For those itching for the return of the Montreal Canadiens, the good news is that the time is approaching. The club advised the following dates:
- September 9: Start of Rookie Camp
- September 12-13: Prospect Challenge in Gatineau, Quebec
- September 14: Annual Golf Tournament at Club de Golf Laval-sur-le-Lac
- September 16: Start of training camp
- September 19: First pre-season games against the Toronto Maple Leafs (split squads)
- September 29: First regular season game against the Toronto Maple Leafs
Additionally, an increasing number of players are at the CN Sports Complex daily, ramping up for camp. Over the last couple of days, Geoff Molson, Owner, President and Chief Executive Officer, and captain Nick Suzuki spoke to media.
Key Pieces Unsigned
Currently, the biggest Montreal Canadiens news storyline remains restricted free agents Arber Xhekaj and Zachary Bolduc. As of now, both players remain unsigned. Consequently, as camp approaches the lack of news is fueling speculation.
“We always look forward to settling contract situations with key players. I have no doubt they’ll resolve it. Am I worried? No,” Molson said at the Desjardins Securities Golf Tournament.
“Both are really important players. Zack had a good year. I thought he took steps throughout the season and into the playoffs. Obviously, Arber is an important piece for our locker room and on the ice. Hopefully both guys can get (contract) done. There’s still plenty of time, so I’m pretty hopeful,” Suzuki said at his Heroes Golf Tournament, held to benefit the Asista foundation.
Meanwhile, Martin St. Louis is entering the final season of his contract. The owner expressed interest in extending the coach’s tenure with the Habs. “He has one year left on his contract. He’s a coach we like a lot, and it’s part of the plan to keep him with us long-term.”
Internal Growth
With the September 29 puck drop still weeks away, the Canadiens have made no significant offseason additions. Meanwhile, their division rivals made significant changes to their rosters.
“I didn’t really know what to expect,” Suzuki said about offseason movement. “Obviously, we’re really happy with who we got, how far we went, and what we believe we can do with our team. Internally, guys are getting better. There’s been a lot of work put in through the summer, and we expect some of our younger guys to take a step and help.”
“Very impressed with the team’s results last year,” Molson said. “We have a team that is still very young, but they’re going to continue building on what they learned last year. It was the same thing the year before: we managed to make the playoffs, just one round, and this year provided great experiences—Game 7s, overtimes. It was really good experience for a young team, and I have no doubt the players will show up ready to build on where they finished.”
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