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Controversy Emerges in Montreal as Newly-Acquired Forward Disrespects PK Subban

Originally posted on House of Hockey | By Tom Banks | Last updated Jul 3, 2025 10:22 AM ET

The Montreal Canadiens recently acquired Zack Bolduc in a trade with St. Louis, and now he's made a controversial move with his choice of number.

This off-season has been a positive one for the Montreal Canadiens, as they made the blockbuster deal to acquire star defenseman Noah Dobson, and on top of other solid moves, they also made another intriguing deal, this time with the St. Louis Blues.

In the deal, they traded controversial defenseman Logan Mailloux to the Blues in exchange for young forward Zack Bolduc, who tallied 19 goals and 36 points in his first full season with the team at just 22-years of age.

Now, he's stirred up some controversy in Montreal, as he is reportedly sticking with the number he had in St. Louis, but with the Canadiens, it's an iconic number that many associate with former star defenseman P.K. Subban.

While some don't have any issue with the move, others have certainly voiced their opinions on the decision, and at such a young age with a rabid fanbase to win over, it was definitely an intriguing choice from the young forward.

The news likely came as a shock, but once the season gets going and he gets on the ice, there isn't going to be any wider issue in Montreal, especially if the young forward can live up to the promise he showed early in St. Louis.

Ultimately, Subban was a huge name in Montreal for a long-time, but he doesn't have his number retired and likely won't, so allowing a young kid to use it is a great move for the organization, but given what Subban means to some fans, it's easy to see why there is some controversy around this move.

This article first appeared on House of Hockey and was syndicated with permission.

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