Alex Kovalev wishes he’d stayed with the Canadiens. [Radio-Canada]
Paul Byron is back on the ice with the Canadiens, in a new role:
Recently retired Paul Byron was on the ice with the handful of #Habs players who skated in Brossard this morning – you love to see it! pic.twitter.com/1urNtgHUD5
The Canadiens have amassed a large number of NHL-calibre defencemen. Now they need to whittle the number down to set their lineup for the season. [TVA Sports]
There was only one place Kevin Poulin wanted to play, and once the Laval Rocket went in a younger direction, the goaltender made the decision to retire. [La Presse]
A large number of future stars took to the ice for photos in their official NHL jerseys at the NHLPA Rookie Showcase, including Owen Beck, Sean Farrell, and Filip Mesar. [NHLPA.com]
Around the league and elsewhere
Jake Sanderson has signed an eight-year extension with the Ottawa Senators carrying an AAV of $8.05 million. [Silver Seven]
The Arizona Coyotes and general manager Bill Armstrong have agreed to a contract extension. [ESPN]
Doug Wilson is the Pittsburgh Penguins’ new senior advisor of hockey operations. [TSN]
Bruce Boudreau has joined the OHL’s Niagara IceDogs as a senior advisor. [TSN]
Michael Del Zotto has announced his retirement. [NHL.com]
Outdoor games may have lost their lustre over the decades, but not for the players who get to play in them, like Connor McDavid who has that opportunity this season. [CTV News]
McDavid is trying to instill a winning mindset early, already bringing the Oilers back to Edmonton to get started with their training. [NHL.com]
“The biggest thing is the acceptance of the fact that we have a problem and we need to deal with it,” says Sheldon Kennedy, who will be a speaker at Hockey Canada’s summit addressing toxic masculinity in the sport. [Global News]
