Montreal Canadiens 2014 Draft Class: Jake Evans Becomes A Late-Round Gem

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It's officially draft month! For June, we will look back at some of the draft classes to see how the Habs front offices of the past did with their selections. It's too early to examine some of Kent Hughes' first few draft classes. The 2014 class will be the subject of our eighth look at the history.

Montreal Canadiens 2015 Draft Class: Noah Juulsen Highlights Lacklustre Group

The 2014 NHL Entry Draft was at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia. The top three highlighted three players currently playing in the Stanley Cup Final, with Aaron Ekblad, Sam Reinhart, and Leon Draisaitl going to the Florida Panthers, Buffalo Sabres, and Edmonton Oilers. The run of final participant picks doesn't stop there, as Sam Bennett also went fourth overall to the Calgary Flames. The Florida Panthers liked the 2014 Draft Class, but it wasn't as nice for the Montreal Canadiens.

2014 NHL Draft - Portraits / Jeff Zelevansky/GettyImages

Round 1

26th Overall - Nikita Scherbak

Scherbak signed his three-year entry-level deal shortly after the draft but returned to the WHL. Scherbak didn't make his NHL debut until the 2016-17 season, scoring on his first shot against the Toronto Maple Leafs. He spent his first two professional seasons with the St. John's Ice Caps before splitting the following season evenly between Laval and Montreal. The Los Angeles Kings claimed Scherbak on waivers during the 2018-19 season after the Canadiens sent Scherbak to Laval.

Scherbak hasn't played in the NHL since then, spending time in the KHL, AHL, Czech Extraliga, and Slovakia.

Round 3

73rd Overall - Brett Lernout

Lernout spent five seasons in the Montreal Canadiens organization. He played in 21 games at the NHL level, recording one assist and six penalty minutes. He signed a professional tryout agreement with the Colorado Eagles on February 10th, 2021. Lernout posted three assists in 12 games, the last 12 of his professional career.

Daniel Audette with the St. Johns Ice Caps / Graig Abel/GettyImages

Round 5

125th Overall - Nikolas Koberstein

Koberstein didn't sign with the Canadiens after his college career ended. He went to the USHL for a season post-draft, then played four with Alaska-Fairbanks in the NCAA. Koberstein played nine games in the ECHL at the end of his senior season, and the following season a 22-game stint in HockeyEttan in Sweden.

147th Overall - Daniel Audette

Audette had a lot of promise to be a late-blooming player after his draft year, but it never really worked out for the son of Donald Audette. He spent four seasons in the Montreal Canadiens farm system, then played a year in Springfield. He then went on a tour of Europe, playing in Liiga, the KHL, the SHL, and now found a home in the National League in Switzerland. He will play with Kloten in 2024-25.

Round 6

177th Overall - Hayden Hawkey

It's hard to believe that a prospect with a name like Hayden Hawkey didn't pan out in professional hockey. He played four seasons at Providence College, then bounced around the ECHL for three seasons. Hawkey now stars in the Italian professional leagues, owning save percentages of .947 and .925 at various levels in the league.

Round 7

207th Overall - Jake Evans

Jake Evans didn't expect hockey to work out for him. He spent four seasons at Notre Dame to complete his degree since he thought he'd be working a nine-to-five. However, Evans is now 22nd in games played from the 2014 Draft Class and is an integral player on the Canadiens' roster. He isn't known for his point-getting abilities but is 40th in the draft class. Not bad for a 207th overall pick.

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