Miguël Tourigny signs with HK Dukla Trenčín

Montreal Canadiens prospect Miguël Tourigny will forego his overage season in the QMJHL and will play in the Slovakian Extraliga for the upcoming season, signing a contract with HK Dukla Trenčín.

The news was announced by the Slovak team in a Facebook post. The announcement said that Canadiens scout Michal Krùpa helped with the acquisition. Tourigny, 20, could have played a final year in the QMJHL, but after a season that saw him score 31 goals in 65 games last year, the 5’8” defenceman had nothing left to prove.

He had been in camp with the Laval Rocket, and he was cut from camp allowing him to sign in Slovakia. Among his teammates now is former Rocket goaltender Connor Lacouvee.

Tourigny, drafted in the seventh round by the Canadiens in the 2022 NHL Draft, still has his rights owned by the team, and can sign with the NHL team until June 1, 2024.

It would be expected that next season he would sign at least an AHL contract, similar to the path taken by Xavier Simoneau and Rafaël Harvey-Pinard, among others.

Tourigny played 187 career QMJHL games, scoring 64 goals and adding 94 assists for 158 points.