Canes Push Canadiens to Brink of Elimination

Shayne Gostisbehere (Union) set up two goals, and K'Andre Miller (Wisconsin) and Jackson Blake (North Dakota) also recorded assists as the visiting Carolina Hurricanes blanked the Montreal Canadiens, 4-0, last night in Game Four of their NHL Eastern Conference series. Carolina now leads the best-of-seven series, three games to one.

Jakub Dobes (Ohio State) stopped 39 shots for the Canadiens, who were outshot, 43-18, on the night. Montreal, which will be facing elimination on Friday night in Game Five in North Carolina, is 7-3 on the road so far in the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

ADDENDUM: Blake notched a goal and an assist, and Gostisbehere and Eric Robinson (Princeton) also scored as the Hurricanes topped Montreal, 6-1, in Game Five to win the Eastern Conference title. Carolina will now meet Vegas in the 2026 Stanley Cup Final, starting Tuesday night in Raleigh.

Habs Oust Sabres in Game Seven OT

Alex Newhook (Boston College) scored just over 11 minutes into overtime for his second straight game-winning goal in a Game Seven this spring, and the Montreal Canadiens ousted the host Buffalo Sabres, 3-2, on Monday in the deciding contest of their 2026 Stanley Cup Playoff matchup. Montreal wins the Eastern Conference semifinal series, four games to three, including victories in the last two games played in Buffalo. 

Newhook, who won the Stanley Cup with Colorado in 2022, finished this series with six goals in seven games after also notching the game-winner in Game Seven of the first round at Tampa Bay. Jakub Dobes (Ohio State) stopped 37 shots last night for the Canadiens, who advance to the conference finals for the first time in five years. Jordan Greenway (Boston University) scored the first goal of the night for the Sabres, who were competing in the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2011.

Montreal will now face the Carolina Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference final starting on Thursday.

Canadiens Take 3-2 Series Lead over Sabres

Lane Hutson (Boston University) set up two goals, and Cole Caufield scored for the third straight game, as the Montreal Canadiens moved within one win of the Eastern Conference final with a 6-3 victory over the host Buffalo Sabres last night. Montreal, which trailed, 3-2, after 20 minutes of play, now leads the best-of-seven 2026 Stanley Cup Playoff series, three games to two.

Josh Doan (Arizona State) scored Buffalo's second goal, assisted by Owen Power (Michigan), as the Sabres outshot Montreal, 36-26, on the evening. Alex Newhook (Boston College) drew an assist on the game-winning goal for the Canadiens, giving him six points so far in five games. Jakub Dobes (Ohio State) made 33 saves in net for Montreal, which can wrap matters up Saturday night at home in Game Six. The series winner will face the Carolina Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference final.

In the Western Conference last night, the visiting Vegas Golden Knights routed the Anaheim Ducks, 5-1, to wrap up that quarterfinal series in five games. The Golden Knights will now face the Colorado Avalanche in the Western Conference final.

Canadiens Take Lead over Sabres, Ducks Tie Vegas

Cutter Gauthier (Boston College) tallied three assists as the Anaheim Ducks tied their Stanley Cup Playoff series with a 4-3 win over the Vegas Golden Knights on Sunday night. The best-of-seven Western Conference matchup is now tied at two games apiece, with Game Five set for Tuesday night in Las Vegas. Alex Killorn (Harvard) notched a goal and an assist for the Ducks, while Jack Eichel (Boston University) set up two goals for the Golden Knights.

In the Eastern Conference, the host Montreal Canadiens took a two game to one lead with a 6-2 victory over the Buffalo Sabres in Game Three of their series on Sunday. Alex Newhook (Boston College) notched his second two-goal game of the series for the Canadiens, who also got two points apiece from Cole Caufield (Wisconsin) and Lane Hutson (Boston University), plus 26 saves in net from Jakub Dobes (Ohio State). Tage Thompson (UConn) scored a goal and added an assist for the Sabres, who got 32 stops from Alex Lyon (Yale). Game Four is Tuesday in Montreal.

 

Canadiens Oust Lightning in Seven Games

The Montreal Canadiens have advanced to the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2021. A third-period goal by Alex Newhook (Boston College) stood up as the game-winner as the Habs edged the host Tampa Bay Lightning, 2-1, on Sunday in the seventh and deciding game of their first-round NHL Eastern Conference series. 

Jakub Dobes (Ohio State) made 28 saves in net for Montreal, which was outshot, 29-9, overall. The Canadiens will now face the Buffalo Sabres in the best-of-seven second round, starting Wednesday in upstate New York.

Montreal Takes Back Series Lead Over Tampa Bay

Lane Hutson (Boston University) scored on a slapshot just over two minutes into overtime Friday night to give the host Montreal Canadiens a 3-2 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning in the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Montreal now leads the best-of-seven series, two games to one.

Jakub Dobes (Ohio State) made 15 saves in net for the Canadiens, who are seeking their first NHL playoff series win since 2021. Jake Guentzel (Omaha) assisted on Tampa Bay's first goal of the night. All three games of this series so far have been decided in OT.

Game Four is scheduled for Sunday night in Montreal. 

BC's Fowler Wins in NHL Debut

Jacob Fowler (Boston College) stopped 36 shots in his NHL debut on Thursday night to lift the Montreal Canadiens to a 4-2 victory at Pittsburgh.  He blanked the host Penguins for just over two periods before surrendering a goal.

A native of Melbourne, Fla., Fowler began the 2025-26 season by going 10-5-0 in 15 games with Laval (AHL), where he played three regular-season games late in the 2024-25 campaign after turning pro. He was chosen in the third round (69th overall by Montreal) of the 2023 NHL Draft after his second year of junior hockey with Youngstown (USHL), when he led the Phantoms to a Clark Cup title and was also named USHL Goaltender of the Year.

Fowler, 21, joined the Montreal organization after two seasons at BC, where he backstopped the Eagles to two NCAA tournaments, including the 2024 national title game. In 74 career outings at the Heights, he fashioned a 57-13-3 record with a 1.90 goals-against average and 10 shutouts, while twice earning First Team All-America and Hockey East First All-star Team accolades. He also won the Mike Richter Award as college hockey's top goalie last year, and helped the United States to a gold medal at the 2024 World Junior Championship.

Ken Dryden 1947-2025

One of the greatest goaltenders in the history of hockey, Ken Dryden (Cornell), passed away late last week at the age of 78 following a longtime bout with cancer. He was a six-time Stanley Cup champion, a Hockey Hall of Famer, and an author, attorney, executive, and politician following his playing days.

A 1967 graduate of Cornell University, he fashioned a 76-4-1 career record with the Big Red to go with 13 shutouts, a 1.59 goals-against average and a .939 save percentage. A three-time First All-America selection, he still holds the program record for career victories. He also backstopped Cornell to the 1967 NCAA title and three ECAC tournament crowns, and since 1996 the Ken Dryden Award has been awarded to the best goaltender in ECAC Hockey as voted by the league's coaches.

Following his scholastic career, Dryden played eight years in the National Hockey League, all with the Montreal Canadiens. He led them to six Stanley Cup championships in that time, including four straight titles from 1976 to 1979.  

In 397 career regular-season NHL appearances, Dryden complied a 258-57-74 record with a 2.24 GAA, .922 save percentage, and 46 shutouts, winning both the Calder Trophy as Rookie of the Year and the Hart Trophy as Player of the Year in 1972. He also earned five Vezina trophies as the top NHL goaltender in the regular season in his tenure. 

In postseason play, he finished 80-32 in 112 Stanley Cup playoff contests (2.41, .915, 10 ShO), and was the Conn Smythe Trophy winner as NHL playoff MVP in 1971 as rookie. He played briefly for the Montréal Voyageurs (AHL) prior to joining the Canadiens, and also represented Canada at the 1969 World Championship and the 1972 Summit Series, before retiring in 1979. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1984, and his No. 1 sweater at Cornell and No. 29 with Montreal have both been retired.

During his playing career, Dryden, who hailed from Hamilton, Ont., earned his law degree from McGill University, before later serving in Canadian government as a parliamentarian. He was also president of the Toronto Maple Leafs from 1997 to 2003, and a published author whose best-known work was his best-selling 1983 treatise on hockey, "The Game." He also advocated for the prevention of concussions, and was the color commentator on ABC-TV in 1980 for "The Miracle on Ice" game in Lake Placid.

Dryden was predeceased by his older brother, Dave, who also served as an NHL goaltender with the Buffalo Sabres and Edmonton Oilers.

NCAA Alumni Boost Habs to Playoff Win

The Montreal Canadiens clawed their way back into their first-round Stanley Cup Playoff series tonight, thanks to contributions from several former NCAA skaters.

Cole Caufield (Wisconsin) and Alex Newhook (Boston College) each tallied a goal and an assist, and rookie goaltender Jakub Dobes (Ohio State) stopped seven of eight shots in 20 minutes of relief to pick up the win in Montreal's 6-3 victory tonight over the visiting Washington Capitals. The Canadiens now trail the best-of-seven NHL postseason series, two games to one. 

Jake Evans (Notre Dame), Lane Hutson (Boston University) and Mike Matheson (Boston College) also recorded assists, as the Habs won their first postseason contest since the 2020 Stanley Cup Final against Tampa Bay. Game Four against Washington is slated for Sunday at the Bell Centre in Montreal.

ADDENDUM: New Jersey also rebounded in its series against visiting Carolina, winning 3-2 in overtime on Friday to close within two games to one as defenseman Brian Dumoulin (Boston College) recorded 36-plus minutes of ice time for the victors. Edmonton did likewise in Game Three of its series Friday with visiting Los Angeles, winning by a 7-4 count as Zach Hyman (Michigan) notched two assists to help make it a two to one series. 

College Players Come Through for Canadiens

Wednesday evening in central Ohio was NCAA night for the Montreal Canadiens.

Alex Newhook (Boston College) and Cole Caufield (Wisconsin) scored goals for the Habs, and Mike Matheson recorded two assists in the third period for the visitors as Montreal outlasted the host Columbus Blue Jackets, 4-2, at Nationwide Arena. Zach Werenski (Michigan) set up one of Columbus' two goals, as the Bluejackets fell to 7-13-4 overall and four points behind Montreal in the NHL's Eastern Conference standings. 

Montreal improved to 10-10-2 with the victory, but fell back below the .500 mark the next night after a 5-1 loss to visiting Florida. Newhook, the Canadiens' top goal scorer with seven goals so far this season, was injured in that contest and did not return. He earned a Stanley Cup ring in 2022 with Colorado, a year after helping Boston College return to the NCAA tournament.

Columbus hosts Ottawa (8-9-0) tonight, while Montreal will entertain Detroit (12-7-3) tomorrow.

Former UVM Star St. Louis Named Montreal Head Coach

Former NHL star forward Martin St. Louis (Vermont) has been named the new interim coach of the Montreal Canadiens. He succeeds former UVM teammate Dominique Ducharme, who guided the Canadiens to the 2021 Stanley Cup Final but could only coax the Habs to eight wins in the 2021-22 campaign to date.

St. Louis, 46, played 16 NHL seasons with Calgary, Tampa Bay and the New York Rangers before retiring following the 2014-15 campaign. He tallied 391 goals and 642 assists for 1,033 points in 1,134 career regular-season NHL outings, and added 42-48—90 points in 107 Stanley Cup Playoff contests. He was also a member of Tampa Bay's first Stanley Cup championship team in 2005, a five time NHL All-Star selection, and won an Olympic gold medal with Canada in 2014.

A native of Laval, Quebec, St. Louis played at UVM from 1993 to 1997, recording 90-175--265 points in 138 games overall while also leading the Catamounts to the 1996 NCAA Frozen Four in Cincinnati. He was also a three-team First Team All-America selection, and a three-time finalist for the Hobey Baker Memorial Award as the nation's best player.

His previous coaching experience includes both head and assistant positions with the Mid-Fairfield (Conn.) Jr. Rangers organization. Professionally, he also served as a special teams consultant with the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2018-19.

2021 Stanley Cup Final Starts Tonight

The 2021 Stanley Cup Final begins tonight. Both teams feature former NCAA players, some of whom will be seeking their first NHL championship ring, while others will be looking to add to their collections.

Montreal Canadiens: Jeff Petry (Michigan State), Jake Evans (Notre Dame), Cole Caufield (Wisconsin), Cayden Primeau (Northeastern), Jon Merrill (Michigan).

Tampa Bay Lightning: Alex Killorn (Harvard), Blake Coleman (Miami), Ross Colton (Vermont), Ryan McDonagh (Wisconsin), Curtis McElhinney (Colorado College).

Montreal is in its first Stanley Cup final since winning the 1993 title, while Tampa Bay is the defending champion.

Montreal's Evans Severely Injured in Win

 

Jake Evans (Notre Dame) scored his first career Stanley Cup Playoff goal on Wednesday night. Hopefully he'll have an opportunity to add more after suffering a devastating injury in the same game.

Evans, 25, a Toronto native who is in his second NHL campaign with the Montreal Canadiens, sustained a concussion after he was hit by Winnipeg Jets forward Mark Scheifele in Montreal's 5-3 victory in Game One of the second-round playoff series between the two teams.

Evans had just wrapped the puck around and into an empty Winnipeg net with 57 seconds remaining in regulation for a goal, when he was hit high by Scheifele, who had skated back hard from the other end of the rink. Evans struck his head on the ice after being upended and had to be stretchered off, while Scheifele was ejected after being issued a major penalty for charging along with a misconduct. He underwent a hearing today with the NHL and has been suspended for the next four games. 

Evans skated at Notre Dame from 2014 to 2018. He tallied 41 goals and 97 assists for 138 points in 158 career outings, and also led the Fighting Irish to the 2018 NCAA championship game. Drafted 207th overall by Montreal in 2014 after he played three junior seasons with St. Michael's (OJHL), he played two seasons with Laval (AHL) after turning pro before joining the Canadiens last season. His timetable for a return to the Montreal lineup is not yet known.

Game Two of the series between the last two Canadian clubs left in this year's playoffs is slated for Friday night at the Bell MTS Place in Winnipeg.

Caufield Scores Second Career NHL Goal in OT

Two overtimes, two game-winning goals for Montreal Canadiens rookie forward Cole Caufield (Wisconsin).

Caufield, 20, connected 4:43 into the extra session on Monday night to lift Montreal to a 3-2 victory over the visiting Toronto Maple Leafs. It was the second career NHL goal for Caufield, who tallied his first-ever goal in the league just two nights earlier when he scored 2:25 into overtime to lift the host Habs to a 3-2 win over the Ottawa Senators.

Caufield now has two goals in five career NHL appearances to date. He joined the Canadiens after first auditioning with Laval (AHL), where he collected two goals and an assist in five outings last month. The 5-foot-7 Stevens Point, Wisc. native was drafted 15th overall by Montreal in 2019. 

The leading scorer in NCAA Division I men's hockey this past season with 30 goals and 52 points, Caufield also won the 2021 Hobey Baker Memorial Award as college hockey top's player. He turned pro shortly after scoring his last two collegiate goals in his final appearance with the Badgers, a 6-3 NCAA regional loss to Bemidji State on March 26. He recorded 49 goals over his two seasons at Wisconsin, and added 39 assists for 88 points in 77 career NCAA contests.

MSU's Petry Re-Signs with Montreal

Jeff Petry (Michigan State) will remain a Montreal Canadien for the next four seasons. According to the Canadiens web site, the former Spartan defenseman recently signed a deal worth an average annual value of $6.25 million that will extend his contract with the Habs through the 2024-25 NHL campaign.

Petry, 32, has played in 680 career NHL regular-season games with Edmonton and Montreal, and has registered 69 goals and 184 assists for 253 points to go with 269 penalty minutes. Drafted 45th overall by Edmonton in 2006, he skated with the Oilers from 2010 to 2014 before being traded to the Canadiens on March 2, 2015.

Petry, from Ann Arbor, Mich., played two years of junior "A" hockey with Des Moines (USHL), winning the league's Clark Cup championship in 2006, before suiting up for three seasons at MSU from 2007 to 2010. In 118 career NCAA outings as a Spartan, he notched 9-58—67 points to go along with 86 PIM. He was also named a Second-Team All-America selection following his third and final season in East Lansing.

The 6-foot-3 rearguard has also played in 51 career AHL regular-season contests with Springfield and Oklahoma City (now Bakersfield). He has also appeared in three World Championships with the U.S., and won a bronze medal in 2013.

BC's Gionta Joins Bruins After Olympics

U.S. Olympic 2018 men's hockey team captain Brian Gionta (Boston College) will be returning to the National Hockey League. The former Boston College All-America selection has signed with the Boston Bruins after leading the U.S. to a quarterfinal appearance in Pyeongchang, South Korea. According to NHL.com, the one-year contract is for $700,000 and makes Gionta eligible for the 2018 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

The 5-foot-7 native of Rochester, N.Y. went scoreless during the Olympics, recording a team-high 16 shots on goals as the U.S. fell to Slovenia and Russia and also defeated Slovakia twice before falling to the Czech Republic in a shootout to finish seventh overall.

Gionta, 39, has registered 289-299--588 points in 1,006 NHL regular season contests with the New Jersey Devils, Montreal Canadiens and Buffalo Sabres, and served as team captain of both the Canadiens and Sabres. He also has notched 32-36--68 points in 112 career Stanley Cup Playoff games with the Canadiens and Devils. A third-round draft choice (82^nd overall) of New Jersey in 1998, he won a Stanley Cup with the Devils in 2003, and still holds the franchise's single-season record with a 48-goal campaign in 2005-06.

Gionta played four years at BC (1997-2001), where he recorded a school record 123 goals and eight hat tricks in 164 games. He stands third all-time in school annals with 232 career points, and led the Eagles to a total of four Hockey East regular-season and tournament titles combined, along with four NCAA Frozen Four appearances and the 2001 national title.

A four-time All-Hockey East selection and a three-time All-America choice, Gionta was also a three-time finalist for the Hobey Baker Memorial Award as college hockey's best player. He also won both the Walter Brown Award and the Hockey East Player of the Year Award as a senior in 2000-01, after scoring 33 goals for a second consecutive season.

Gionta last played in the NHL in 2016-17 with Buffalo, where he tallied 15-20—35 points in 81 games. He played one game with Rochester (AHL) prior to this year's Olympics, scoring one goal in his first minor-league appearance since the 2004-05 NHL lockout.

Gionta, who has been assigned his customary jersey No. 12 by the Bruins, may appear in Boston's lineup in its next game, on Tuesday at home against Carolina at TD Garden.

MSU's Petry Scores Twice in Montreal Win

Michigan got upstaged by Michigan State on Tuesday night in Montreal.

Andrew Cogliano (Michigan) scored the game’s first goal for the Anaheim Ducks while extending his consecutive games played streak to 738 NHL games, but it was all Montreal after that. The Canadiens tallied five unanswered goals, two of them by defenseman Jeff Petry (Michigan State),  en route to a 5-0 victory at the Bell Centre.

Petry, from Ann Arbor, Mich. now has seven goals on the season, tying his NHL career high recorded in 2013-14 with the Edmonton Oilers. He collected nine goals in three NCAA seasons at MSU (2007-2010), according to hockeydb.com.

The games played streak by Toronto native Cogliano, who scored 36 goals in two years at Michigan (2005-2007), is the fifth-longest streak in NHL history. He passed current St. Louis Blues blueliner Jay Bouwmeester, who played in 737 consecutive NHL contests from 2002 to 2014 with Florida, Calgary and St. Louis.

Canucks to Part Ways with Yale's Higgins

The Vancouver Canucks are poised buy out the contract of former Yale University forward Chris Higgins, according to The Hockey News on Monday. The Smithtown, N.Y. native has been placed on waivers, and should be bought out after no claim is expected to be made for him.

Higgins played two seasons at Yale, collecting 34 goals and 37 assists for 71 points in 55 NCAA games with the Bulldogs from 2001 to 2003, via USCHO.com. The 14th overall selection by Montreal in the 2002 NHL Entry Draft, the six-foot, 200-pound skater played four full seasons with the Canadiens before spending a combined year with the New York Rangers and Calgary Flames. He has been with the Canucks since the 2010-11 season, and last year also played in 22 games with Utica (AHL), his first time in the minors since 2004-05 with now-defunct Hamilton (AHL).

In 711 career NHL regular-season outings, Higgins has tallied 165-168—233 points to go with 220 penalty minutes, including his 2007-08 campaign in Montreal where he posted career highs of 27-25—52 points, according to HockeyDB.com. In 62 Stanley Cup playoff contests with Montreal and Vancouver, he has recorded 11-10—21 points, and had a career-best 4-4—8 points in 25 games his first season with the Canucks as they came within one win of a Stanley Cup title.

McCarron First Incoming Collegian Taken at 2013 NHL Draft

The first player with college ties chosen in Sunday's 2013 NHL Entry Draft at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. was Grosse Pointe, Mich. native Michael McCarron, who went 25th overall to the Montreal Canadiens.

The 6-5, 228-lb. winger is committed to Western Michigan for next season, but his major junior rights are held by London (OHL). He had 11 goals and 29 points along with 166 penalty minutes last season for the U.S. U-18 Team that skates in the United States Hockey League. More on McCarron can be found here.

In all, 63 incoming or current NCAA players were picked by pro clubs on Sunday at "The Rock", home of the NHL's New Jersey Devils, according to USCHO.com. WMU will be part of the new National Collegiate Hockey Conference starting this fall with the likes of Denver, Miami and North Dakota.