, Nick Suzuki, and Ryan Poehling, the Canadiens’ future at the centre position is arriving faster than anyone expected. [The Athletic]
• Poehling’s recent stint with the Habs served as a reminder of what it takes to make the NHL. [The Athletic]
• What was it like to be checked by Guy Carbonneau? [The Athletic]
• Jacob Olofsson has his second goal of the season.

• Artturi Lehkonen is excited for the new head coach of the Montreal Impact.

Around the league and elsewhere

• Sidney Crosby will be out at least six weeks after a core muscle injury. [Sportsnet]
• The Washington Capitals are being creative in letting players choose individual goal songs. [Washington Post]
• Brent Burns, Ilya Kovalchuk, Pekka Rinne, Ryan Suter, Justin Williams, Claude Giroux. Hall of Fame worthy or not? [The Athletic]
• T.J. Brodie collapsed at Calgary Flames practice on Thursday. [Matchsticks and Gasoline]
• The battle to put women’s hockey back in the spotlight. [The Athletic]
• Meet Emilie Castonguay, one of the few female agents in hockey, but also the agent of Alexis Lafreniere. [USA Today]
• The Toronto Maple Leafs are not a finished product by any means, says Kyle Dubas. [TSN]
• Just what has gone wrong with the Leafs, Vegas Golden Knights, and Tampa Bay Lightning? [TSN]