Habs News: NHL, Montreal Canadiens, Ty Smilanic, Sean Monahan, Michael Pezzetta, Tyler Pitlick, Trois-Rivieres Lions

ROCKET SPORTS MEDIA | LAVAL, QC. — On May 26th, the Wisconsin Badgers announced that Ty Smilanic transferred from Quinnipiac for the upcoming season. The forward was acquired by the Canadiens on March 16th from the Florida Panthers in the trade involving defenceman Ben Chiarot.

“We are very excited to add Ty to our program,” coach Tony Granato said. “He’s an exciting young player who has two productive years of college hockey under his belt. He is a great skater who will add speed and scoring punch to our lineup.”

In his rookie season with Quinnipiac, Smilanic recorded 21 points in 29 games, before his production slowed down to 23 points in 41 games last season. Smilanic was drafted 74th overall by the Panthers in 2020.

“I’m more than thrilled to be here, just to kind of get back to the player that I think I am. Last year wasn’t a good year for me. I needed a new start and fresh scenery. I have great teammates here that are very encouraging, and I think I can be a big part of this team’s success,” Smilanic told the Canadiens website.

The prospect attended the Canadiens development camp in July and was impressed by the fans. “I know Canadiens fans are the most energetic and the most committed fans in the NHL, so being around that, seeing everyone show up and be excited for what the team’s prospects have to offer, it was amazing.”

Emotional Day

In a questions and answer video posted by the Canadiens, Sean Monahan shared the emotions that he went through on August 18th when he found out about the trade.

“My vehicle was actually stolen and I was on the phone with my insurance company, and my agent kept giving me a call. I finally answered and I found out the news and it changed my day from being a little bit upset to extremely excited.”

The 27-year-old is in Montreal in preparation for the upcoming season. He is not expected to be ready for the start of the regular season as a result of the hip surgery underwent in April.

Fighting for Roster Spot

Michael Pezzetta became a fan favourite during the 2020-’21 training camp with the energy and physicality that he brought on the ice. The forward began the season in Laval where he scored three times and six points in eight games before being recalled to Montreal.

Pezzetta spent the rest of the season with the Canadiens dressing for 51 games and totalled five goals and 11 points with 7:50 average ice time. The 24-year old continued to work hard on the ice and was not afraid to get involved physically. In his rookie season, Pezzetta dropped the gloves five times including against New York Rangers forward Ryan Reaves.

Despite holding a regular roster spot last season, the Canadiens sixth round draft pick in 2016 knows that he needs to earn his opportunity again at training camp. “For me, every offseason is the biggest offseason of my life. I signed a one-way contract in July, but that doesn’t do me any good if I’m complacent all summer. It was a big summer to put in the work and make sure that I could try and solidify myself in the NHL and really for the rest of my life,” Pezzetta told the Canadiens website.

The forward was a restricted free agent this offseason, and Kent Hughes did not hesitate to reach a deal with him on July 11th for the league minimum. If Pezzetta does not crack the opening night roster, he would require to clear waivers before heading to Laval.

You can watch all of Pezzetta’s goals with the Canadiens in the video below.

Pitlick in St. Louis

D’Aoust in Sweden

Forward Alexis D’Aoust signed a contract with Vasterviks IK in Sweden for the upcoming season.

In 2021-’22, D’Aoust played 39 games with the Trois-Rivieres Lions and tallied 19 goals and 38 points. In six playoff games, he scored twice and added two assists.

D’Aoust also played 16 games in the AHL on PTO’s with the Belleville Senators, Providence Bruins, Lehigh Valley Phantoms and Grand Rapids Griffins.

You can watch all of D’Aoust’s goals with the Lions in the video below.

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By Chris G., Senior Writer
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