A morning at the Bell Sports Complex in Brossard started with a wave of concern among fans when the Canadiens’ undisputed number-one goaltender, Samuel Montembeault, was nowhere to be seen as practice began. Given his outstanding season, any absence from the ice immediately sparks fears of a late-season injury.
A temporary replacement from the LNAH
The team quickly moved to fill the void, bringing in a goaltender from the Quebec National (LNAH) to handle the workload during drills. While the atmosphere remained intense under the eyes of Jeff Gorton and Kent Hughes, the mystery was soon solved: Montembeault’s absence was due to personal reasons, not a physical setback. The organization confirmed that «Monty» will be back at his post within the next few hours, much to the relief of a city counting on his leadership for their impressive 32-17-8 record.
Reinforcements arrive: Newhook and Texier are back
While the goalie situation stole the early headlines, the real «firepower» news came from the forwards. Alex Newhook and Alexandre Texier hit the ice in regular practice jerseys, signaling their imminent return to the lineup.
Newhook, who has been sidelined since November with an ankle fracture, is a massive addition for Martin St-Louis. His return gives playmakers like Lane Hutson a reliable target on zone exits and bolsters a roster that needs every bit of strength to defend its second-place spot in the Atlantic Division. All signs point to a much deeper Canadiens squad heading into Thursday night’s showdown against Patrick Roy’s Islanders.