August is over, the Montreal Canadiens and the rest of the NHL are on the verge of kicking off, and there are some key dates to keep in mind for September.
Finally!!! Summer is fine for the everyday person, but if you’re a hockey fan, you’re ecstatic that you looked at your phone or your calendar and saw that it’s September. Things in the NHL officially start in October; however, a lot more is set to take place now that things are actually planned. Plus there’s still room for movement, and the Montreal Canadiens should know all about that.
The Max Pacioretty trade that saw the former captain join the Vegas Golden Knights took place on September 10th. The move was a long time coming though, but it doesn’t mean nothing else can happen.
So what are the key dates here? Well, one of them already passed.
The NHL had the option of opting out of the current Collective Bargaining Agreement but chose not to. Now the ball is in the NHLPA’s court as to whether they choose to continue with it or not. That decision won’t be known until September 15th giving everyone two weeks to weigh the pros and cons.
But that’s the business side of the NHL.
The first key date is September 5th when Rookie Camp begins for the Habs prospects. 28 players will be taking part including Ryan Poehling and Nick Suzuki with games on September 7th vs. the Ottawa Senators, September 8th vs. the Winnipeg Jets, and September 10th vs. U-Sports.
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Training camp will then start on September 12th with medicals and physical testing leading into the preseason. September 16th kicks off that wave of training camp with the Montreal Canadiens first of seven exhibition games. It’ll be an interesting set of games as a number of players have a lot to prove including Poehling and Suzuki.
Next up is a word many players dread as the Waiver Period begins on September 20th. Karl Alzner doesn’t want anything to do with waivers as that could mean another assignment to the AHL with the Laval Rocket which he’s made clear he doesn’t want.
Alzner won’t be the only one, there are a lot of players who could find themselves on the wire including Charles Hudon and Matthew Peca.
It’s also possible the Montreal Canadiens are active on the trade front. Elliotte Friedman dropped a tame bomb on Tim and Sid last week saying Bergevin may still be active as the deadline to be cap compliant creeps closer. Perhaps the Habs try to go round two with an offer sheet? Or maybe a trade involving one of these RFA is what Bergevin is trying to go for.
We’ll have to see but with September being here, the 2019-20 season is getting closer to its debut.
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