Goaltenders took the ice at 10:00 AM and started with a basic warm-up. Nobody was tasked too greatly. Coaches then did a multiple-option drill with the goaltenders. It was a good drill to keep them, as each tandem had three coaches passing between them. I thought Arseni Radkov was the standout once again, followed by Alexis Cournoyer. Yevgeni Volokhin’s glove seemed to be inconsistent, and Mikus Vecvanags struggled up high.
Most of the following drills were designed in a similar fashion, keeping the goalies guessing and using multiple coaches in motion. Coaches chased rebounds and faked whiffs in an attempt to simulate game scenarios. I thought Cournoyer’s lateral movement stood out in this drill. He’s faster laterally than Radkov is but less refined. Cournoyer moves across the crease with impressive speed but is more likely to overpush than Radkov is.
The goalies moved on to a drill with two coaches working in tight, pounding rebounds. I thought Cournoyer looked quick and athletic, but Radkov’s intensity was the highlight.
Scrimmage recap
The puck dropped at 11:05 in Brossard, with Michael Hage, Owen Protz, Hayden Paupanekis, and Aatos Koivu highlighting Team White, and L.J. Mooney, Filip Eriksson, Bogdan Konyushkov, and the tandem of Radkov and Cournoyer leading the way for Team Red. The scrimmage was played four-on-four, giving players more space and blurring the lines a little between the forwards and defencemen.
Mooney immediately showed why Habs fans are excited about him, starting the game with an end-to-end rush, beating two defencemen before being stoned by Vecvanags.
After some back-and-forth play, Team Red opened the scoring with Mooney feeding Tyler Thorpe at the right circle. Thorpe made no mistake on the one-timer, burying it far-side. Mooney was the catalyst of the play, creating space with his edgework and finding a difficult passing lane.
As the scrimmage rose in intensity, the physical play ramped up. Thorpe stood out as a mixture of size and skating, and Aatos Koivu showed good snarl along the boards.
Félix Trudeau put Team Red up 2-0 with just under 10 minutes left with a beautiful wristshot to beat Vecvanags. Team White responded less than a minute later, with Bryce Pickford going end-to-end and beating two defenders before going backhand over the outstretched pad of Alexis Cournoyer to make it 2-1.
Nice goal for Bryce Pickford in the scrimmage.
— Matt Drake (@drakemt.bsky.social) July 3, 2025 at 12:26 PM
[image or embed]
Mooney and Thorpe created the next dangerous chance as well, with Mooney springing Thorpe on a breakaway in the neutral zone. Vacvanags made a solid save, stretching out his left pad to rob Thorpe of his second of the game.
Paupanekis tied the game with just a second left in the first game with a nice forehand-to-backhand move on the breakaway that left Cournoyer splayed down and out. Game one finished in a 2-2 tie.
Hage got the first good opportunity of the second game, getting a breakaway in the opening minutes that was read nicely by Arseni Radkov.
Minutes later, Donato Bracco got an opportunity on a penalty shot, but Volokhin made the stop, stoning Bracco on the backhand. Volokin had to make another solid save on a penalty shot with just over 10 minutes left in the game. This time, it was on Andrew MacNiel, who also tried going to the backhand.
This game was significantly more laid back than the first one. With camp ending and prospects looking towards the off-season, it seemed that nobody wanted to risk an injury to themselves or someone else.
Simon Lavigne opened the scoring in the second game with just over three minutes left, ripping a wrister past Radkov from the left circle, giving Team White a 1-0 lead. Not to be outdone, Team Red followed it up by scoring just a second later, with Félix Trudeau wiring his second of the day past Volokhin.
Thorpe took the lead for Team Red with just a minute remaining in the game, blasting a wristshot past Volokhin from just above the right circle, giving his team a 2-1 victory in Game 2.
Tyler Thorpe with a late snipe to put team red on top #gohabsgo
— Matt Drake (@drakemt.bsky.social) July 3, 2025 at 1:17 PM
[image or embed]
The scrimmage ended with some players getting an opportunity for a penalty shot. Mooney, Koivu, and Thorpe stood out with the nicest moves and smoothest finishes.
Final thoughts
The Canadiens have a lot to be happy about with this crop of young players. Thorpe was the overall standout of the day for me. I thought his skating was really impressive, and his size was undeniable. He dominated the competition at times and was always positive on the ice.
I was impressed with Mooney’s physicality, but he’s a player who needs skilled guys to find free space. I think that he’s a player who needs a little room to grow, and Montreal is in a position to provide exactly that. The skating and effort are excellent, and his hockey sense is great, he just needs to learn how to slow the play around him.
I wasn’t incredibly impressed with Owen Protz on Thursday, a player who I was excited to see. I wonder if he possesses the skating ability to make the NHL. Where his skating lacks, everything else shines. His decision-making was on point on Thursday, as was his physical play. He was definitely an asset to his team overall, but his skating held him back from contributing much offensively, and he was beaten defensively a couple of times by quicker skaters.
I thought Koivu looked significantly better than the previous day. His skating and hands are both undeniable, and the physical effort he brought made him stand out. It can take European players time to adjust to the rhythm of North American hockey. What I saw on Thursday was that Koivu might be able to adjust faster than others.
Hage had a solid performance in the scrimmage, but didn’t really showcase his playmaking. He didn’t look willing to play the body, and was focused on puck-possession. Since coaches were ensuring players got equal ice time, it was easy for a couple of uneventful shifts to define a player’s performance. Overall, I would describe him as being determined and opportunistic on Thursday.
Finally, I’d like to add a comment about Cooper Cleaves, who was in Brossard on a tryout. Cleaves was the most noticeable physical presence on the ice and gave standout effort every single shift. It takes a certain mentality to be a shutdown defenceman in the NHL, and Cleaves certainly has it.
With development camp finished, players have an extended break before training camp starts in September.
