The Montreal Canadiens have signed defence prospect Owen Protz to his three-year entry-level contract. The deal will begin in the 2026-27 season.
The Canadiens have agreed to terms on a three-year, entry-level contract (2026-27 to 2028-29) with defenseman Owen Protz.
— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) March 27, 2026
News release ↓ #GoHabsGohttps://t.co/l4rvU5BvDC
Protz just completed the OHL’s regular-season schedule, helping the Brantford Bulldogs claim the best record in the league at 48-10-10. He didn’t improve upon last season’s 32 points with just 23 this year, but did have a +45 goal differential that was 14 better than the next defenceman on the team.
Defence is the main strength of his game, and he’s gained the reputation of being one of the hardest hitters and best shutdown players in the OHL. That earned him an invite to Team Canada’s World Juniors camp, but ultimately he didn’t make the roster in his final year of eligibility.
He is now gearing up for the post-season, which begins for Brantford tonight versus the Sudbury Wolves. The Bulldogs will be the favourite to come out of Ontario and go on to play in the Memorial Cup in Kelowna in May.
Protz was Montreal’s fifth selection in the 2024 NHL Draft, picked in the fourth round at 102nd overall. He is the third player from that class to sign a contract with the Canadiens, joining Ivan Demidov (fifth overall and Tyler Thorpe (130th).
