Montreal Canadiens Release Rookie Camp Roster

The Montreal Canadiens have finally released the players who will be taking part in this year’s rookie camp and tournament.

Let’s all give a collective, “Finally”. It was a little frustrating watching the other teams release their rookie camp rosters while the Montreal Canadiens stayed quiet. It’s better late than never.

So we finally know the 23 players who will be taking part in this year’s Rookie Camp and Tournament this month. Camp begins September 7th and will run until the 13th. This also includes the three team Rookie Tournament from the 8th to the 10th which will also include rookies from both the Toronto Maple Leafs and Ottawa Senators organizations.

The AHL coaching staff of Sylvain Lefebvre, Donald Dufresne, Nick Carrière and Marco Marciano will be overseeing everything.

In terms of the roster itself, there wont be many new names if you were following the Rookie Development Camp back in June. Players taking part include:

Draft Picks

Jeremiah Addison
Daniel Audette
William Bitten
Simon Bourque
Josh Brook
Cale Fleury
Noah Juulsen
Victor Mete
Michael Pezzetta
Martin Rèway
Jarret Tyszka
Scott Walford

Free Agent Signings/AHL

Thomas Ebbing
Stefan Leblanc
Niki Petti
Antoine Waked
Michael McNiven

Tryout

Alexandre Alain
Jordan Boucher
Maxime Fortier
Alexandre Goulet
James McEwan
Antoine Samuel

Eyes will mostly be on Juulsen. The Montreal Canadiens 2015 first round pick is set to take the next step and play in the AHL this season. Many think him to be the organization’s best defensive prospect.

He’s constantly proven to be a reliable stay-at-home defenceman, with some offence to his game. Juulsen is a player that would fit right in to head coach Claude Julien‘s system with the Canadiens, but he’ll need time to get there. Hopefully he stands at among the rest, and gives fans reasons for them to be confident that he will thrive with the Laval Rocket.

Another name to look out for is Rèway. He’s another Canadiens prospect looking to play for Laval this season. Rèway was hoping to start playing in the AHL last season, but missed the season recovering from a heart illness. However, he’s healthy and determined to make the jump this year.

Invitees to Make an Impression

Montreal has four more contract spots open on the payroll. There’s a chance that one of these camp invites could work their way to a contract. If not a NHL deal, than definitely an AHL one. Samuel is already behind in terms of priorities since McNiven already has a contract. However, if he out plays him, he could raise some eyebrows. Best case scenario is that the Canadiens decide to continue giving him a look and invite him to main camp as well.

Points-wise both Goulet and Fortier stand out. Goulet played for the Victoriaville Tigres of the QMJHL scoring 39 goals and 50 assists. He also played three AHL games for the Rochester Americans but was pointless. Fortier was also in the Q and finished last season with 32 goals and 55 assists with the Halifax Mooseheads.

Based on his junior totals and AHL experience, be it limited, I’d say Goulet is the front-runner to earn a contract. Then again, he’ll have to impress the coaching staff.

Last season Artturi Lehkonen started out at Rookie Camp and finished with a roster spot. It’s tough to say if any of these players can do the same considering the limited space on the team.

Rookie Camp being announced is just another reminder that we’re getting closer to the NHL season. Training Camp will start September 14. For now, let’s see what these young players can do.

Next: Where to Find the Canadiens' Prospects This Season

What do you make of the camp roster? Will a camp invite play their way to a contract? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

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