Habs News: Montreal Canadiens, NHL, Jake Allen, Riley Kidney, Emil Heineman, Kent Hughes, Sean Burke, Laval Rocket, Mike Ribeiro

Jake Allen, Montreal Canadiens (Photo by TVA Sports)

ROCKET SPORTS MEDIA | MONTREAL, QC. — This is your one-stop destination for your Canadiens news capsule. Here are your Habs Headlines!

Kidney Signs ELC

The Montreal Canadiens have signed forward Riley Kidney to a three-year, entry-level contract (2022-23 to 2024-25.)

The 19-year-old ranked seventh in QMJHL scoring this season with 100 points on 30 goals, 70 assists in 66 games for the Acadie-Bathurst Titan.

Kidney was selected in the second round (63rd overall) by the Canadiens in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft.

Allen for King Clancy

Goaltender Jake Allen has been named as the Montreal Canadiens nominee for the King Clancy Memorial Trophy. The award is presented to the player who best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice.

Off the ice, Allen has founded Program 34, a non-profit organization aiming to support New Brunswick charities. Since 2016, Program 34 has raised $415,000 primarily through Allen’s annual golf tournament in New Brunswick.

Allen is joined by notable nominees such as Ryan Getzlaf (Anaheim Ducks), Max Pacioretty (Vegas Golden Knights), Victor Hedman (Tampa Bay Lightning) and Ryan O’Reilly (St. Louis Blues).

The @NHL has announced the 32 nominees for the 2021-22 King Clancy Memorial Trophy, presented “to the player who best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice and has made a noteworthy humanitarian contribution in his community.”
#NHLAwards: https://t.co/2TProz0tLp pic.twitter.com/rsorogfiTx

— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) May 4, 2022

Heineman Joins Rocket

Canadiens prospect Emil Heineman practiced with the Laval Rocket on Wednesday for the first time. The 20-year-old forward was wearing a non-contact jersey as he continues to recover from an undisclosed injury.

Heineman played 38 games with Leksands of the SHL this season tallying 11 goals, five assists for 16 points in 38 games.

On February 14, Heineman was obtained from the Calgary Flames in the Tyler Toffoli trade.

Calder Cup Playoffs

The Laval Rocket earned a berth in the AHL Playoffs and begin their pursuit of the Calder Cup later this week. The Rocket face the Crunch with the first two games of the series taking place in Syracuse on Friday and Saturday nights, May 6th and 7th respectively.

The best of five series will transfer to Laval for games three and four on May 12th and 14th.

For full coverage of the Laval Rocket’s playoff run, visit AHL Report and for a Calder Cup playoff primer, subscribe to The Press Zone podcast.

Laval Rocket vs Syracuse Crunch schedule

Scouting for Burke

Montreal Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes has confirmed that Sean Burke will remain with the organization as a pro scout as reported by 91.9 Sports. This can be seen as a demotion for Burke.

On March 3, 2021, then general manager Marc Bergevin had appointed Burke as director of goaltending, a newly-created position within hockey operations. Since his hiring in 2016, Burke has worked as a professional scout for the Western region.

Ribeiro Charged Again

Former Montreal Canadiens forward Mike Ribeiro faces two counts of sexual assault as reported by The Dallas Morning News. Ribeiro was arrested on April 28th and was released after posting a $200,000 bond.

The 42-year-old was also accused of sexual assault dating back to an incident in 2012. The case was settled out of court.

Ribeiro was drafted by the Montreal Canadiens in the second round of the 1998 NHL Entry Draft while going on to play 276 games with the Habs. He was often cited in the media as a source of locker room disruption and was traded to the Dallas Stars just ahead of the 2006-07 NHL season.

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