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Jakub Dobes: The Montreal Canadiens’ Communications Department’s Nightmare

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Jakub Dobes: The Montreal Canadiens’ Communications Department’s Nightmare

Originally posted on Dose.ca | Last updated Oct 23, 2026 2:40 PM ET

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Often, when we ask ourselves a question, all we have to do is listen carefully to find the answer.

What am I talking about? When I heard Jakub Dobes tell us that he hadn't made a mistake on Tuesday night by taking a minor penalty in overtime, I immediately understood why he hadn't spoken to the media after Tuesday's game. And I immediately understood why the Canadiens decided to give their Czech starting goaltender a break from the media when things get too heated.

“I don't call that a mistake […] It was what my intuition told me to do to help the team.” – Jakub Dobes

Jakub, just because you acted on intuition doesn't mean it wasn't a mistake. On the contrary!

When, on a hunch, Jake Evans passes the puck right down the middle to the opponent, and it leads to a goal by the other team, that's a mistake. You don't need to think about it or set out to make a mistake to make a mistake…

I've been telling my kids this for 18 years. And I tell my young futsal players the same thing: Own up when you screw up. Don't hide. Don't try to shirk responsibility. That's the basics.

If Shea Weber were still captain of the Habs, he'd have been livid hearing Dobes talk. Where did that famous “No Excuses” go? Does the concept of accountability even exist anymore?

Are Nick Suzuki, Phillip Danault, and Josh Anderson good enough leaders to have told Dobes he can't act that way? I know Josh Anderson lost his cool with Patrik Laine last season; did he do the same with Jakub Dobes this week?

The Canadiens are second-to-last in the Atlantic Division; the team isn't going to climb out of this hole by burying their heads in the sand.

That's not all.

Jakub Dobes told Anthony Martineau that what matters most is the opinion of the fans who come to the Bell Centre or whom he runs into on the street. Everything written on the internet isn't real to him.

This morning, in the locker room, I asked Jakub Dobeš if the saying “never too high, never too low” was harder to live by in a market like Montreal's.

I pointed out that he was adored during the last playoffs and is currently going through a tougher stretch.

His response was as follows:

“I still feel the support from people. I think the true fans—the people at the Bell Centre and those I run into on the street—support me, and I'm grateful for that. And whatever's written online isn't real to me.”

— Anthony Martineau (@Antho_Martineau) October 22, 2026

Am I to understand that what Jonathan Bernier (JDM), J-F Chaumont (NHL.com), Eric Engels (Sportsnet), Richard Labbé, Guillaume Lefrançois, and Alexandre Pratt (La Presse), Arpon Basu (TheAthletic), Nicolas Cloutier (TVA Sports), or even me (here on DLC) is not real in Jakub Dobes' eyes?

Maybe the Canadiens' communications department should brief Dobes a little more before he speaks. Because he sure does spout a lot of nonsense. And that's for real.

Overtime

Seeing Ivan Demidov and Nick Suzuki sidelined for several weeks is nothing short of a disaster.

We didn't have a second-line center; now we don't have a first- or second-line center.

You know what bothers me the most about all this? Demidov and Suzuki both got injured blocking shots. Noah Dobson also got injured blocking a shot before the playoffs.

In the modern NHL, players are expected to make sacrifices—to block shots.

OK, I can understand that… but since there's a real risk of injury, why doesn't the Canadiens ask its players to wear gloves with more protection on the top—not on the wrists, since that reduces mobility—or extra pads on each side of their skates?

Shouldn't Geoff Molson make sure to minimize the risks to his investment?

More protection on the top of the hand or on the sides of each skate shouldn't be a huge problem for the players. People used to say that helmets were restrictive 30 years ago, and yet it would be unthinkable to play without a helmet today.

While we're on the subject, why not also play with full-face visors and neck guards? Is it because the Players' Association—which supposedly advocates for player safety—doesn't want these measures imposed on the players?

Because the sponsors don't like it.

The day the NHL and its owners get serious, they'll require players to protect themselves better. Until then, the league will remain a laughingstock to many people.

This article first appeared on Dose.ca and was syndicated with permission.

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