Rocket Weekly: Division Champs
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Laval’s two-week road trip came to an end last week with a pair of games against division rivals. They took care of business in both of them, securing themselves the North Division title in the process.
Laval’s two-week road trip came to an end last week with a pair of games against division rivals. They took care of business in both of them, securing themselves the North Division title in the process.
The NCAA’s transfer portal has been quite busy in recent weeks with 260 college players entering it. One of those is Habs prospect Jack Smith who has now transferred to Minnesota State (Mankato) for next season.
It was a decent on the road for Laval. They picked up a respectable five points in four games but saw their lead on first overall shrink while they also dealt with some more injury issues.
The ever-changing Ivan Demidov saga took another turn on Tuesday, this one a very positive one. He was released from SKA St. Petersburg and soon after, the Habs announced that they signed Demidov to a three-year, entry-level contract.
The Habs have signed their first player from their 2024 draft class, just not the first-round pick many were hoping it’d be. The team announced on Tuesday that they’ve inked winger Tyler Thorpe to a three-year, entry-level contract.
While it took a little longer than expected, one of Montreal’s top prospects is now under contract. The Habs announced on Friday that they’ve signed goaltender Jacob Fowler to a three-year, entry-level deal.
Laval’s long stretch of home games came to an end last week on a bad note but they were nonetheless able to clinch a playoff spot and hold onto first overall heading into a long road trip.
The Habs shortened their UFA list summer by one on Wednesday, announcing that they’ve signed Laval captain Lucas Condotta to a two-year, two-way contract extension.
Last week got off to a particularly rough start for Laval as they fell to the worst team in the league. However, they were able to bounce back with a pair of victories on the road to maintain top spot in the AHL.
As it was for the Habs, February was a month of ups and downs for many of its prospects and even in Laval. Nonetheless, several players stood out amongst the crowd, earning a spot in our three stars.