The Laval Rocket announced that forward Rafaël Harvey-Pinard has signed a one-year contract for the 2020-21 season.
The Laval Rocket announced today that the team has agreed to terms on a one-year, one-way AHL contract (2020-21) with forward Rafaël Harvey-Pinard.
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— Rocket de Laval (@RocketLaval) May 29, 2020
Harvey-Pinard was selected in the seventh round of the 2019 entry draft, 201st overall, in his third and final year of draft eligibility. The Montreal Canadiens acquired the pick from the Philadelphia Flyers, giving up their seventh round pick in 2020 in return, to pick Harvey-Pinard who they didn’t think would still be on the board by the time they would pick with the 206th overall pick.
The Canadiens still own Harvey-Pinard’s rights until June 1, 2021. Because he is no longer eligible for the CHL, having already played his overage season, he can sign an AHL contract giving the team a year to evaluate him before needing to take up one of the 50 contract slots with his entry-level contract.
He is coming off a 78-point season with the Chicoutimi Saguenéens, where he was a captain and the leading scorer. He capped off his season with the Marcel-Robert trophy for the Canadian Hockey League scholastic player of the year. He was also nominated the previous season.
In his draft year Harvey-Pinard was the captain of the Memorial Cup champion Rouyn-Noranda Huskies, leading the team in scoring during the regular season with 40 goals and 45 assists. At the QMJHL draft he was traded to Chicoutimi.
During the Rookie Showdown games in 2019, Harvey-Pinard played on the top line along with Ryan Poehling and Nick Suzuki, and looking like one of the best players for the Canadiens.
In 2018 he attended the Vegas Golden Knights development camp and played on a line with a player he’s frequently compared to, Jonathan Marchessault.
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