With the Montreal Canadiens exiting the NHL playoffs
and the Laval Rocket just starting their run
it makes sense that the team sent forward Oliver Kapanen and goaltender Cayden Primeau to the AHL
The Rocket play Game 3 of their second round series on Sunday
It will be their first home game of the playoffs after winning both games in Cleveland
They hold a 2-0 series lead in their best-of-five series
The two players were some of the only NHL players eligible to be sent down from the NHL team
Kapanen was loaned to the SHL and already had a contract with the team which means he didn’t need to be papered at the NHL trade deadline
Primeau was recalled due to the injury to Samuel Montembeault
Connor Hughes is still working his way from an injury
and Luke Cavallin will likely return to the Trois-Rivières Lions once the goaltender joins the team back in Laval
Jakub Dobeš was papered along with Owen Beck
who had already been sent down and scored in Game 1
at the NHL trade deadline and was eligible but was not sent down
Other waiver-ineligible players on the NHL roster would have needed to be papered at the Trade Deadline to be eligible for the AHL playoffs
but there isn’t much to gain from AHL playoff experience for most of them
Ivan Demidov was signed to an entry-level contract after the trade deadline and played an NHL game
This will be the third league that Kapanen will play playoff games in this season
BROSSARD – The Canadiens announced on Saturday that forward Oliver Kapanen and goaltender Cayden Primeau have been loaned to the Laval Rocket in the American Hockey League.
The personnel moves come a day after the team’s end-of-season media ops on Friday.
Both players join the Rocket for the AHL playoffs, which continue Sunday against the Cleveland Monsters at 3:00 p.m. at Place Bell. Laval currently leads the series 2-0.
During the 2024-25 season, Kapanen and Primeau played 18 and 11 games with the Habs respectively.
Canadiens Defenceman Hutson Among Calder Trophy Finalists
Comparable NHL Contracts For Hutson Mega Extension
Habs Daily: Primeau in Laval, Hutson’s Playoff Excellence, PWHL
Canadiens Wrap: Hutson Contract, Anderson And Wilson, Demidov
Canadiens Defenceman Hutson Thrived In Playoffs
Fowler’s Excellent Playoff Stats Changes Canadiens Goalie Debate
Laval Rocket Have Sights Firmly Set On AHL Championship
Montreal Canadiens Goaltending Options, Montembeault Injury
Canadiens News: Pascal Vincent Named Coach Of The Year
Canadiens Prospect Jacob Fowler Wins Mike Richter Award
Canadiens Daily: Hutson Loves Montreal, Wilson Hit, St-Louis
Habs Daily: Top 5 Playoff Lessons, Fowler Vs. Primeau
Habs Daily: Merci David Savard, The Next Step, Jacob Fowler
Habs Daily: Carrier Injury Options, Monahan Draft Pick, Playoffs
and stories you may have missed on the weekend
The Habs opted to send goaltender Cayden Primeau and forced Oliver Kapanen to the AHL, giving the Laval Rocket a nice dose of talent as they attempt to capture the Calder Cup. As a reminder, Montreal’s farm team established the best regular-season record in the AHL
setting a few franchise records in the process
Laval dropped Game 3 of their best-of-five series versus the Cleveland Monsters on Sunday afternoon
but Jet Greaves had a dominant afternoon to keep his team in the AHL playoffs
Primeau saved 22 of the 25 shots sent his way
featuring on the third line alongside Joshua Roy and Owen Beck
It’s probably fair to suggest Kapanen looks much more comfortable in the AHL than he did during his two auditions in Montreal
— xyz – Rocket de Laval (@RocketLaval) May 4, 2025
the Montreal Victoire finished as the top team in the PWHL
giving them an opportunity to pick their first-round opponent
with the first game set to take place on May 8
Dès le 8 mai, nous affronterons @PWHL_Ottawa en demi-finale
Starting May 8, we’ll face @PWHL_Ottawa in the semifinals
Séries éliminatoires de la LPHF présentées par @SharkNinja
🎟️ https://t.co/ZvFRfkkjSd pic.twitter.com/2wqXNIZjg5
— Z – Victoire de Montréal (@PWHL_Montreal) May 4, 2025
ICYMI: Alexandre Carrier was quick to dismiss the idea that Tom Wilson’s thunderous hit in Game 4 was dirty. He went as far as saying he would have delivered the exact same hit if the opportunity arose. [Carrier Discusses Series-Changing Wilson Hit]
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Laval will have to try again to advance to the next round
After starting the series on the road in Cleveland
the Laval Rocket returned to the raucous confined of Place Bell with a 2-0 series lead
and a chance to close it out with a win on Sunday
Most impressive was that the Rocket managed to get the lead without either of their top two goalies from the regular season and with a lineup that was shifting as people returned from injury
While Jacob Fowler had safely guided the Rocket to their two wins on the road
the returning Cayden Primeau got the nod in net as he looked to close out the series
The lineup did see a slight change as well
with Brandon Gignac being withdrawn in favour of the newly arrived Oliver Kapanen
The rookie slotted into Gignac’s spot with Owen Beck and Joshua Roy on the third line
the Rocket lineup remained the same for head coach Pascal Vincent
It was not the most graceful of starts for the the Rocket as their opponents came out swinging with their playoff lives on the line
the Monsters might have run away with the game early on
The Rocket found themselves frustrated by post-whistle shenanigans
and their first major retaliation was caught
putting Jared Davidson in the box and the Rocket on the penalty kill
Primeau’s calm glove helped the Rocket dispatch the penalty with ease
and then allowed Florian Xhekaj to vent his frustrations into the face of Joseph LaBate
Laval’s top line then continued to shift the momentum as Alex Barré-Boulet stole the puck to kick off an odd-man rush
the trailing man managed to draw a penalty for the Rocket’s first man advantage on the night
While the Rocket peppered Jet Greaves with repeated opportunities
the Cleveland netminder kept the game scoreless
but the momentum was clearly turning deeper in favour of the home side
generating multiple clean looks on Greaves
As the period wore down it became more of a trudging march through mud as Cleveland began to clog the game up with their possession
On one of the few occasions that the Monsters held the puck
Adam Engström gave Rocco Grimaldi a slight tug on the sleeve and was whistled for holding
The Rocket’s penalty-killers dispatched the Cleveland advantage to close out the first period
While the game was scoreless it felt like the Rocket weren’t far off from breaking things open in the next period
While the first period was end to end in terms of pace and action
the second period was the polar opposite as it took on a much more deliberate pace
their chances ended up blocked more often than not by the Monsters’ defence while Laval struggled to find the same pressure as before
a series of five crosschecks by Luca Pinelli on Xavier Simoneau was noticed by the officials
and the Rocket headed back to the power play
Laval’s man advantage was firing on all cylinders once again
but the incredible work of Greaves continued in net for Cleveland
including a desperation sliding save with his pads to take away a goal from Laurent Dauphin
As the advantage expired it was again Kapanen creating chances as he slipped in to grab a loose puck
but a quick save from Greaves denied the rookie forward
Laval’s power play again slightly tilted the ice
but with a series sweep on the line there were no goals to be seen
The Rocket’s inability to get second and third chances by Greaves was becoming an issue as he continued to fluster any of the Rocket’s prime scoring chances
the Monsters launched an instant counter-attack
creating a scramble in front of goal where the Rocket were unable to corral the loose puck
It eventually came to Dylan Gambrell in the slot and the Cleveland forward blistered his shot off the crossbar and in to open the scoring
Gambrell’s goal snapped the Rocket back to attention and on the ensuing shift Sean Farrell drew a penalty
While the Rocket couldn’t find a goal with the extra skater
they were going to start the final period of regulation with a nearly full power play
Laval had little issue generating looks on net
but Greaves gave them nothing in terms of second chances
and the Monsters’ defence was able to sweep all the loose pucks away to continue a frustrating afternoon for the Rocket
Laval was far from out of the game however
and they continued to push the Monsters back as they tried to break down the Cleveland defence
The Rocket finally thought they had broken through the wall that was Jet Greaves as Joshua Roy turned and fired a shot on goal
Roy dove in and pushed it seemingly over the line
The referee was not in position to make a call along the goal line
After a brief review the play was ruled no goal and left the Rocket still searching for a game-tying tally
That search grew to needing two goals shortly after Roy’s goal was disallowed as the Monsters took advantage of an aggressive Rocket offensive-zone shift and created an odd-man rush
While David Reinbacher closed down the gap on Luca Pinelli
who easily tapped in the feed with Primeau caught in no man’s land
the Rocket took the goal against as a strong launching pad to try to cut into the deficit
including a knifing run by Logan Mailloux that drew a hooking penalty and put Laval on their biggest power play of the day
It turned out to be a disaster as Roy’s dump-in was sent instantly the other way for a short-handed breakaway and Ahcan made it a 3-0 game
Laval finally managed to get on the board with just over six minutes left to play in regulation
and did it despite Greaves continuing to be a frustrating obstacle
while Dauphin tried to chase down a rebound
A Cleveland player’s clearing attempt hit off a fellow player and just barely trickled in behind Greaves to make it a 3-1 contest
the Rocket nearly cut into the lead once again as Lucas Condotta worked off the wall and threw a pass across the zone to William Trudeau
but a sprawling Greaves caught just enough of the puck with his glove to push it over the net and kept the Rocket searching for more answers
It continued to be all about Greaves as the final minutes approached
with Cleveland’s goalie robbing Beck and Kapanen on back-to-back chances while he was backed up inside his own net
Eventually the Rocket got a firm enough grasp on the game to pull Primeau for the extra attacker as they tried for a comeback win
Greaves made sure that wasn’t a possibility as he slammed the door shut and prevented the Rocket from completing the sweep
The Rocket will have Monday to regroup before they welcome Cleveland back to Place Bell on Tuesday night with another chance at advancing on the line
MontrealNewsLaval police investigating after gunshots heard on residential streetBy Daniel J. RowePublished: May 05, 2025 at 12:30PM EDT
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11 hours agoDuration 2:02Why a congregation wants this church in Laval, Que., to get heritage status11 hours agoNewsDuration 2:02Saint-Vincent-de-Paul church was built in the 1850s. Designed by religious architect Victor Bourgeau, it has two bell towers, a chapel and a crypt in the basement, where more than a 100 people are buried in sarcophagi.
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Dylan Gambrell scored twice as Cleveland staved off elimination with a 3-1 win over Laval at Place Bell on Sunday afternoon
The Rocket still hold a 2-1 lead in the best-of-five series and will host Game 4 on Tuesday
Gambrell snapped a scoreless deadlock with 1:55 left in the second period and then added another goal 7:32 into the third before Roman Ahcan
Jet Greaves (3-2) made 18 of his 36 saves in the final period to earn the win in net
When facing elimination over the last two postseasons
Greaves is now 4-1 with a 1.66 goals-against average and a .946 save percentage
Laurent Dauphin scored the only goal for the Rocket
breaking up Greaves’ shutout bid with 6:34 remaining
Cayden Primeau made his return to Laval after being assigned by Montreal on Saturday and stopped 22 shots
taking just his third regulation loss in 26 starts this season
The Cleveland Monsters fell to the Laval Rocket 4-0 on Friday night at Rocket Arena
the Monsters trail the North Division Semifinals best-of-five series 0-2
The Rocket struck first with a goal from Jared Davidson at 2:22 of the opening frame leaving the Monsters trailing 1-0 after 20 minutes
Laval’s Lucas Condotta notched a tally at 3:12 pushing Cleveland’s deficit to 2-0 heading into the final intermission
The Rocket added goals from Alex Barré-Boulet at 7:16 of the third period and Gustav Lindström at 14:32 pushing the final score to 4-0
Cleveland’s Jet Greaves stopped 25 shots in defeat while Laval’s Jacob Fowler made 20 saves for the win
The Monsters and Rocket meet for Game 3 of the North Division Semifinals on Sunday
Follow the games with full coverage on FOX Sports 1350 The Gambler
AHLTV on FloHockey and the Monsters Hockey Network
GAME SHEET – GAME PHOTOS – GAME HIGHLIGHTS*
*Game highlights will appear as soon as possible following video processing.
many wondered how many games Fowler would actually get
we are looking at the team's new starter
as he played Games 1 and 2 in the Rocket's series with the Cleveland Monsters
The Montreal Canadiens weren't sure what the future had in store for Jacob Fowler when they brought him into the fold with his amateur tryout contract for the Laval Rocket. Fowler's entry-level deal will kick in next season, but the amateur tryout allows him to play some games in Laval this year
Fowler has led the Rocket to a 2-0 lead in the best-of-5 series
He had an impressive 23-save performance in Game 1
but saved his best for Game 2 with a 20-save shutout
The Monsters haven't been firing many shots on the rookie as they do look a little overmatched against the Rocket
but Fowler can't help the lack of shots
two goals against in his his first 120 minutes of playoff hockey is a breathtaking start
Jacob Fowler in his first two AHL *playoff* games:Game 1 Win:23/25 Saves.920 Save %Game 2 Win:20/20 Saves1.000 Save % pic.twitter.com/yFbdtRnU9V
The Rocket have to be considered the favorite to win the Calder Cup
and Fowler looks to play a big role in that run
The Rochester Americans will present a significant test if the Rocket can finish the job against the Monsters
but the team seems confident they can go the distance with Fowler backstopping them
It's an unfortunate situation for Cayden Primeau and Connor Hughes after how well they played during the regular season
but they also offer some great insurance if Fowler falters
He will put himself into some impressive company
as you might want to remember who the last goalie was to join the Canadiens at the end of the AHL season and lead them to a Calder Cup
Carey Price was the CHL's Goaltender of the Year in 2006-07
but his Tri City Americans had an early exit in the postseason
It helped Price join the Hamilton Bulldogs early and play two games to end the regular season
He was able to earn the starting role for the postseason
and went on an impressive 15-6 run where he recorded a 2.06 goals-against average and a .936 save percentage
The performance won him the Calder Cup and the AHL Playoffs MVP
We won't crown Fowler as the playoffs' top performer after two games
the hype train will reach breakneck speed this offseason
Let's not forget that Price parlayed that AHL playoff performance into a full-time role on the Canadiens the following season
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Jacob Fowler in his first two AHL *playoff* games:Game 1 Win:23/25 Saves.920 Save %Game 2 Win:20/20 Saves1.000 Save % pic.twitter.com/yFbdtRnU9V
Jacob Fowler's rise with the Laval Rocket has put him in some impressive company
Some important names are leading the way as the Laval Rocket make their bid for the Calder Cup
With the Montreal Canadiens now eliminated from the Stanley Cup Playoffs
The Laval Rocket have just begun their Calder Cup run
This means that most of the Habs’ best prospects are playing some of the most important hockey of their lives
Three prospects stood out in particular in Game 2 of the best-of-five series with the Cleveland Monsters
I’m going to rely on clips and give limited opinions on those performances
and I’d also recommend checking out the recaps from Games 1 and 2
which detail the key plays from both games
I’m going to show a few clips that outline the good and the bad of his performance in Game 2
He saved all 20 of the shots directed his way
and only had to make four or five really tough saves
He can struggle a little with rebound control
and his lateral movement was probably his biggest weakness on draft day
and a good example of the kind of shots he faced
Laval did a great job of insulating the rookie netminder
keeping chances to the outside and letting Fowler rely on his positioning to fight through traffic and make stops
The following two clips are examples of an issue I’ve seen in his games with Laval so far: rebound control with the blocker
If your blocker is anything close to square
then the rebound is going to pop right into the slot
and angling your blocker is obviously dangerous
giving you a smaller surface area to stop the puck with
Fowler made two huge stops at the end of the night
but the play was far from over after it was made
This could have easily ended up differently if Cleveland’s Roman Ahcan (#37 in front of the net) had put forth a stronger effort
Although the blocker was a bit of a weakness
I understand that so far this seems to be more critique than praise
but I need to be clear that Fowler makes a lot of saves look easy
The vast majority of the shots directed at him end up hitting the Rocket crest and falling safely into his pads or onto the ice in front of him
He was in great position for this screened shot early in the third period when the game was still up for grabs
He faced at least 11 shots from the point and only gave up one rebound for Cleveland to put on net
Fowler had two saves that really stood out for me
This stop in the second period that went off his mask tricked me at first
I thought he had gotten lucky; Fowler does have a tendency to shrink down in his net at times (see how small he looks in this clip when his shoulders are hunched?)
I realized that Fowler was shrinking down so he could deflect this puck off the top of his mask
He knew exactly where the rebound went because he sent it there
This was by far his nicest save of the night
It came in the final minute and showed off some mobility and stretch
This is exactly the kind of save that some people doubted he’d be able to make in the big leagues
I also want to mention just how resilient he was all night
Hunter McKown catches Fowler with a stick to the head
The result is an all-out scrum in the middle of play
This should be a fantastic momentum-builder for him
Mailloux is a double-edged sword right now
he was one of the more dynamic players on the ice in Game 2
He was credited with three shots on Friday (though he might have had four)
Mailloux looked solid quarterbacking the power play
but all his puck touches ended up on Laval sticks
I could have included two more clips here: a quick backhand bank pass and an accurate pass onto Alex Barré-Boulet’s stick in the left circle
In the Rocket’s second stab at the man advantage
He was also responsible for the first unit’s best chance here
If you watched the Rocket all season long like many of us have
then you’ve seen what I’m about to talk about
He gets caught flatfooted often and in obvious areas
This clip was due to make another appearance
This is an ugly example of Mailloux getting caught flatfooted and it directly leading to a scoring chance
but Mailloux gets turned inside out too easily here
I think Mailloux was a net positive on Friday
but his game was certainly far from perfect
Xhekaj has the blood of a pest in the body of a beast
He was the most penalized player in the AHL for a reason
and at least seven hits (and I count them fairly conservatively)
a cleanly won draw right to Jared Davidson
Xhekaj spent most of the night battling James Malatesta’s line
and the two players got into it repeatedly
when he’s engaged with opponents in a scrum
Both of his penalties on Friday came in those situations
This first was due to the stick that Fowler took up high in the second period
you’ll see Xhekaj take his second roughing penalty of the game
Both teams had been running at each other for the duration of the play
and things finally came to a head in front of Fowler
with Xhekaj taking exception to first Gavin Brindley
I mentioned earlier that Xhekaj had at least seven hits on Friday; it was probably closer to 10 or 12 if you count them like the NHL does
He finished just about every check available to him
This first clip is from right after the Rocket’s first goal; Xhekaj was setting a tone
This is what he spent most of the night doing
Xhekaj is on the fourth line to play like it
This is what Cleveland players were dealing with in the offensive zone every time #63 was on the ice
The Cleveland broadcasters described him as “Fearsome Florian Xhekaj,” and I certainly think it’s fitting
Fearsome Florian only stood out for good reasons; every defensive error was made up for in effort
He will continue to be a difference-maker in Game 3
Laval is back in action at home for Game 3 on Sunday
It’s unconfirmed whether Fowler will get the start
but it seems likely he will have the chance to finish off the series he started
After dismantling Cleveland at five-on-five in Game 1
Laval knew it had the advantage going into Game 2
This was a Monsters team that failed to beat the Rocket in regulation during the regular season
Fans and media speculated whether Cayden Primeau would retake his role as starter after his stint with the Canadiens
deservedly so after his 23-save performance in the opener
setting up quickly and confidently on their first offensive rush
They didn’t have to wait long before seeing a result either
with Jared Davidson cashing in a one-timer from the top of the right circle
thanks to a cleanly won draw from Florian Xhekaj
the Rocket got to the Monsters’ netminder early in this one
The goal went straight to the Rocket’s legs
with Laval probably committing to the body a little too much immediately afterward
Cleveland got a great chance right after the goal
with Laval chasing and scrambling in its own zone
The chance was a sobering moment for Laval
and the Rocket cleaned things up immediately
Laval got a flurry of chances with just over 15 minutes left in the frame
the nicest of which had Sean Farrell spring Owen Beck from the neutral zone for a one-on-one chance that Greaves barely stopped
The Rocket took advantage of the scramble created by Beck’s rush
with Logan Mailloux getting it back on net and Joshua Roy getting two chances to bang in the rebound
Logan Mailloux was noticeable early in the first
and continued to be throughout the game (he ended up a +1 with three shots on net)
as the defender took his first penalty of the playoffs; he led all Rocket defencemen in penalty minutes during the regular season
Cleveland’s first power play was dangerous
a blast from the point that Fowler handled
The Rocket didn’t give Cleveland a second to breathe
and were largely successful in creating turnovers leading to scoring chances
the Rocket took a defensive formation for the final two minutes of the period
content with shutting down scoring chances and flipping the puck to neutral ice
the Rocket received a gift from James Malatesta
who chose to insert himself into an altercation between Brandon Gignac and Sam Knazko after the final whistle
Malatesta received the only penalty on the play
I suppose he thought it was a worthwhile call while trailing in a playoff game and heading to the locker rooms
The Rocket only got one real chance on their period-opening power play: a shot from the left circle from Alex Barré-Boulet
Fowler had carved a circle around his net with several puck retrievals
Fowler had some work to do after the failed power play
flashing the leather on a slot shot from Malatesta and stumping the Monsters once again
with Lucas Condotta beating Greaves high glove off the rush just over three minutes into the period
Condotta was looking at Xavier Simoneau all the way
but I don’t think he had any intention of delivering the puck anywhere but the back of the net
Fowler would be tested again but stood firm
deflecting a golden scoring chance from Justin Pearson into the corner
The Rocket had taken their foot off the gas physically just a little
and Cleveland responded by finishing every check available
Florian Xhekaj certainly noticed the tone shift
he went right up to Roman Ahcan after a whistle and punched him a couple of times
picking up a roughing call and sending Laval to the penalty kill seven minutes into the period
The Rocket held the Monsters shotless for the man advantage
and Cleveland’s second effort looked marginally less dangerous than its first
Laurent Dauphin got a breakaway opportunity
but Monsters defenseman Hunter McKown saved the puck on the goal line
The Rocket could have easily had another three goals at that point of the game
Xhekaj continued to be a nightmare for the Monsters
toeing the line every shift and certainly causing more than his fair share of headaches (literally)
with both teams struggling to gain consistent
offensive-zone pressure and the Rocket got their third power play of the night with just over five minutes left in the second after a bench minor was called on Cleveland for too many men on the ice
I also thought he was fairly sound defensively for most of the game (ignore the clip further down as an example of this)
Laval wasn’t credited with a shot on its third man advantage
and Owen Beck got a great look from the left circle in the dying seconds of the man-advantage
the five-on-five possession they had right after the power play was both more organized and more dangerous than the power play that preceded it
Xavier Simoneau missed an open cage by inches after a great passing play
he took a tripping penalty just seconds later while battling for the loose puck behind the net with less than three minutes to go in the frame
Cleveland couldn’t really get anything going on its third man advantage of the game
and the game headed into the third with the Rocket leading 2-0
Cleveland was buzzing when the puck dropped for the final period
controlling play for the opening three minutes
forcing a turnover and giving Fowler a tough save through traffic
and by that point Cleveland had been cycling the zone for 80% of the period
It needs to be mentioned that Cleveland was in Fowler’s grill all night long
Cleveland alternate captain Trey Fix-Wolansky tailed Fowler to and from the bench in between whistles
presumably complimenting him on his performance so far
After Fowler’s next save on Stanislav Svozil
with Malatesta and Xhekaj unsurprisingly in the middle of it
Davidson and Joseph Lebate also picked up penalties
and everything ended up still at five-on-five
robbing Rocco Grimaldi with the glove in what was arguably the Monsters’ best chance
A great cross-ice pass set up the solid one-timer
That save from Fowler seemed to suck the life out of the Monsters
The Rocket would control the next minute of play and extended their lead by one more with 12:45 left in the third
then can only watch the puck soar over his shoulder into the net
Barré-Boulet is taking a nasty high stick in front of the net
Things got a little chippy midway through when Davidson and Denton Mateychuck (who’s got a heck of a mean streak
just don’t tell them that) took offsetting calls
capitalizing on lazy play from the Monsters
had been phoning it in for at least six minutes
I’m not sure if Laurent Dauphin wanted the shot or the pass
but the rebound was served on a silver platter to Gustav Lindström
Both teams had a few chances in the final minutes of the frame
Cleveland came alive once it was playing for pride
Fowler made five saves in the final four minutes of the game
including two unbelievable stops on Luca Pinelli
The one below was sensational with less than a minute left in his shutout bid
The Rocket closed the game out with maturity
as Montreal Canadiens coach Martin St-Louis would have said
They outshot Cleveland 29-20 and were inarguably the better team at the end of the night
but it was a team effort from Laval in Game 2
Laval will be back in action at home for Game 3 on Sunday
It’s unconfirmed whether Jacob Fowler will get the start
considering the netminder’s performance through two road games to start the series
The Rocket try to end the series in their first home playoff game of the year
Start time: **3:00 PM EDT / 12:00 PM PDT**In Canada: RDS2 (French)Streaming: FloHockey, RDS
The Rocket not only won the two games in Cleveland to open up the North Division semifinal
but have really frustrated the Monsters so far
The Monsters averaged almost three goals per game during the regular season and outscored the Toronto Marlies 8-6 with two overtime victories in the play-in series
but managed just two goals in the two games played on home ice in this series
and were shut out by Jacob Fowler in Game 2
They spent much of the latter half of the most recent match engaged in scrums and getting involved in altercations with the Rocket players instead of trying to solve Fowler
Laval doesn’t need much motivation for today’s game with a spot in the second round theirs for the taking
but they will get some anyway in their first playoff game at Place Bell this season
Even when the Montreal Canadiens were fighting hard for a playoff spot and then participating in the post-season
the crowds in Laval have been near capacity
and now the entire Habs fanbase can focus on the minor-league team’s playoff run
Expect a loud building and some inspired play from the team that finished atop the league standings
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2025) – The Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) has announced that the 2025 PWHL Playoffs
will feature best-of-five semifinals between the Montréal Victoire and the Ottawa Charge
and the Toronto Sceptres against the Minnesota Frost
Montréal finished as the league’s first-place team in the regular-season standings, earning the opportunity to select their opponent between third-place Ottawa and fourth-place Minnesota. The Victoire announced their selection, the Charge, Sunday evening during a special livestream edition of the Jocks in Jills podcast
which made both semifinal matchups official
Toronto earned home ice advantage by finishing second in the standings
The winners of each series will advance to the PWHL Finals to compete in a best-of-five series for the Walter Cup.
2025Game 1: Ottawa at Montréal (Place Bell) at 7 p.m
2025Game 2: Ottawa at Montréal (Place Bell) at 2 p.m
2025Game 3: Montréal at Ottawa (TD Place) at 7 p.m
2025Game 4: Montréal at Ottawa (TD Place) at 7 p.m
2025Game 5: Ottawa at Montréal (Place Bell) at 7 p.m
2025Game 1: Minnesota at Toronto (Coca-Cola Coliseum) at 7 p.m
2025Game 2: Minnesota at Toronto (Coca-Cola Coliseum) at 7 p.m
2025Game 3: Toronto at Minnesota (Xcel Energy Center) at 6 p.m
2025Game 4: Toronto at Minnesota (Xcel Energy Center) at 7 p.m
2025Game 5: Minnesota at Toronto (Coca-Cola Coliseum) at TBD*
Canadian coverage of the semifinal round of the PWHL Playoffs will be split exclusively between TSN/RDS and Prime Video
The series between Montréal and Ottawa will be on TSN and RDS with Kenzie Lalonde calling play-by-play
analyst Cheryl Pounder and reporter Kelly Greig providing live coverage in English
Andrée-Anne Barbeau (Studio Host) and Karell Émard (Studio Analyst) will be the team providing live coverage in French
The series between Toronto and Minnesota on Prime Video will feature Daniella Ponticelli with the play-by-play call
analyst Becky Kellar and reporter Rob Pizzo
TSN and RDS are the exclusive home of the PWHL Finals
Live coverage of the PWHL Playoffs and PWHL Finals will be available to fans in the United States through the league’s local and regional broadcast partners
including FanDuel Sports Network North for Minnesota games
Join the conversation You can save this article by registering for free here. Or sign-in if you have an account
The Ottawa Charge should have some added motivation when entering the PWHL playoffs for the first time this week
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Article contentIn the determination of first-round opponents on Sunday evening
the standings show the Charge was dealt at least a small amount of disrespect
1 seed Montreal Victoire in a best-of-five series that begins Thursday at Place Bell in Laval
The Victoire earned the right to select its opening-round opponent by winning the regular season crown
and opted against facing the fourth-place-finishing Minnesota Frost
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While both Ottawa and Minnesota wound up with 44 points, the Charge had 12 regulation-time victories, the same as Montreal and the second-place Toronto Sceptres.
The Frost won just 10 games in regulation.
The Toronto-Minnesota series starts Wednesday.
Montreal won four of six meetings with Ottawa this season, including a 4-3 shootout victory on opening night in November at Place Bell.
But the Charge won the last two clashes — by scores of 3-1 on Feb. 22 and 3-2 on April 30 — both of which were at TD Place.
The Victoire won four of six games against the Frost.
Montreal did have some sound logic on its side when choosing its first-round opponent.
Last season, Toronto finished atop the regular-season standings and picked Minnesota, which snuck into the playoffs as the fourth-place finisher.
Not only did Minnesota eliminate Toronto, but it also went on to capture the Walter Cup.
By choosing Ottawa, Montreal is also electing a two-hour drive over a two-hour flight for its road playoff games.
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TORONTO - The Montreal Victoire will face the Ottawa Charge in the opening round of the Professional Women's Hockey League playoffs
Montreal general manager Danièle Sauvageau announced the selection of Ottawa as its first opponent on Sunday on the league's "Jocks in Jills" podcast
The regular-season PWHL champion has the option of selecting either the third seed or the fourth seed to face in a best-of-five first-round series
"We've been preparing for this all year should we be in this position," Victoire head coach Kori Cheverie said on a conference call Sunday
without giving away too much of what went into the process of selecting the third-seeded Charge
Ottawa finished ahead of fourth-place Minnesota through a tiebreaker after the Charge
Frost and Boston Fleet finished the season tied at 44 points
Game 1 of the Charge-Victoire series goes Thursday at Place Bell
Cheverie said the team made the decision on its opponent Sunday
"We took all the time we could as an organization to make sure we had all the information that we wanted to have," she said
The Victoire's decision means the second-seeded Toronto Sceptres will face the Frost in the first round for the second straight year
with Game 1 Wednesday at Coca-Cola Coliseum
who are in the playoffs for the first time
won their last two regular-season games against the Victoire after losing the first four
the regular-season-champion Sceptres elected to face the fourth-seeded Frost in the first round
Minnesota went on to upset Toronto before defeating the Fleet in the final to claim the first Walter Cup
Boston swept the second-seeded Victoire in the first round in 2024
Cheverie said the three games were among the best her team played despite the result
it was a lesson for all of us," Victoire captain Marie-Philip Poulin said
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 4
OttawaNewsHere’s what you need to know about the Ottawa Charge-Montreal Victoire playoff series By Josh PringlePublished: May 05, 2025 at 7:14AM EDT
The Rocket currently lead the Cleveland Monsters 2-0 in their North Division semifinals
played 26 games in with the Rocket this season
posting a 21-2-2 record with a 1.96 goals-against average and .927 save percentage
native struggled to a 4.70 GAA and .836 save percentage.
Goaltending prospect Jacob Fowler started the first two games of the series for Laval
including a 20-save performance in Game 2 to earn his first professional shutout
MontrealToronto, Montreal to open PWHL playoffs next week; opponents TBABy The Canadian PressPublished: May 03, 2025 at 4:53PM EDT
#494a4e);font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-xs);font-weight:700;}@media screen and (min-width: 80em){.css-1kym0z8 time{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-lg);}}May 3
WATCH LIVE: MSG, CBC TV, CBC Gem, cbcsports.ca, ICI TÉLÉ & ICI TOU.TV, PWHL YouTube & thepwhl.com (U.S
/ International)EN: Jamie Hersch (Play-by-Play)
Saroya Tinker (CBC Studio Analyst);FR: Michael Roy (Commentator)
MONTRÉAL VICTOIRE 11-7-3-8 | 50 PTS | 1ST PLACETop Scorer: Marie-Philip Poulin – 29 GP, 17-7-24 PTSLast Game: 3-2 OTW vs. BOS on Apr. 28
NEW YORK SIRENS 8-4-5-12 | 37 PTS | 6TH PLACETop Scorer: Sarah Fillier – 29 GP, 12-15-27 PTSLast Game: 2-1 SOL at TOR on Apr. 29
The third game of the only tripleheader in the PWHL schedule is also the ninetieth and final game of the 2024-25 regular season. If Toronto beats Ottawa in regulation earlier in the day, then Montréal will need at least a single point against New York to secure first place in the standings.
The Victoire beat the Fleet, 3-2, in overtime Monday. Montréal has the most overtime and shootout wins in the PWHL and the best record beyond regulation at 7-3 (.700). Last season, Montréal went 3-5 (.375) in overtime/shootout games.
Montréal had 36 shots on goal in Monday’s victory (their most in a game since Dec. 21 – 39 vs. TOR), compared to 29 from Boston. The Victoire have the league’s best record when outshooting their opponent this season (5-5-1-1) but were outshot by the Sirens 31-16 in their last meeting.
Both of Boston’s goals on Monday came in the third period. Montréal also allowed a third period goal on Saturday against Ottawa. Prior to that, the Victoire had gone 10 straight games without allowing a goal in the final frame. Their 17 total third-period goals allowed are five fewer than any other team this season (Toronto, 22).
Laura Stacey’s overtime goal on Monday was her third overtime goal this season – no other player has multiple OT goals this season. It was the fourth overtime goal of her PWHL career, also the most by any player. The only other player with more than two is New York’s Alex Carpenter (two last season, one this season).
Marie-Philip Poulin has scored eight goals in her career against the Sirens, tied for the most by any PWHL player against a single opponent all-time (Taylor Heise has eight vs. BOS). She enters the day as the league’s top goal scorer (17).
Of the Victoire’s nine players to appear in all 29 of the team’s games to date, only Mariah Keopple played every game for Montréal last season. Ten members of the Sirens can suit up for their 30th games of the season, including four players who also played in all 24 of New York’s inaugural season games (Jaime Bourbonnais, Jade Downie-Landry, Jessie Eldridge, Abby Roque).
New York returns home for the first time since Mar. 22 having played their last four games on the road. The Sirens have a 1-3-1-7 record at Prudential Center, with their lone regulation win coming in their home opener against Toronto on Dec. 18. Their overall record in home games is 2-3-2-7 (.333), which ranks sixth in the league. Montréal is tied for the best road record in the PWHL at 5-2-3-4 (.524).
The Sirens’ current four-game point streak (3-0-1-0) is their longest of the season. New York has allowed just two goals over their last three games, which is the fewest goals allowed in a three-game span by any PWHL team this season.
Corinne Schroeder has posted shutouts in back-to-back games (16 saves vs. MTL & 33 saves vs. MIN), her second time with back-to-back shutouts this season (also Jan. 4 & 12). She remains the only goaltender in PWHL history with shutouts in consecutive games. Her four shutouts this season are double the amount of anyone else.
Ella Shelton scored the Sirens’ lone goal against the Sceptres Tuesday. Shelton’s eight goals are the most scored by a PWHL defender in a season following her league-leading seven scored last season. The Sirens’ 15 total goals by defenders also lead the league.
Sarah Fillier leads the season series with seven points (3G, 4A). She also leads the Sirens in points (27) and penalty minutes (35), something no PWHL skater did last year. The only other skater to lead their team in both categories is Ottawa’s Tereza Vanišová (21/38). The Sirens rookie is the first skater with at least 25 points and 30 PIM in a season.
Roque has a four-game home point streak (2G, 3A) and Bourbonnais has a three-game home streak (1G, 3A).
The Sirens are the only team with a winning record against the Victoire this season (2-1-0-2). Last season, the Sirens’ only win in five games against the Victoire came in a shootout. Another Sirens victory today would make them the only team with three straight wins against the Victoire this season.
“Our fans have been with us every step of the way this season, and this final game is about showing them how much that means to us. We’re proud of the growth and grit this group has shown, and we want to finish strong—for each other and for everyone who’s supported us.” - Sirens Head Coach Greg Fargo.
It was do or die for the Cleveland Monsters against the Laval Rocket
They pulled through with a 3-1 win on Sunday
The teams meet again for Game 4 on Tuesday
The second edition of the PWHL Playoffs is set to begin on Wednesday night
the league formally revealed the schedule for the league’s second postseason
Ottawa Charge and Minnesota Frost continuing their quest for the Walter Cup
The path to the playoffs was very different for all four teams
The Victoire were unquestionably the most consistent teams in the PWHL this season. The team started off strong, using great play from captain Marie-Philip Poulin and linemate Laura Stacey to establish themselves as one of the best teams in the league
While some teams tailed off after a series of hot starts
Montreal continued to stay at the top of the standings
The Victoire tailed off in the second half of the season
losing six of their final 10 games of the season
they were able to secure first place for the first time
The Sceptres had an abysmal start to the 2024-25 season
winning just two of their first eight games of the season
similar to what happened during the inaugural season
the team climbed up the standings thanks to a strong stretch of play
using a nine-game point streak to contend for first place once again
most of which without reigning league MVP Natalie Spooner
Toronto wasn’t able to catch Montreal for first place
but was good enough to secure home-ice advantage for the playoffs with a second-place result
Tereza Vanišová and Gwyneth Philips stepped up to get their team to the postseason
The reigning Walter Cup champions sneaked into the playoffs once again
The Frost had an incredible start to the season
trying to show that a championship hangover was merely a myth
the team struggled with players in and out of the lineup all season
paired up with losing nine of 11 contests in February and March
Minnesota faced the possibility of missing the playoffs entirely
winning three of their final four games of the season to secure fourth place
beating out the Boston Fleet on the final day of the season
The Victoire made the decision to face the Charge in the first round
setting up a rematch between the Sceptres and Frost in the opening round
The Victoire play their home games at Place Bell
The Charge will be hosting Montreal at TD Place Arena
shared tenants with the Ottawa 67’s of the OHL
Toronto will play its home games at Coca-Cola Coliseum, home of the AHL’s Toronto Marlies. Minnesota will continue to play at Xcel Energy Center, the home of the Minnesota Wild
This article first appeared on Daily Faceoff and was syndicated with permission
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Cloudy with rain developing after midnight
Laurent Dauphin looks to set the play to Sean Farrell in front of Cleveland goalie Jet Greaves
The Laval Rocket returned to a packed Place Bell looking to apply the broom to the Cleveland Monsters in the North Division semifinal best of five series following a pair of wins in Cleveland
the Monsters had a different mindset as Cleveland avoided elimination thanks to a 3-1 victory over the Rocket in front of the sold-out Laval crowd of 10,243
Spoiling the party was the high-flying acrobatics of Cleveland goalie Jet Greaves and a Monster effort by Dylan Gambrell
who potted a pair to pace the visitors win
Greaves antics between the pipes frustrated the Rocket shooters
“You always want to expect the other goalie to put on a show and give their best,” Rocket Cayden Primeau said of his counterpart
but we just got to park it and get ready for the next one.”
The Rocket came out squeezing their sticks a bit tight
playing with a touch of nervousness but settled down from the second frame onward
Laval had no solution for Greaves until Laurent Dauphin spoiled Greaves’ shutout bid with 6:34 to go in the third
“I think we were nervous to start,” Laurent Dauphin said
but we let them lead a little bit and it cost us.”
going 0-for-4 and allowed the Monsters to score a shorthanded goal in the third to make it a 3-0 game
“Our PP has to be better,” Rocket head coach Pascal Vincent said
There's a lot of things we can be better at
but there's a few things that we know we need to do
The opening tract went scoreless with Cleveland holding the edge in shots 12-9
Rocket netminder Cayden Primeau was sharp on several quality chances fired his way by the Monsters
It was a chippy 20 minutes with the two combatants looking to establish dominance
a dozen was for roughing and a pair of fighting majors between Cleveland’s Joseph LaBate and Laval’s Florian Xhekaj
The game remained scoreless until there was 1:55 to play in the middle frame when the Monsters took advantage of scrambly play in front of Primeau
Gambrell buried his shot on a rebound from directly in front to give the Monsters a 1-0 edge heading into the third
Laval thought they had the equalizer 4:48 into the third
but the goal was waved off for a dislodged net
Cleveland stormed into the Rocket zone and Gambrell notched an insurance marker
one-timing a pass from Luca Pinelli into the top right corner 7:32 into the third
Roman Achan made it 3-0 with a shortie when he got behind the Laval defence
controlled a flip pass from Samuel Knazko and bested Primeau
A solid second effort by Dauphin was rewarded with the shutout buster on Greaves making it a 3-1 contest
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Montreal Victoire’s Laura Stacey (7) celebrates with teammates after scoring the winning goal in overtime during PWHL hockey game action against the Boston Fleet in Laval
The PWHL regular-season champion Montreal Victoire bucked the standings on Sunday in selecting to open the playoffs facing the third-place Ottawa Charge
general manager Danièle Sauvageau said the team followed a process that included consulting with her staff and players
didn’t go into detail in choosing to face Ottawa over fourth-place Minnesota
“There was a lot of considerations that went into it
there wasn’t just one ingredient,” she said
The best-of-five semifinals open Wednesday
with second-place Toronto hosting defending champion Frost
Montreal will open its postseason on Thursday against the Charge
who are making their first postseason appearance
There was very little to differentiate between Ottawa and Minnesota
given the teams finished in a three-way tie with Boston in having 44 points
Boston finished fifth based on having fewer regulation wins
Montreal finished the season series going 4-2 against both Ottawa and Minnesota — though the Charge won the final two outings
the six-team league adopted a rule in which the first-place team chooses whether to play the third- or fourth-place team rather than following the standings order
Toronto finished first and went with the 1 vs
4 matchup in selecting Minnesota as its first-round opponent
The Frost rallied from a 2-0 series deficit to eliminate the Sceptres before going on to claim the first Walter Cup in winning a five-game series over Boston
Similar to how the PWHL’s inaugural regular season ended last year
the playoff race came down to the final day with Ottawa and Minnesota clinching the final two spots along with Montreal securing first place
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TORONTO — The Montreal Victoire will face the Ottawa Charge in the opening round of the Professional Women’s Hockey League playoffs.
Montreal general manager Danièle Sauvageau announced the selection of Ottawa as its first opponent on Sunday on the league’s “Jocks in Jills” podcast.
The regular-season PWHL champion has the option of selecting either the third seed or the fourth seed to face in a best-of-five first-round series. The Charge finished third, ahead of the fourth-place Minnesota Frost through a tiebreaker.
The Victoire’s decision means the second-seeded Toronto Sceptres will face the Frost in the first round for the second straight year.
The Charge, who are in the playoffs for the first time, won their last two regular-season games against the Victoire after losing the first four.
In the inaugural 2024 season, the regular-season-champion Sceptres elected to face the fourth-seeded Frost in the first round. Minnesota went on to upset Toronto before defeating the Boston Fleet in the final to claim the first Walter Cup.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 4, 2025.
The Laval Rocket lead the series against the Cleveland Monsters
The teams play each other three more times
with the next two taking place on May 6th and May 1st
On Saturday, May 3, the New York Sirens hosted the Montreal Victoire for their final game of the 2024-25 Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) regular season
Although the Victoire took a strong early lead
the Sirens battled back to give the Victoire victory by only one goal
Although the Sirens had a 3-goal deficit heading into the third period, Sarah Fillier quickly cut that down for her team
The Sirens were on the power play after the Victoire were called out for too many players on the ice
Fillier fired the shot and put the Sirens on the board three minutes into the third period.
Related: Montreal Victoire Defeat New York Sirens 3-2
Fillier has been stellar for the Sirens this season, racking up 29 points via 13 goals and 16 assists. As this was the last game of the regular season, Fillier tied Hilary Knight for the highest number of points earned in the season
She also tied with Renata Fast for the most assists in the season.
Fillier’s contract will expire at the end of the regular season
regarding whether or not she will re-sign with New York
There is no denying that she has been the Sirens’ greatest player all season; whether or not she wants to re-sign is another story.
Despite their overall standings in the league, the Sirens did not give up when they were down two goals. In the final seconds, Alex Carpenter took a shot into the top corner of the net to score the second goal for the Sirens
this goal showed that the Sirens did not give up even at the very end.
Despite enduring an injury that kept her out for four games
Carpenter finished the season with 20 points in 26 games
She scored 11 goals and recorded nine assists
recording the third-highest point total for the Sirens this season
With only 37 points earned for the 2024-25 season, the Sirens have once again finished last place. At the midway point of the season, they were primed to take a playoff spot but went on a nine-game losing streak, a PWHL record. The Sirens set the record last season with an eight-game losing streak.
Even though they did not perform well this season and are now the only team that has not made the playoffs, the Sirens earn some benefits by being the worst in the league. Out of the two teams eliminated from playoff contention, whichever team records the most points since being eliminated earns the right to the first overall draft pick. Since the Sirens were the first team eliminated, they will again select first in the draft.
Fillier was the first overall draft pick in the 2024 Draft, and as mentioned above, she has performed well for the Sirens all season. While New York will have to offload some of their players with the upcoming expansion draft, the Sirens are setting themselves up for success in the 2025 Draft.
While the Sirens are not heading into the postseason, there is still plenty of work to be done before the 2025-26 season. With the expansion draft looming for PWHL Vancouver and PWHL Seattle in mid-June and an influx of players coming in through the 2025 PWHL Draft on June 24, there will be some shakeups to the Sirens roster.
Founded in 2009, and 100% Canadian-owned, The Hockey Writers is a premier destination for news and information on everything hockey. Updated hourly, with analysis, commentary and features from hundreds writers worldwide, our articles are read millions of times every month.
© 2025 BVM Sports. Best Version Media, LLC.
clinching a 4-0 victory and taking a 2-0 lead in their playoff series
Jacob Fowler put on an impressive performance
The Rocket struck early with a goal from Jared Davidson just over two minutes into the game and maintained offensive pressure throughout
they struggled to convert and fell short against Laval’s strong defense and effective forechecking
While Laval showcased a dominant performance
Cleveland's inability to convert on power plays and generate consistent offensive pressure raises questions about their strategies moving forward in the playoff series
where the Rocket will look to extend their series lead
Cleveland must adapt quickly to avoid elimination
Laval's solid team effort and stellar goaltending by Jacob Fowler have set the tone in the series
Cleveland needs to regroup and strategize effectively to mount a comeback
or they risk facing an early exit from the playoffs
The summary of the linked article was generated with the assistance of artificial intelligence technology from OpenAI
Habs Eyes on the Prize • William Shoukri
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The Victoire will choose their opponent for the first round on Sunday
while the Fleet misses the playoffs for the first time
but it doesn't get much closer than the last three games of the season
it's the Ottawa Charge and Minnesota Frost who play their way into a playoff spot
while the Boston Fleet will miss the postseason after losing in the finals last season
the Montréal Victoire and the Toronto Sceptres had already clinched a playoff spot
All that was left for them to determine was who would finish first overall
earning the chance to pick their opponent for round one
and Minnesota all entered Saturday's games with a chance to capture the final two spots
What's at stake: First place overall for the Sceptres
How Toronto could do it: The Sceptres needed to win in regulation
AND the Victoire needed to lose in regulation to the Sirens
How Ottawa could do it: Ottawa had the most options to get into the playoffs
but the easiest way was with a win over the Sceptres
The outcome: The Charge definitely kept fans on their toes in this game
They went down early to Toronto when Nurse netted a beautiful goal to put the Sceptres up 1-0
FOREHAND 🤯 BACKHAND 🤯 FOREHANDSarah Nurse makes it look so easyyyy https://t.co/Sqsysr6wgB pic.twitter.com/aRMULv7cqM
But Charge captain Brianne Jenner scored the equalizer just over a minute later. The Charge were 12-1 coming into this game when Jenner scored
so a goal from their captain was certainly a good sign
The captain claps back 👏Brianne Jenner snipes one to tie the game for @PWHL_Ottawa 🫡 https://t.co/3CAFml7Ckq pic.twitter.com/YXVltuAepb
Neither team could get the advantage before the game ended
Playoff impact: By not winning in regulation
the Sceptres finished second overall and will face whoever the Victoire does not choose in the first round
Scoreboard watching between periods showed the Frost with a 4-0 lead over the Fleet
meaning Ottawa needed to get it done in overtime
Kateřina Mrázová potted the overtime winner halfway through overtime
sending the Ottawa Charge to their first playoffs
came up huge for her teammates in the few games that she was able to play
Playoff impact: The Ottawa Charge clinch a playoff spot
leaving the remaining spot to either the Fleet or the Frost
FIRE UP THE KAZOOS, WE'RE TAKING THE CAPITAL BY STORM!Ottawa, we CANNOT WAIT to see you in the playoffs!!!!🎟 https://t.co/rfOsFeU5p4 pic.twitter.com/wADXqfrYLw
What's at stake: The Frost and the Fleet could clinch playoff spots
How Minnesota could do it: Minnesota needs a regulation win over Boston OR a win in overtime and a Charge loss in regulation
How Boston could do it: Earn a single point against Minnesota OR Charge loss to the Sceptres
The outcome: The Frost were not leaving anything up to the other teams
Curl-Salemme notched the first goal of the game just two minutes into the first period
and Stecklein followed that one up less than a minute later
Such a slay ✨ https://t.co/IMLk8AgWuW pic.twitter.com/Pk7MiSkzo6
Coyne Schofield snuck another one past Frankel
Peslarová came in for the second period for the Fleet
holding off the Frost until about six minutes into the period when Jacques boosted the lead to 4-0
Curl-Salemme followed up for her second goal of the game mid-way through the period
sending the Frost to intermission with a 5-0 lead
the Fleet pulled Peslarová with 16 minutes left in the period to play with six attackers
all but solidifying the Frost's playoff chances
The Fleet have pulled Peslarová with 16:45 remaining.I guess
but their season ended with an 8-1 loss to Minnesota
Playoff Impact: Minnesota clinches the final playoff spot
The inaugural PWHL Walter Cup Champions are back in it! 🗣️With their victory over Boston this afternoon, @PWHL_Minnesota clinched a spot in the Playoffs. pic.twitter.com/92Jz7o5ZNp
What's at stake: Montréal can clinch first place overall and choose their opponent for round one
but they can continue to win games towards getting the first overall pick
How Montréal could do it: The Victoire need one point against the Sirens or a Sceptres loss
The outcome: With the Sceptres losing right near the beginning of this one
the Victoire clinched first place mid-way through the first period of this game
The Victoire jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead
Pas pire lancer Elite sniper pic.twitter.com/KsUHMbCoao
clawing their way back into the game with two goals but they couldn't get it done
The Victoire will announce their first-round opponent live on the Jocks in Jills podcast and the PWHL YouTube Channel on Sunday
The first playoff game will be on Wednesday
The Victoire have selected the Charge as their first-round opponent
Nous affronterons…We will face… pic.twitter.com/cTrDefm2dq
A soccer ball with the Northern Super League logo sits on a table before a league news conference
LAVAL - Tanya Boychuk’s second-half goal earned Montreal Roses FC a 2-1 win over Ottawa Rapid FC in Northern Super League action Saturday
Boychuk scored at the 70-minute mark to break a 1-1 tie
Latifah Abdu had the other goal for Montreal (3-0)
which outshot its opponent 15-4 and 5-1 in on-target shots
Delaney Pridham had the lone goal for Ottawa (1-2)
opening the scoring 40 minutes into the first half
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 3
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Primeau was loaned to AHL Laval on Saturday.
Primeau was the backup goalie behind Jakub Dobes after Sam Montembeault (groin) sustained an injury in Game 3 versus Washington. Despite a 20-save shutout by Jacob Fowler in a 4-0 win over AHL Cleveland on Friday, Primeau could return to the crease in the Calder Cup Playoffs. The 25-year-old Primeau was sensational with Laval in the regular season, going 21-2-2 with a 1.96 GAA and a .927 save percentage across 26 appearances.
when Ligue1 Québec champions FC Laval will look to be the second team from the Montreal area to eliminate a Toronto-based side in this year's tournament
The Nine Stripes have their sights set on a longer cup run than last year
where they lost in the first round to CPL rivals (and eventual semi-finalists) Forge FC
York do have a strong history in this competition
having made it to the semis themselves in 2022
It'll be York's second time meeting a League1 side in this tournament
their only other encounter being a 5-0 win over Master's FA back in 2021
they'll be keen on delivering another emphatic win to help spark an improvement in their league form as well; York haven't won since the first week of the season
despite having led in four of their five matches at some point
the Nine Stripes faced a tough battle against CPL champions Cavalry FC
but they ended up empty-handed after conceding the winner in the second half
York find themselves 1-1-3 in this CPL season so far
which might mean a cup tie is a welcome distraction coming at a good time for them
"We've shown what we can do with and without the ball," head coach Mauro Eustáquio said Monday
but the results haven't been going our way; I think it's been clear
The players understand the way we want to play
and we've had really good spells but we just turn off in certain ones
He'll be relying on attacking stars like Julian Altobelli (five goals in five games to start the year) to provide the spark against Laval
The Quebecois visitors earned their spot in this year's tournament by winning the Ligue1 Québec title
beating CS Saint-Laurent by two points to top the table
Laval have a tough act to follow in Saint-Laurent
who made a wonderful Cinderella run in last year's competition by beating the Halifax Wanderers on penalties before taking on MLS side Toronto FC
Laval bring with them a side full of talent
including a few names familiar to Canadian Premier League fans
Quentin Paumier was a standout at the U SPORTS level for a few years (and was drafted by FC Edmonton in 2022)
and last year he won the L1Q Ballon d'argent as the league's second-best player
while Laval's manager Mario Kancel was the league's coach of the year
fullback Obeng Tabi -- a former Halifax Wanderer in the CPL -- was part of the CS Saint-Laurent team that did so well last year
so his experience in this tournament could prove useful
This will be Laval's second appearance as a club in the Canadian Championship
and they'll be hoping for their first victory
but lost 3-0 in their debut match against Forge FC
The winner of Tuesday's game will book a date with Atlético Ottawa in the quarter-finals
Given the recent animosity between Atleti and York
the Nine Stripes will want nothing more than another crack at the Ottawa side
Best finish: Semi-finals (2022) -- Lost 2-1 to Vancouver Whitecaps
Best finish: First Round (2023) -- Lost 3-0 to Forge FC
We apologize, but this video has failed to load.Try refreshing your browser, ortap here to see other videos from our team.Play VideoArticle contentFC Laval has had the date circled on its calendar for months now
the semi-pro Ligue1 Quebec champion visits York United FC of the Canadian Premier League in preliminary-round play in the Telus Canadian Championship
“We’re very very eager to be on the pitch (Tuesday),” said Laval coach Amro Radwan
They’re really excited about this opportunity.”
Laval lost 3-0 at Forge FC in preliminary-round play in 2023 in its only other trip to the cup competition
Pacific FC hosts Vancouver FC in an all-Canadian Premier League matchup
it’s Halifax Wanderers at Forge in another CPL showdown in Hamilton and League1 B.C.’s TSS FC Rovers at Winnipeg’s Valour FC
Four teams have already made it to the two-legged quarterfinals
including the MLS-leading Vancouver Whitecaps who received a bye into the final eight as defending champion
The next issue of The Winnipeg Sun's Daily Headline News will soon be in your inbox
CF Montreal dispatched Toronto FC in a penalty shootout, CPL champion Cavalry FC blanked League1 Alberta’s Edmonton Scottish 6-0 and CPL-leading Atletico Ottawa downed League1 Ontario’s Scrosoppi FC 2-0.
The York-Laval winner will face Ottawa in the quarterfinals while the Pacific-Vancouver FC survivor takes on Cavalry.
Laval, which topped Ligue1 Quebec last year with a 12-5-3 record, has had just one league outing to date this season — a 3-1 win at CS St-Hubert on April 25. But Radwan says the team has been training since January,
“We’ve had enough games and training to make sure we’re ready for this challenge,” he said.
The team, which only has a couple of holdovers from the 2023 squad that played in the cup competition, gets together three or four times a week in advance of matches.
The young talent on the Laval squad includes forward Ibrahim Conde, the lone Canadian invited to the MLS College Showcase in San Diego in December. Conde is a good friend and former college teammate of Canadian international defender Moise Bombito at Iowa Western Community College and the University of New Hampshire.
“He’s a top talent and we’ve got a few other players of similar quality to Ibrahim,” said Radwan, who also coached Conde as a youth. “It’s a really talented group — boys who’ve know each other for a long time so they’re familiar with each other on the pitch.”
Lava’s co-captains are central midfielder Quentin Paumier and centre back Bilal Bouchemella. Radwan’s choices in goal are Martin Cantona and 19-year-old Aydan Kancel-Marie.
“We’re aware of what they can bring,” said York coach Mauro Eustaquio, whose team is coming off a 2-1 loss to visiting Cavalry on Friday. “So it won’t be an easy game. They have quality players, they’re well-coached and they’re here to prove a point as well.”
York (1-3-1) currently stands sixth in the eight-team CPL and is winless in four games (0-3-1) since the season-opening 2-0 victory at Vancouver FC on April 6.
Eustaquio’s team, been hit by injuries, is still finding its footing.
“We’ve shown what we can do with and without the ball … The results haven’t been going our way,” said Eustaquio.
“The players understand the way we want to play,” he added. “We’ve had really good spells but then we just turn off in certain (moments) and we’ve been punished by that … Tuesday is another opportunity that we have to show what we can do.”
The teams drew 1-1 when they met in league play April 26 in Langley, B.C., with French midfielder Aly Ndom scoring the tying goal for Pacific in the 70th minute. Veteran Uruguayan midfielder Nicolas Mezquida, a former Whitecap, had given Vancouver the lead in the 17th minute.
The rivalry between the two was shown by the game’s seven yellow cards and one red.
Vancouver (1-2-2) is fourth in the CPL standings, three places but just one point ahead of Pacific (1-3-1). It is unbeaten in its last three outings (1-0-2) since dropping its first two games of the campaign (against York and Ottawa).
“They have a lot of quality in the higher area of the pitch in (Alejandro) Diaz and Terran Campbell and Mezquida,” said Pacific coach James Merriman. “This is a very good front three and we need to make sure that we’re focused on the detail for 90-plus minutes, because, as you see, they can get one or two chances and they take those chances.”
Pacific (1-3-1) has not won since the season-opening 2-0 win over visiting Valour.
Vancouver is looking for its first cup win, losing by 1-0 scores in the preliminary-round at York in 2023 and at Cavalry last year.
“We’re growing not only every season but also every match, especially this season,” said Vancouver coach Afshin Ghotbi. “We’re in a very good place. All the players feel very confident. At the same time humble and they’re hungry for more.”
The Canadian Championship winner hoists the Voyageurs Cup and wins $50,000 and a berth in the CONCACAF Champions Cup, the elite club competition in North and Central America and the Caribbean.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 5, 2025.
transmission or republication is strictly prohibited
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their AHL affiliate will finally begin their quest for the Calder Cup
The second-round series between the Laval Rocket and Cleveland Monsters gets underway on Wednesday night
though it will be Laval’s first taste of playoff action
while the Monsters have already played a best-of-three series versus the Toronto Marlies
The AHL playoffs are a little different from the NHL
in that the top team from every division gets a bye into the second round
Seeing as the Rocket finished the season as the top team in the league
they will maintain home-ice advantage throughout the entirety of the playoffs
It’s also worth noting their 48-19-0-5 record was far and away their best results since the team moved to Laval
MUST READ: The Laval Rocket Are Building Something Special In The AHL
don’t be shocked that the first game of the series will take place in Cleveland
The Monsters will host the first two games of the series
while the Rocket will serve as the home team for the final three meetings
A very important player is returning to the Rocket lineup just in time for the playoffs
Brandon Gignac hasn’t played a game since late December
the talented forward will be in uniform for Game 1
Cayden Primeau is in the NHL due to Samuel Montembeault’s injury
which means former NCAA netminder Jacob Fowler will serve as the team’s starter
Fowler maintained a 2-1 record in his three career AHL starts
coupled with an encouraging .917 save percentage
Rocket head coach Pascal Vincent has done a great job inspiring his troops this season
and they’ve found a way to win regardless of who is in the lineup
Sean Farrell will continue to play on the top line
alongside Laurent Dauphin and Alex Barre-Boulet
a situation that has led to a significant uptick in scoring from the 23-year-old winger
Gignac is expected to lineup with Owen Beck and Joshua Roy on the second line
their excellent depth may be their greatest strength
few teams can handle Canadiens prospects Jared Davidson and Florian Xhekaj
the rough-and-tumble duo that hasn’t just driven opponents up a wall
they’ve also done their fair share of scoring
Davidson finished third in Rocket scoring this season
while rookie Florian Xhekaj had an exceptional professional debut
They both did so while mostly playing on the third and fourth line
Adam Engstrom and David Reinbacher could serve as the top pairing
talented defensive who have the potential to one day make an impact on the Canadiens lineup
here’s what the team’s lineup could look like for Game 1
Ça pourrait ressembler à ça demain soir pour le Rocket:
— Anthony Marcotte (@anthonymarcotte) April 29, 2025
Game 1 of the Rocket – Monsters series will be aired on RDS as well as AHL TV
Canadiens Loss Shouldn’t Overlook Positives In 2024-25 Season
Canadiens Playoff Preview & Lines: Carrier Game Time Decision
Yet the same could have been said not that long ago of Sean Farrell and look at how well he has been playing
I believe Habs Organization gives him next year to prove he has a future
I think he becomes a trade chip in a bigger deal
perhaps as part of a trade for a 2C this summer
If anyone knows of a reliable source to watch the games (in English?) for free (such as a YouTube channel) let me know
I don’t need to watch live if that’s not an option
Merci Habs for an exciting season and playoffs
The Cleveland Monsters fell to the Laval Rocket 3-2 on Wednesday night at Rocket Arena
the Monsters trail the North Division Semifinals best-of-five series 0-1
Joseph LaBate tipped in a power-play goal at 12:07 of the middle frame with helpers from Luca Del Bel Belluz and Trey Fix-Wolansky putting the Monsters ahead
Laval’s Sean Farrell scored two goals at 16:09 and 19:24 on the man advantage sending Cleveland to the final intermission trailing 2-1
The Rocket’s Owen Beck notched a tally at 5:11 of the third period
but the Monsters battled back with a power-play marker from Denton Mateychuk at 17:36 assisted by Fix-Wolansky and LaBate
Cleveland’s Jet Greaves stopped 29 shots in defeat while Laval’s Jacob Fowler made 23 saves for the win
The Monsters and Rocket meet for Game 2 of the North Division Semifinals on Friday
Follow the games with full coverage on Rock Entertainment Sports Network
GAME SHEET – GAME PHOTOS – GAME HIGHLIGHTS*
*Game highlights will appear as soon as possible following video processing
As the Canadiens’ post-season wrapped up in D.C.
Laval’s was just getting started in Ohio
It had been slightly more than two weeks since the Laval Rocket had last taken the ice for a game of hockey to close out the regular season with a win over the Belleville Senators on the road
and the regular-season trophy as the AHL’s top team
That time was used determined their opponent for their first playoff matchup
with Cleveland upsetting Toronto 2-0 in a best-of-three series
The time off gave the Rocket a much-needed health boost as both Brandon Gignac and Rafaël Harvey-Pinard rejoined the lineup
Harvey-Pinard took his old spot on the second line alongside Lucas Condotta and Xavier Simoneau while Gignac centred the third line with Joshua Roy and Owen Beck
The defence was back to full strength with David Reinbacher and Adam Engström forming the top pair
with Cayden Primeau serving as an emergency backup for the Montreal Canadiens
who was making just his fourth career start
It was the Rocket top line that jumped out to a quick start
generating a long stay inside the offensive zone and testing Jet Greaves with multiple chances in close
a kerfuffle kicked off by a William Trudeau hit led to Reinbacher getting his stick up and taking a seat for cross-checking
The Monsters’ power play threatened to tilt the ice almost instantly as their power play peppered Fowler between the pipes
Rocco Grimaldi put a hard shot on net that Fowler kicked out his pad to stop
The Cleveland forward had a full net to look at
but a desperation stick check by Tyler Wotherspoon deflected the shot wide and led to a Monsters penalty to put the Rocket on their first power play
While the Rocket’s top unit put plenty of rubber on net
Greaves denied them the game’s first goal and the play returned to even strength without a goal on the board
The period settled down slightly from the hectic opening minutes
with both sides only managing to get a few shots from range on net
and both goalies swallowing up anything that did get on goal
Just as it looked like the Monsters were going to break in on an odd-man break
Luca Pinelli slashed at Xavier Simoneau and put a dangerous-looking Laval power play back on the ice
the chances were flowing with ease as the top unit put together a strong showing
but Greaves continued to be a stubborn opponent as he yielded no second chances
While the Rocket were guiding the game in their favour
they couldn’t help but end the period with a bit of indiscipline
Alex Barré-Boulet was dinged for roughing as the period came to a close
forcing the Rocket penalty kill into action after the intermission
Laval’s penalty-killers were locked in right from the opening puck drop
with Greaves being forced into a diving save to rob Simoneau along the goal line
From there it was all Fowler as he battled through screens and quick passes to deny any of the Monsters’ shooters on the advantage
Then it was the speed of Gignac that drew another penalty for Laval as Roman Ahcan tackled him on a breakout
At the risk of sounding like a broken record it was once again Greaves frustrating the Rocket shooters at every turn
and again killing off a strong Rocket power play
Shortly after Ahcan was freed from the box
an odd-man rush for the Monsters turned into another penalty kill as Jared Davidson took a slashing penalty behind the play to try to slow Cleveland down
Cleveland’s man advantage came out flying after its first attempt was snuffed out by the Rocket
The speed of the Monsters was on full display as they knifed through the penalty-killers quickly
forcing Fowler to make a number of quick pad saves in close
the penalty-killers made it through the rough patch with the game still scoreless
The lack of discipline from the Rocket finally caught up with them with just over half the period gone as Reinbacher took a seat for hooking
Cleveland smelled blood in the water from their earlier power play and finally found a way to best the Rocket’s rookie netminder
Joseph LaBate set himself in front of the net and a shot from Luca del bel Belluz pinged off his stick and in to finally break the deadlock in favour of the home side
the Rocket kicked their game into another gear and began pressing Cleveland shift after shift looking for a tying goal
the Rocket top line was the one to finally find the back of the net off a strong offensive-zone shift
who slid up into the zone before leaving the puck off for Laurent Dauphin
but Sean Farrell swooped in to pot the rebound and get the Rocket on the board
a slashing call sent the Rocket back to the power play with just a minute left to play in the second period
It was the top unit of the power play that finally clicked this time and Laval snatched the lead back
feeding a pass off to Barré-Boulet who in turn put a slap-pass right into the slot
Farrell was all alone with his stick on the ice and redirected the pass by Greaves and the Rocket entered the second intermission with all the momentum
the Rocket top line came out flying and forced the Monsters defence into several turnovers inside their defensive zone
Barré-Boulet came closest to furthering the lead as he looked to wrap the puck around into the net
but a lunging pad by Greaves denied him at the last moment
it was an out-of-place mistake by Greaves that added to the Rocket lead
but his pass landed right in the lap of Gignac
The veteran forward quickly fired a pass to the net
where Beck quickly redirected it with his skate and made it a 3-1 contest
the Rocket defence switched into lockdown mode and smothered every potential Cleveland counter as the minutes bled away on the clock
Even when the Monsters broke into the zone
Fowler was there to fend off anything put on net
the Monsters opted to pull Greaves to try to press the issue as the Rocket tightened up their defensive shell
For nearly two minutes straight the Rocket handled the extra attacker with ease
but a Farrell penalty suddenly gave Cleveland a six-on-four advantage
The extra attackers proved to be too much as Fix-Wolansky teed up Denton Mateychuk for a one-timer that the Monsters defender put just under the crossbar to cut the lead to one
Cleveland again pulled Greaves for the final minute of regulation
but despite their continued pressure there was not another goal to be found
but a bobbled puck forced Grimaldi to chase it back to the point
where all he could do was throw one last shot at the pads of Fowler as the horn sounded on a series-opening win for Laval
and Game 2 of this series will take place in Cleveland with puck drop scheduled for 7 PM ET
It’s unclear who the Canadiens will be returning to the Rocket with both Cayden Primeau and Jakub Dobeš eligible for the AHL playoffs
HeadlinesLatest NewsPodcasts (new window)EnglishENHomeCourts and CrimeDriver who crashed bus into Laval daycare ’stole our innocent child,’ mother tells court
a makeshift memorial was set up at the scene of the daycare bus crash
Pierre Ny St-Amand found not criminally responsible for crash that killed 2 kids
The mother of a four-year-old boy killed when a city bus plowed into a Montreal-area daycare in 2023 told a courtroom on Thursday how angry she is at the accused for breaking her family
He stole our innocent child who only wanted to play with his friends and his sister
said Marie-Christine Cloutier about the man on trial for killing her son Jacob and a five-year-old girl
Cloutier and other members of families affected by the attack read victim-impact statements in a courtroom in Montreal's northern suburb of Laval
days after a Superior Court judge found the accused — 53-year-old former city bus driver Pierre Ny St-Amand — not criminally responsible for what he did
I am so angry with him for dragging us into this whirlwind we didn't choose
Cloutier told the courtroom through a video stream
Justice Éric Downs accepted the joint conclusion from the Crown and the defence that Ny St-Amand was unable to discern right from wrong at the time of the fatal crash
Psychiatrists for the Crown and the defence had both concluded Ny St-Amand was likely experiencing psychosis when he drove the bus into the daycare
killing Jacob and a five-year-old girl named Maeva
whose family name is covered by a publication ban at the request of her parents
stay in the know with our newsletters and stream more on CBC Gem
Downs's ruling came as cold comfort to some in the courtroom on Thursday
WATCH | What parents said earlier this week after accused found not criminally responsible:
daycare crash found not criminally responsible
Some parents of children who were present when a bus crashed into a daycare in 2023 say there has been ‘no justice’ after a Quebec Superior Court judge declared the driver of the bus not criminally responsible for his actions
said the loss of her little girl has deeply shaken the family
adding that it has been difficult to explain to her two other children how to live with this trauma
They can't understand why the person who turned our lives upside down isn't criminally responsible
Maeva's father spoke about how his youngest child had just celebrated her fifth birthday on Feb
On one of her final mornings with the family
Maeva asked to be filmed behind a small cake topped with a candle
I wish that the whole family remains together
Cloutier said she will never get an answer as to why her child was taken from her
we're not supposed to prepare our child's funeral
While the statements were read in a courtroom thick with tears and emotion
Ny St-Amand sat impassively in the prisoner's box
Prosecutors have said they plan to argue that Ny St-Amand should be declared a high-risk accused
a designation that would impose stricter rules on him and require any decision taken by the provincial mental health tribunal to be confirmed by the Superior Court
Ny St-Amand's lawyers have announced they will challenge the Crown's position
WATCH | What does it mean when someone is found not criminally responsible?:
What does it mean when someone is found not criminally responsible in a trial
The defence team in the trial of Jeremy Skibicki are arguing in a Winnipeg courtroom this week that he should be found not criminally responsible
But what does that mean and what are the consequences for the accused
Sidhartha Banerjee (new window) · The Canadian Press
International fugitive returned to B.C. after being arrested in Middle East International fugitive returned to B.C. after being arrested in Middle East. Posted: 2 hours ago. VPD say Cody Casey disappeared in 2022 after removing his ankle bracelet while on bail
Alberta premier’s Mar-a-Lago visit cost more than $10,000, documents reveal Alberta premier’s Mar-a-Lago visit cost more than $10,000, documents reveal. Posted: 3 hours ago. CBC News obtains travel details through Freedom of Information request
Conservatives signal they are willing to back Carney’s Liberals on some legislation Conservatives signal they are willing to back Carney’s Liberals on some legislation. Posted: 6 hours ago. Tory House leader says party will stand with Carney in U.S
E.M. recalls details of ‘degrading’ alleged sex assault in testimony at trial of … E.M. recalls details of ‘degrading’ alleged sex assault in testimony at trial of ex-world juniors players. Posted: 6 hours ago. 'It was all just a joke to them,’ complainant tells London
Hudson’s Bay backtracks on cutting workers’ commission pay, but still won’t offer … Hudson’s Bay backtracks on cutting workers’ commission pay, but still won’t offer severance. Posted: 5 hours ago. Flip-flip follows CBC News report and grievance filed by some in the workers' union
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WATCH | What parents said earlier this week after accused found not criminally responsible:
Sidhartha Banerjee · The Canadian Press
VPD say Cody Casey disappeared in 2022 after removing his ankle bracelet while on bail
CBC News obtains travel details through Freedom of Information request
40-year-old man charged with assault and assault causing bodily harm
Flip-flip follows CBC News report and grievance filed by some in the workers' union
'It was all just a joke to them,’ complainant tells London
Tory House leader says party will stand with Carney in U.S
Cybersecurity expert warns Air Canada customers could be ‘sitting ducks’ after couple’s travel credit stolen
Officials discuss Gaza plans on condition of anonymity as Israeli military calls up reservists
Country is making co-ordinated push to work with Canada amid uneasy U.S
Revised result close enough to be subject to automatic recount
As the Liberal Party prepares for its fourth consecutive term
and its first under Prime Minister Mark Carney
The airline says it dropped the case because
court hearing her recollections of night that led to charges against 5 accused
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say they lived in dirty housing and were underpaid
Prime Minister Mark Carney says he'll call a byelection quickly: 'No games'
With the Canadiens eliminated from the NHL playoffs
would there be any consideration to moving the division final or the Calder Cup championship (if they go that far) to the Bell Centre
I remember back in 1982-83 when I covered the Verdun Juniors
The played at the Verdun Auditorium at a time when superstars like Pat LaFontaine (he scored 104 goals in 70 games) and Claude Lemieux suited up for the hometown club and the likes of Mario Lemieux and Stephane Richer were with for teams in Laval and Chicoutimi
The Verdun Auditorium was sold out with standing room only crowds of close to 6,000 people
When they sailed towards the playoff title and reached the final round
made the logical decision to move their games to the Forum
but Verdun Juniors fever hit the entire Greater Montreal Area
It was hard to differentiate between the Habs and the Juniors in terms of fan interest and media coverage
The Rocket finished in first place in their division this season and their roster is dotted with talented prospects who will find their way on to the Habs roster
there is a far greater fan interest than for the Juniors back in the day
Imagine all of that downtown excitement we had for the Canadiens returning to the city
Now the argument will be made that even though the Rocket are property of the Canadiens they are effectively Laval’s team
Many of their season ticketholders could be inconvenienced
Place Bell is very accessible for folks like me living in the West End
but especially so for those on the North Shore and parts of the East End
Perhaps the Habs could get some shuttle buses going
Place Bell has the capacity for 10,000 fans and it us a beauty of an arena
there was so much celebration going on outside the building
Fans arrived at their seats to find white Rocket t-shirts to put on and they were provided with bracelets that light up when the arena went dark
The Canadiens are a business so clearly revenue is key to their existence. Their production arm, evenko
So just consider those Rocket crowds doubling in size and ditto for the concession stands
Habs defenceman Arber Xhekaj and goalie Jakub Dobes were at Sunday’s game in a secluded part of the press box
After the game I got to speak with Arber and he has no doubt in his mind the Rocket could play before a capacity crowd at the Bell Centre even now
See my interview with Arber here on Instagram
There are a number of Rocket players who will vy for spots with the Habs
especially if forwards Joel Armia and Christian Dvorak are allowed to test free agency
there is no question he should not be brought back at his salary level
Owen Beck or my personal favorite Florian Xhekay (Arber's brother who had 21 goals and 175 penalty minutes) might get the nod
David Savard has retired so Logan Mailloux and David Reinbacher will be in the running
although I have a sneaky suspicion that Mailloux could be part of a trade for a center
In the press box Sunday was Trevor Timmins
the former head scout and assistant GM for the Canadiens
He is now the assistant director of amateur scouting for the Blue Jackets
Since he was running the Habs draft in 2021 when Mailoux was chosen in the first round (amid great controversy due to some off-ice actions)
Sunday’s game was full of excitement from start to finish
You can be certain that there are many thousands of fans who would love to see a Rocket playoff run and the fact is Place Bell cannot accommodate anymore people
Quebec held its conference tennis championships at IGA Stadium in Montreal
with the favourites taking home the women’s title while there was a minor upset on the men’s side
Here is the monthly university tennis update
the Université Laval Rouge et Or completed their dominant season by sweeping their way to the title
The women’s squad were the heavy favourites heading into the championships
having finished the regular season atop the standings with a 10-0 record in overall matchups and an astounding 65-5 record in matches
They did not take their foot off the gas at the provincial championships
The Rouge et Or defeated Concordia 4-0 in the semifinals before capping off their season with another 4-0 win over the Université de Montréal in the final
and Émilie Corbett all picked up singles wins for the Rouge et Or in the final and each contributed to the doubles
Corbett and Denis teamed up to pick up one set
while Kim and Érica Di Battista scored the other
the Rouge et Or lost just one set in the final
Read also: Diallo Breaks New Ground in Madrid
The Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières denied Université Laval of a double victory by narrowly stealing the men’s title
The Patriotes from Trois-Rivères edged out the top-seeded Rouge et Or 4-3 in the final
A finals meeting between those two schools came as little surprise as they were the top two teams in the regular season with quite a bit of daylight between them and the other five schools
four points ahead of Trois-Rivières who themselves were six points up on third-place Concordia
But with seven teams in the provincial championships
only the first-place Rouge et Or got a bye
beating École de technologie supérieur 4-1 in the quarter-finals and sweeping Concordia 4-0 in the semis before taking down Université Laval for the title
and Sacha Héroux secured the win for the Patriotes with singles victories
Laval took the doubles and got a pair of singles wins
but only managed to push one of the other singles matches to a third set
doubles was primarily the highlight for Canadians playing collegiate tennis in the United States
a few Canucks have begun posting some impressive results in singles
the LSU Tiger sat just outside the Top 40 in the Division I women’s singles rankings
she’s gone 5-1 in singles play (with three matches incomplete) and has seen her ranking jump 30 spots
As of the most recent rankings from April 22
Read also: Wheelchair Update - Canadian Runners-Up at First Domestic Event of 2025
There are currently three Canadians inside the Top 30 of the women’s singles rankings
who is on a nine-match winning streak dating back to Mar
who has won 13 of her 14 singles matches in 2025 (with 10 abandoned)
Canadians are continuing to excel in doubles
1 doubles ranking alongside Elaine Chervinksy for the University of Virginia
The pair have won six of their last seven matches (with two abandoned) and have held the top spot in the rankings uninterrupted since Feb
Read also: Djokovic Struggles in Madrid
Jessica Alsola of Berkeley is not far behind
Alsola is has won 11 of her last 12 completed doubles matches
including a win over the top-ranked Collard and Chervinsky on Mar
The all-Canadian tandem of Brace and Kayla Cross are also holding strong in the Top 10 at No
Click here to view all the Canadian rankings in the NCAA
Feature Photo : Université Laval Rouge et Or
Tennis Canada today announced the 2024 recipients of the High Performance Recognition Program
With $100,000 awarded to the program this year
a total of nearly $300,000 has now been invested in the initiative that..
Markham hosted the first Canadian ITF Wheelchair event of 2025 earlier in April