How to watch
Start time: 7:00 PM EDT / 4:00 PM PDT
How to watch: RDS2 (French)
Streaming: RDS
After an off-season filled with some big moves, it’s finally time for preparations to begin for the 2024-25 campaign. The first event on the calendar is always rookie camp, and it is highlighted by the Prospect Showdown that features the four Canadian teams east of Alberta. Earlier today, the Toronto Maple Leafs and Ottawa Senators played on the Bell Centre ice. The Saturday primetime slot belongs to the Canadiens as they host the Winnipeg Jets.
We’ve already seen Ivan Demidov in action as a member of the Habs, but now he’s gearing up for a full 82-game season with the NHL team. He is the best player in the tournament, and it will be fun to see what he is able to do against some other prospect pools.
Demidov isn’t the only player to watch this summer, and you only need to looks as far as the top power-play unit to see a wave of potential future roster players. Owen Beck and Oliver Kapanen are the most likely to claim spots, but Florian Xhekaj also has a good chance given the losses Montreal had in the bottom six in the off-season, and David Reinbacher can impress enough to at least keep his competition on its toes during the pre-season.
Tonight is the first of two games the prospects will play, facing off against Toronto tomorrow.
