Montreal Canadiens: Breaking News, Rumors & Highlights

According to Marc Denis, Kirby Dach should stay; Corey Perry is out of line; and TVA Sports comes out on top

I think that if I ever run into Gary Bettman at La Cage, I'll take the opportunity to send him a message: games should never be played every three days during the NHL playoffs.

Features

The Morning Bark

The Quiz of the Day

David Savard comes to the defense of Juraj Slafkovsky and Kirby Dach

David Savard, who is contributing to La Presse for the playoffs, is rooting for the Habs against the Lightning. That's not surprising. Because even though he won the Stanley Cup with the Lightning, he ended his career in Montreal, a city he never wanted to leave despite the team's rebuild.

Noah Dobson News / The Sick Podcast / April 23

The Habs Defense Are Replacing The Loss of Dobson As A Collective

Through two games of the series between the Montreal Canadiens and the Tampa Bay Lightning, the Habs’ defence has been a strong point for them to start the playoffs, despite missing one of their most important defencemen in Noah Dobson.

Martin St. Louis News / Professor Press Box / April 22

Why Martin St. Louis Is Nailing It as the Habs’ Head Coach

Martin St. Louis just knows how to coach in today’s NHL. That might sound simple, but it really isn’t. He’s calm behind the bench, clear in his messaging, and because he’s actually done it at the highest level as a player, his voice carries real weight in the room.

Buffalo Sabres News / Yardbarker Quizzes

The 'Last 40-goal season by NHL team' quiz

How many of the most recent players to score at least 40 goals in one season for each NHL franchise can you name in five minutes?

The 'NHL hat-trick leaders since 2000-01' quiz

The 'Most goals in a Stanley Cup Playoffs' quiz

The 'Most 5-point NHL games' quiz

Lane Hutson News / Dose.ca / April 23

Lane Hutson has signed a new partnership with Genesis

Lane Hutson has had a strong playoff run so far and continues to make headlines—even off the ice. The young Canadiens defenseman has just partnered with Genesis, according to Le Guide de l'auto.

NHL News / Yardbarker

The 25 greatest rookie seasons in NHL history

There have been successful rookie seasons in NHL history, and there have been superior efforts worth celebrating time and time again. Here's our list of the 25 notable seasons from those with official rookie status, as deemed by the NHL, in reverse chronological order.

Juraj Slafkovsky News / Dose.ca / April 22

Pierre McGuire criticizes Juraj Slafkovsky’s decision

The incident caused quite a stir with the Habs. The fight between Juraj Slafkovsky and Brandon Hagel quickly went viral. At the time, some liked seeing the young CH player step up to the challenge, even though he lost the fight.

Montreal Canadiens News / Dose.ca / April 22

Elliotte Friedman sees an opportunity for Brendan Gallagher

This isn’t a new issue for the Canadiens. Since the start of the series—and even before it began—many have been wondering whether Brendan Gallagher should have a spot in the lineup.

NHL News / NHL Trade Talk / April 22

2 Positives & 2 Negatives from Canadiens 3-2 Loss to the Lightning

The Montreal Canadiens and Tampa Bay Lightning are all square at one game apiece after Tampa squeezed out a 3–2 overtime win. That’s playoff hockey for you—tight, tense, and decided by the smallest details.

Cole Caufield News / Dose.ca / April 22

Cole Caufield has had three shots on goal in two games since the start of the playoffs: That’s not enough

Cole Caufield had a stellar season. The Canadiens' diminutive sniper finished the season with an impressive 51 goals, good for second place among the NHL's top scorers.

NHL News / Dose.ca / April 22

Let’s wait before comparing Michael Hage and Porter Martone

Michael Hage is one of the National Hockey League's top prospects. He's seen as a player who could play a key role in the NHL in a few years. He's talented, and we've seen that since he was drafted in 2024.

Juraj Slafkovsky News / The Hockey Writers / April 22

Canadiens News & Rumours: Slafkovsky Dominates in Game 1, Tensions Boil Over in Game 2 & More

The Montreal Canadiens‘ playoff run is well underway, and the energy around the team hasn’t felt like this in a while. After a strong regular season, the Canadiens are now locked into a hard-fought first-round matchup with the Tampa Bay Lightning.

NHL News / Dose.ca / April 22

Renaud Lavoie responds to Olivier Niquet and his column on TVA Sports ads

You may have noticed that TVA Sports has quite a few sponsors during Canadiens games. Olivier Niquet, who works for Radio-Canada, noticed this too. And he didn't hesitate to address the issue very clearly in a recent segment.

Kirby Dach News / Dose.ca / April 22

Doubt has set in

Yesterday's loss by the Canadiens is sure to leave its mark. I'm not saying this in a defeatist way. I'm saying it in the sense that the Canadiens' players weren't perfect, but they still had a chance to win.

Montreal Canadiens News / Dose.ca / April 22

Martin St-Louis comes to Kirby Dach’s defense

Kirby Dach must not be feeling well this morning. The Canadiens lost, and he played a part in the defeat. Let's be honest: his lackluster play in overtime didn't exactly impress the crowd.

Click here to get Yardbarker's Quiz of the Day emailed to you!

The 'Most 30-point NBA Playoff games' quiz

The 'Playoff debut scoring-record by team' quiz

The 'NBA minutes-per-game leaders' quiz

The 'Stanley Cup Playoff hat-tricks' quiz

Jakub Dobes News / Dose.ca / April 22

Jakub Dobes shares his message: 'Everyone needs to do better'

The Canadiens lost yesterday in Florida. As I mentioned, it wasn't all perfect. The Canadiens' lack of experience was particularly evident, and the veteran-led Lightning found a way to win in overtime.

Montreal Canadiens News / Dose.ca / April 22

A lack of experience sank the Canadiens: Brendan Gallagher, on the other hand, has it

In the playoffs, experience is key. Dave Roberts, manager of a modern dynasty (the Los Angeles Dodgers), recently explained why he brought veteran Miguel Rojas into the lineup for the last two games of the World Series against the Toronto Blue Jays: experience.

NHL News / Yardbarker / April 21

Brandon Hagel's Gordie Howe hat trick lifts Lightning

Brandon Hagel's Gordie Howe hat trick saves Lightning from 2-0 hole in win over Canadiens

Tampa Bay Lightning left winger Brandon Hagel was a busy man on Tuesday night.

Strong second period allows Bruins to level series with Sabres

'We're right there': Ducks hungry to even series with Oilers

Commissioner Gary Bettman: Future NHL expansion will cost substantially more than $1 billion

Wild's Marcus Foligno: Stars 'can't hang with us 5-on-5' entering G3

The '2003-04 Tampa Bay Lightning' quiz

Lane Hutson News / NHL on ClutchPoints / April 21

Watch Canadiens’ Lane Hutson fire first career NHL playoff goal

Lane Hutson is quickly becoming one of the NHL’s top offensive defenseman, and his first career playoff goal for the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday night almost certainly won’t be his last.

Lane Hutson News / Dose.ca / April 21

Norris Trophy: Lane Hutson is a pick by a writer at The Athletic

Lane Hutson had another standout season. In his second year in the Bettman League, the defenseman tallied 12 goals and 78 points in 82 games, finishing the season with a +36 plus/minus rating.

Montreal Canadiens News / The Hockey Writers / April 21

5 Players the Canadiens Need to Watch at the 2026 U18 Tournament

The 2026 IIHF U18 World Championship opens on April 22, and for the Montreal Canadiens, it represents another opportunity to identify talent that fits their identity.

Nick Suzuki News / The Sick Podcast / April 20

Is Nick Suzuki The Best Habs Centre Since 1979-80?

During the Sick Podcast Post-Game show following the Montreal Canadiens’ Game 1 victory against the Tampa Bay Lightning, Tony Marinaro made the claim that captain Nick Suzuki is the best centre that he has ever watched with the Habs.

Josh Anderson News / The Sick Podcast / April 20

Why Josh Anderson’s Performance on Sunday Will Set The Tone For The Rest Of The Series

The Montreal Canadiens got a huge win in Game 1 against the Tampa Bay Lightning thanks to Juraj Slafkovsky’s hat-trick. However, what forward Josh Anderson did during Game 1 deserves a ton of credit for helping the Habs get the win, and he also set the tone for the series.

Montreal Canadiens News / NHL Trade Talk / April 19

Slafkovský Delivers Signature Game 1 Performance in Canadiens’ OT Win

The Montreal Canadiens couldn’t have scripted a better start to their series against the Tampa Bay Lightning. A 4-3 overtime win on the road was as close to the definition of a “perfect playoff game” as the Canadiens might get.

Montreal Canadiens News / Yardbarker / April 19

Game 1 hat trick could be start of Slafkovsky's playoff breakout

Game 1 hat trick could be start of Juraj Slafkovsky's playoff breakout for Canadiens

In his brief career, the 22-year-old Slafkovsky has already established himself as a big-game player.

Slafkovsky makes history with first career playoff hat trick

Slafkovsky scores three, including OT, to top Lightning

Sabres' return to playoffs begins with stunning win

Scott Wedgewood should be Avalanche's primary postseason goalie

Goalie interference reviews will be big problem in Stanley Cup playoffs

Lane Hutson News / NHL Trade Talk / April 19

What About the Habs Lane Hutson Makes Him Elite?

Lane Hutson put together a breakout season, and it feels like half the NHL still hasn’t caught up yet. The numbers are right there in plain sight. He has put up 78 points (fourth among defensemen), 12 goals, 66 assists, 124 shots, and nearly 24 minutes a night.