Saturday Habs Headlines: Canadiens’ playoff run begins on August 1

Montreal Canadiens news and notes

• After four months of no hockey, there’s about to be a whole lot of it starting on August 1, with Montreal and Pittsburgh as a feature matchup:

• Here’s how the team, including newest addition Jeff Petry, were preparing for that opening game yesterday. [YouTube]
• Carey Price could get another chance to lead Canada to gold, as Olympic participation was one of the terms agreed to in the new CBA discussions. [NHL.com]
• Turning prospects into NHL players is a process, one that Joël Bouchard tries to balance with the need to win hockey games at the same time. [Canadiens.com]
• News of a potential ECHL affiliate in Trois-Rivières will help address an issue that came to the fore for Montreal — and specifically Michael McNiven — this year. [The Athletic]
• EOTP’s Patrik Bexell reported that Lukas Vejdemo will not be flying back to Montreal to vie for a spot on the qualification roster:

Around the league and elsewhere

• The NHL Draft will take place from October 9 to 10. [NHL.com]
• Travis Hamonic is the first player to opt out of playing in the post-season. [Flames.com]
• The news of a flat salary cap is a blow to the Tampa Bay Lightning. [Raw Charge]
• They’re not the only team that will be feeling the effects. [Sportsnet]
• Three members of the U.S. National Team Development Program have tested positive for COVID-19. [The Athletic]
• Pavel Datsyuk has signed a one-year contract in the KHL. [NBC Sports]
• Henrik Lundqvist will be sporting a new mask design in the future: