Montreal Canadiens fans don’t get a lot of breaking news in the month of August, so here at A Winning Habit, we’ll be counting down our picks for the top 31 prospects currently in the Habs organization. Each player was carefully deliberated by our writers and ranked accordingly. Today, we’re onto the 15th-ranked player, Vinzenz Rohrer.
Vinnie (Rohrer), as his fellow 67s teammates call him, is a brilliant, crafty winger that was drafted in the third round of the 2022 NHL Draft out of the OHL. He is undersized; at just 160 lbs, so he will need some weight to his frame. Luckily for Rohrer, he will have the opportunity to do that and to acclimate to the pro game in the Swiss professional league (NL) with the ZSC Lions, after signing with them earlier in the offseason.
Rohrer is an intelligent player that thinks the game well, and he uses his strength and leverage to win board battles against much bigger opponents. He is very strong on his stick, and he anticipates plays quickly before forcing turnovers and turning strong defensive play into offensive chances. The Rankweil, Austria native spent the past two seasons in the nation’s capital acclimating to North American play, and he scored 44-53-97 totals through 118 OHL regular season games.
He put the finishing touches on his OHL career, helping the 67’s to the second round of the 2023 OHL, but they ultimately bowed out to the Peterborough Petes and fellow Canadiens prospect, Owen Beck. A relentless forechecker that could stand to use his offensive skills more often, Rohrer could elevate his game by using his shot more often and improving his playmaking skills against tougher competition.
Rohrer’s toughness goes well beyond his physical play on the ice after his mental strength was tested in January 2023. He was on the wrong end of a hip-check from Kingston Frontenacs defenseman Thomas Budnick. He battled his way back, using the neverending support from family, friends and the 67’s family as inspiration, through mental adversity.
Ranked as the 15th-best prospect, Rohrer has a massive opportunity in front of him to acclimate himself to the pros. Should he be successful in his pursuit of playing at the next level, he could emerge as a much stronger prospect over the next eight to nine months. A smart, strong winger with a great defensive game, Rohrer impacts the game in such a positive manner, and will certainly make Marty St Louis a happy coach one day, should he crack the Habs lineup.
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