Montreal Canadiens: Numerous Additions Make up Busy Week on the Farm

I wouldn’t blame you for missing any news related to the Laval Rocket over the past week or so. You know, what with the Montreal Canadiens playoff run and all.

Regardless, life on the farm has been quite busy for the Habs whilst they prepare for their semifinals series against the Vegas Golden Knights, which kicks off on Monday. Needless to say, Montreal is once again the underdog in this series, with Vegas having made Expansion Team history by making the final four in three of their first four seasons. However, the Canadiens should have their fair share of supporters following what has been a magical playoff run thus far.

In that same sense, the Laval Rocket pleasantly surprised many this season with a 23-9-3 record and the Canadian Division title. Ryan Poehling showcased his previously unseen offensive potential with team-leading 11-14-25 totals over 28 games. Undrafted picks like Joel Teasdale and Raphael Harvey-Pinard stepped up in big ways, and even AHL contracted players, like Yannick Veilleux, proved near invaluable by elevating their respective games tremendously. So yeah, there’s quite a lot to be excited about regarding the Canadiens’ affiliates’ future, and with that being said, here’s a recap of what has been a busy past couple of weeks for Montreal’s AHL affiliates.

Canadiens ECHL Affiliate to be Named the Lions de Trois-Rivières

Well, after months of deliberation and anticipation, the Canadiens’ new ECHL affiliate has finally gotten their name and logo. Introducing, the Trois-Rivières Lions (or Lions de Trois-Rivières). Following Montreal’s last ECHL affiliate, the Brampton Beast, jumping ship due to lack of support (before ultimately folding), the Habs dealt with their roster through a number of loans to other ECHL clubs, before eventually getting their very own this past offseason.

President Mark Weightman, and GM and former Hab Marc-Andre Bergeron will have quite a few tools at their disposal as they prepare to enter an ECHL continually punctuated by development rather than its tough, enforcer-driven approach of the past. While Montreal managed to get through the past few seasons mostly unscathed, this past campaign produced its fair share of difficulties as the Rocket juggled a crowded and talented lineup, especially in goal.

With the addition of the Lions, it will hopefully clear the air a bit, and above all else, give Canadiens fans another team to cheer for. When deciding upon the name and logo, it was decided to borrow the name from the only other professional hockey team to have represented Trois-Rivières, who played in the Quebec Hockey League and Eastern Professional Hockey League from the mid-50s to early 60s. As an avid fan of the ECHL myself, I am excited to see another Canadiens ECHL affiliate take the ice, especially one in such a city as Trois-Rivières.

Gabriel Bourque Signed to AHL Deal

Most of Laval’s recent AHL additions were covered by my colleague Ken MacMillan in a previous post, but I’ll go into a bit more detail regarding the players themselves. Typically, most AHL-contracted players are either undrafted over-agers or career-minor leaguers who have seen little, if any NHL action. Gabriel Bourque is an exception to this rule, and is, in my mind, an extremely interesting and versatile addition to the Rocket’s roster.

A former fifth-round pick of the Nashville Predators in the 2009 NHL entry draft, Bourque had spent time on and off as a full-time NHLer from 2011-12 to 2019-20, playing in 413 games with the Predators, Colorado Avalanche, and Winnipeg Jets, respectively. However, after going unsigned through the entire 2020-21 season, he’ll take his services to Laval with something to prove. Most Avalanche and Predators fans should recognize Bourque, as he was a key part of both teams’ bottom-six rotation with his penalty-killing acumen and slight offensive upside.

While he’s only spent two full seasons in the AHL, in both cases he’s proved his worth a legitimate top-six option and could act as a Swiss army knife of sorts for Rocket head coach Joel Bouchard. While it was never fully realized in the NHL, Bourque possesses a ton of offensive upside, with soft hands, a great release, and above all else, blistering speed. Couple this with a physicality not expected from his 5’10 frame, and Bourque will likely see time all across the lineup, from the powerplay to the penalty kill and back. With former top offensive option Jordan Weal having signed in the KHL for next season, Bourque should be able to plug that hole in the lineup nicely. In my mind, he is someone to look out for come next season as a potential offensive and defensive threat.

Justin Ducharme Signed to AHL Deal

Speaking of undrafted players, Justin Ducharme is yet another homegrown QMJHL graduate who brings a solid mix of skills to the table. A product of the small town of Mirabel, Quebec, Ducharme has spent the past four and a half seasons with the Acadie-Bathurst Titan, Chicoutimi Sagueneens, and Val d’Or Foreurs respectively. A third-round pick of the Quebec Remparts in the 2016 QMJHL draft, Ducharme struggled to find his footing over the course of his time in the junior league, but regardless, managed to put together the occasional solid season. Along with a 30-goal, 44-point performance in 2018-19, Ducharme was playing at an expected point-per-game pace in his over-age season in 2020-21, with 18-11-29 totals over 28 games.

Much like similar QMJHL addition Cedric Desruisseaux, Ducharme has a tremendous amount of upside to his game regarding his AHL potential and will serve as a solid offensive option in Trois Rivières if nothing else. With a solid 6’ frame and shoot-first mentality, Ducharme had previously spent time at the Anaheim Ducks’ development camp and should look to prove himself at the professional level in his first season with the Rocket.