Montreal Canadiens head coach Dominique Ducharme. Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports

Canadiens head coach Dominique Ducharme expects to return for Game 3 of Stanley Cup Final

Montreal Canadiens head coach Dominique Ducharme will return to the bench soon. 

He said Saturday that he expects to return for Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Finals against the Tampa Bay Lightning at Bell Centre.

Ducharme tested positive for COVID-19 after returning from Las Vegas following Game 2 of Montreal's series against the Golden Knights and has been isolated ever since. The 48-year-old is asymptomatic and serving a mandatory 14-day quarantine. 

The Canadiens beat the Golden Knights in six games to advance to the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time since 1993. They are also the first Canadian team to advance to the championship round since the Vancouver Canucks in 2011.

Game 1 between the Canadiens and Lightning is scheduled for Monday at Amalie Arena. Game 3 is set for July 2 at Bell Centre. 

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