The Montreal Canadiens returned prospects Brendan Gallagher and Michael Bournival to their respective junior teams. In addition, Finnish forward Joonas Nattinen has been assigned to the Hamilton Bulldogs of the AHL.
Brendan Gallagher, who impressed both fans and management during training camp, will rejoin the Vancouver Giants of the WHL. The diminutive 19 year old was often at the center of scoring opportunities but, in spite of obtaining 14 shots on net, was ultimately unable to capitalize on his chances. As for Bournival, he is destined for the Shawinigan Cataractes of the QMJHL. Shawinigan is slated to host the Memorial Cup this year. Both players were also part of Hockey Canada’s summer camp for the World Junior Championships.
Markov to miss opening night
Jacques Martin also confirmed a long-suspected piece of bad news today. Andrei Markov will not be available to play on opening night. According to the head coach, however, this was expected news, claiming that the team knew from the onset that he would not be ready for the start of the season.
Louis Moustakas is an Editor at HabsWorld.net and an Associate Editor at HabsAddict.com. He works for the Coaching Association of Canada in Ottawa and can be reached at l.moustakas@habsworld.net.