Patrick Williams, TheAHL.com Features Writer
Life in Montreal. It’s intense for a member of the Montreal Canadiens. Some of that same passion extends to their AHL affiliate, the Laval Rocket. Playing out of nearby Place Bell, Rocket players must deal with considerable scrutiny as well. It’s a special, if fervent, experience. A two-part series will examine the experience from both the playing and coaching perspective. Part 1 breaks down life as a Laval Rocket player.
Life got a little quieter for the Laval Rocket the past two weeks.
The outside noise around them will pick up considerably this week now that they are back from a season-long six-game road trip. A five-game homestand opens tonight when the Utica Comets come to Place Bell. A more-than-solid 4-1-1-0 performance on that road trip has the Rocket, last season’s regular-season champion, holding a six-point edge for the North Division lead.
The grind of the AHL regular season has arrived in full, but the pressure and spotlight that come with being a Montreal Canadiens prospect eases up only slightly when the team packs its bags and goes on the road. Their trip started on the West Coast facing the Abbotsford Canucks, ended with an overtime win at Toronto last Saturday, and had ample time on the plane and bus along the way.
That journey meant a rare bit of quiet for a team that plays its home games just 25 minutes away from Bell Centre, where every game, coaching decision, and roster move involving the Montreal Canadiens draws the attention of a city, a province, and no small portion of Canada as well. That scrutiny extends to the Rocket, who have all 36 home games broadcast across Canada on RDS. They are packing an average of 9,740 fans each night into Place Bell, a figure that should only increase as the regular season moves into its most intense months.
That’s life playing with Laval, be it as a Canadiens prospect or one of the veterans brought in to help to mentor that young talent that hopes to skate at Bell Centre one day.
This is, after all, a team that took its name from Hockey Hall of Fame member, Habs legend, and provincial icon Maurice “Rocket” Richard when the Habs brought their AHL affiliate back to Quebec for the 2017-18 season. If anyone needed a reminder, the team donned special Richard-themed jerseys Jan. 16 against the Manitoba Moose. The Rocket are in their ninth season, and Richard’s number 9 figured prominently in that specialty jersey’s look. Habs organist Diane Bibaud has played Place Bell before. Richard’s younger brother, Henri, is honored with art displayed at Place Bell. Play at Place Bell, and the Habs’ bleu-blanc-et-rouge influence is unmistakable.
Many AHL prospects learn the pro game at least somewhat geographically removed from the NHL parent team. Not so in Montreal or Laval. All of the furor that surrounds the parent Canadiens – even on a quiet day – is just a matter of battling through some of the area’s infamous traffic from Place Bell. Even better, step outside of Place Bell, walk across the street to Montmorency station, and it’s a short ride downtown. Chances are there will be plenty of people decked out in Habs merchandise on that journey, especially on a Canadiens game night.
Turn on sports radio, and it’s Habs talk. In two languages. Television brings that same scrutiny. Social media and the Habs message boards buzz constantly. Even when the Rocket went on the road last month, they got a reminder how much attention comes their way when a hit in a game Jan. 24 at Calgary put first-round pick David Reinbacher out of the lineup. Last week it was Rocket goaltending coach Marco Marciano moving up to take that same role with the Canadiens.
Along with logistics, having their prospects learn early how to manage life in such an intense hockey market in part prompted the Habs to bring their AHL affiliate close to home in 2017. It was the first time since 1971 that the Canadiens would have their AHL affiliate in the Montreal area.
“[Laval] is a good introduction,” Rocket head coach Pascal Vincent said, “because if you’re going to play for the Montreal Canadiens, you’re under the spotlight. I think our guys really enjoy playing in front of a sold-out building. The fans are crazy about the team, and it gives us energy.”
Indeed, through the years word has moved through around the AHL that Laval is a premier place to play. A trip to Game 7 of the 2022 Eastern Conference Finals put the market’s intensity on display. The 2023 AHL All-Star Classic brought in players from all 32 AHL teams to sample the market and Place Bell for a close-up look. It has also become a productive talent source for the Canadiens. Rocket players Owen Beck, Jared Davidson, Adam Engström, Jacob Fowler, Joshua Roy and Florian Xhekaj all have played games with the Canadiens this season. Samuel Blais and Sam Montembeault are with the Canadiens after brief stints for Laval this season.
Laval has also proved to be attractive to bringing Québec-born players back home, close to family and friends able to see them play more regularly. Repentigny’s Laurent Dauphin, the AHL’s leading scorer this season, returned for his second spin with the Rocket. There is Alex Belzile (Saint-Éloi), who is back for another turn with Laval. Vincent Arseneau (Québec City) and Tobie Bisson (Rosemère) are Québec products. Blais has moved up to the Habs after a brief stint with the Rocket. After an excellent performance last spring in Abbotsford’s Calder Cup run, he had no shortage of options as a free agent. But hailing from Montmorency, just outside of Québec City, he could not pass up a chance to sign with the Canadiens. Now he is in the line-up of a Canadiens team fighting for first place in the Eastern Conference well past the NHL season’s midpoint. Roy (St-Georges-de-Beauce), forward Xavier Simoneau (Saint-André-Avellin), and defenseman William Trudeau (Varennes) were Habs draft picks.
“When you have a chance to sign with your [provincial] team,” Blais said, “I think it’s an easy decision, and I’m glad I did.”
Just as the Jeff Gorton–Kent Hughes management regime has prioritized player development, something that had been an organizational weak spot at times in the past, bringing in character leadership for those prospects has also been prioritized. Along with captain Lucas Condotta, the team has Bisson and Belzile each wearing a letter. Plenty of other players qualify as leaders, letter or no letter.
Habs management makes it clear that it is looking for strong character, both for prospects and the veterans brought in to guide them and to help win games. All of that fan support and attention? It also comes with high expectations and scrutiny. There is no hiding in this market.
“That’s the part of having a good veteran group,” Vincent said. “They lead on and off the ice, because [the coaching staff has] them, what, four hours a day? [That is] 20 hours that they’re on their own, and the influence of our older guys is amazing.”
All of that on-ice focus extends off the ice, too.
“You realize pretty quick that when you’re away from the rink, you have to behave, because you’re a Montreal Canadien or a Rocket 24/7,” Vincent continued.
But a player need not be from Laval’s home province to get what the Rocket have to offer. Goaltender Kaapo Kähkönen saw it up-close last year when he led the Charlotte Checkers into Place Bell for the Eastern Conference Finals. He backstopped the Checkers to a pair of wins to open what was eventually a four-game sweep, but he came away struck by the building’s playoff atmosphere. A free agent like Blais last summer, he also opted to sign with the Canadiens.
Fowler is a blue-chip prospect who may well be the future number-one in net for Montreal. He joined the Rocket late last season following a standout career at Boston College and then got further experience on the rough deep into the Calder Cup Playoffs. And when Fowler’s recall to the Habs came earlier this season, it made headlines instantly.
But he’s young, only 21 years old. So the Habs went and gave Kähkönen a one-year, one-way deal last July. It was a goaltending insurance, both for the Habs and the Rocket. It was Kähkönen’s calm, even demeanor that made him a perfect fit in a market where there can be so much outside noise for a prospect like Fowler. A rough night at the rink can be picked apart. A good mentor and complement like Kähkönen can blunt many of those distractions.
It’s also a competitive environment. In the post-1967 era, the Montreal organization has won the Calder Cup five times and been a finalist four more times. Patrick Roy and Carey Price both won a Calder Cup before going on to legendary NHL careers. Plus this is the Habs. A chance to wear the famous CH is only one NHL recall away.
“You sign with a legendary organization like that, that opportunity doesn’t present itself too often,” Kähkönen said.
This Laval team’s hold on first place could mean another lengthy postseason fight deep into May or June. Winning and a chance to compete for postseason success is attractive.
“It’s fun to be part of this group,” Kähkönen outlined, “and winning games, that’s the biggest reason why I play.”
