Montreal Canadiens news and notes
- Michael Hage, who led the tournament with 15 points, was one of the six players named by the media to the all-star team at the 2026 World Juniors. [IIHF.com]
- Martin St-Louis explains that Juraj Slafkovský’s growing ability to control the pace of the game is why he’s become such a dominant force. [La Presse]
- Slafkovský is featured in the latest episode of NHL My World:
- Ivan Demidov has taken the team lead in offensive-zone possession time. [RDS]
- The first half of the season was defined by comebacks and overtime wins, the biggest difference from last year to this. [RDS]
- Lane Hutson helped the Canadiens claim a 4-1-2 record over the stretch of seven consecutive road games, and carried the Habs through the temporary absence of Mike Matheson. [TVA Sports]
- The Canadiens are far from the only team outperforming their expected-goal numbers this season. [The Athletic]
- With a tough road trip now completed, the next challenge is seven games versus division opponents before the Olympics. [TVA Sports]
Around the league and elsewhere
- Sweden snapped its 13-year gold drought at the World Juniors by surviving a late push by Czechia in the Gold Medal Game. [TSN]
- Vojtěch Čihař of Czechia was named the tournament MVP. [CHL.ca]
- Christian Dvorak signed a five-year contract extension with the Philadelphia Flyers. [NHL.com]
- The Carolina Hurricanes acquired Juuso Valimaki from the Utah Mammoth for future considerations. [TSN]
- Igor Shesterkin was helped off the ice last night after sustaining a lower-body injury. [NHL.com]
- Marc-André Fleury is learning the ropes of how the Minnesota Wild are managed as he considers the possibility of one day taking on such a role. [La Presse]
- The Pacific has become a division of awful teams. [The Athletic]
- Kevin Cheveldayoff is shocked that his Winnipeg Jets have fallen to the bottom of the standings. [Sportsnet]
- Nikita Kucherov, Sidney Crosby, and Auston Matthews were the NHL’s three stars of the week. [NHL.com]
- Zayne Parekh says he could have chosen his words better when discussing how he’s been asked to rein in his personality in Calgary. [Sportsnet]
- Parekh will return to the Flames now that the World Juniors have concluded. [Sportsnet]
- Sam Hallam explains his construction of Sweden’s Olympic team. [The Athletic]
- Bob Pullford, a four-time winner of the Stanley Cup as a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs, has passed away aged 89. [NHL.com]
- Longtime OHL commissioner David Branch has died at the age of 77. [CHL.ca]
