Habs Future Week of April 4th

The Three Stars of the Week

1. RW Aaron Palushaj earns top honours once more as his productive week helped clinch a second North Division title for the Hamilton Bulldogs with three goals and two assists. After going without a point in the first two games of the week, Palushaj quickly ramped up his offensive production when it mattered most. In the opening game of a back-to-back series with the Manitoba Moose in a challenge for the Division Title, Aaron Palushaj recorded his first career hat trick in the AHL and added one assist for his first career four-point game as well in a 6-3 victory for Hamilton. The following night, Palushaj would add one assist on the opening goal of a 3-1 victory for Hamilton as his scoring drive in the final stretch of the season finalized an outstanding 8-1-0-1 run in their final ten games that raised the Bulldogs from edging into the playoffs to holding home ice in their opening series. Palushaj’s 22 goals and 35 assists are a dramatic improvement on last season, an increase in 14 goals and 13 assists with just 6 more games played compared to his rookie season.

2. G Peter Delmas breaks out of the bubble category this week in the ECHL with the Wheeling Nailers in his ECHL playoff debut in the Kelly Cup Playoffs. Delmas completed a schedule of twin back-to-back appearances over five days to help his team win the best-of-five series. Delmas went undefeated in his first two appearances, posting twin overtime wins on Tuesday and Wednesday night, allowing 3 goals on Tuesday night but only one on Wednesday to give his team a 2-0 series lead. Delmas struggled on Friday night, allowing four goals as his team lost the match, but than rebounded by stopping 24 of 26 shots on Saturday night to help his team win the series. Delmas recorded a Goals Against Average of 2.38 and a save percentage of .908 in the opening series.

3. C Louis Leblanc continues his offensive drive in the QMJHL playoffs with the Montreal Juniors, Leblanc scored his fifth goal of the playoffs and added his first assist to help the Juniors in a comeback against the Lewiston MAINEiacs on Friday night. Leblanc scored the 3^rd goal of the game for the Juniors while they were down 4-2 against Lewiston, than assisted on the go-ahead goal that temporarily had the Juniors at a 5-4 advantage before the game was eventually won by Montreal in overtime. So far, the Juniors have not lost a game in which Leblanc scores a goal and are 1-1 in games when he has not scored.

Worthy Mentions: Undrafted free agent signing LW Alain Berger scored a goal and assist in his sixth playoff game, helping the Oshawa Generals make it a 1-1 series with the Niagara Ice Dogs. LW Phillippe Lefebvre scored a goal and two assists to raise his scoring to better than point per game in the QMJHL playoffs, he’s already scored more points in 6 games than he did in 14 games in the playoffs last season. D Brendon Nash raised himself to 30 points in his AHL rookie season with 5G and 25A and leading all defencemen with a +22 rating.

Question Marks: RW Alexander Avtsin was scratched for all four remaining games on the Hamilton regular-season schedule. D Mac Bennett’s season is over, his team was eliminated in the NCAA National Championship game. D Mathieu Carle is out with a lower body injury. C Andreas Engqvist is currently out with an upper body injury. RW Danny Kristo’s season is over, North Dakota was eliminated from the NCAA National Tournament. G Robert Mayer has not had a start with Hamilton in their last twenty games. D Greg Pateryn’s season is over, his team was eliminated in the NCAA National Championship game.

Complete Statistics for the week of April 4^th:
Legend
Skaters: Games Played, Goals, Assists, +/-, Penalty Minutes
Goalies: Wins, Losses, Overtime Losses, Shootout Losses, Goals Against Average, Save Percentage
Teams: Wins, Losses, Overtime Losses, Shootout Losses, Ties (for NCAA teams only)
Season Stats: Season scoring prior to the past week.

The AHL Report: The Hamilton Bulldogs have been the AHL affiliate of the Montreal Canadiens since 2002. It is the most common route for developing Montreal Canadiens prospects into full-time members of the organization. There are currently 12 members of the Hamilton Bulldogs that can be considered NHL-viable prospects, four of which, David Desharnais, Max Pacioretty, Yannick Weber and Ryan White have been called up to Montreal. The Hamilton Bulldogs have a record of 44-27-2-7 and have won their second consecutive North Division Title, finished 3^rd overall in the Western Conference and 7^th overall in the AHL.

RW Alexander Avtsin: 20 years old, 6'2", 199 pounds, RH shot.

Season Stats	58GP	5G	15A	+2	22 PIM
Weekly Stats	0GP	0G	0A	0	0 PIM
Complete Stats	58GP	5G	15A	+2	22 PIM

D Mathieu Carle: 23 years old, 6', 203 pounds, RH shot.

Alternate Captain

Season Stats	68GP	11G	17A	+19	44 PIM
Weekly Stats	2GP	0G	0A	0	0 PIM
Complete Stats	70GP	11G	17A	+19	44 PIM

LW Andrew Conboy: 22 years old, 6’4”, 192 pounds, LH shot.

Season Stats	60GP	12G	10A	+3	119 PIM
Weekly Stats	4GP	1G	0A	+1	7 PIM
Complete Stats	64GP	13G	10A	+4	126 PIM

C Gabriel Dumont: 20 years old, 5'10", 180 pounds, RH shot.

Season Stats	60GP	5G	13A	-5	79 PIM
Weekly Stats	4GP	0G	0A	0	0 PIM
Complete Stats	64GP	5G	13A	-5	79 PIM

C Andreas Engqvist: 23 years old, 6'4", 191 pounds, RH shot.

Season Stats	69GP	9G	15A	+9	18 PIM
Weekly Stats	2GP	0G	0A	0	0 PIM
Season Stats	71GP	9G	15A	+9	18 PIM

G Robert Mayer: 22 years old, 6'1", 209 pounds, catches left.

Season Stats:	21GP	9-10-1-1	3.06GAA	.890%
Weekly Stats:	0GP	0-0-0-0	GAA	%
Complete Stats:	21GP	9-10-1-1	3.06GAA	.890%

D Brendon Nash: 23 years old, 6'3", 218 pounds, LH shot.

Season Stats	71GP	5G	24A	+18	51 PIM
Weekly Stats	4GP	0G	1A	+4	7 PIM
Complete Stats	75GP	5G	25A	+22	58 PIM

RW Aaron Palushaj: 21 years old, 6', 183 pounds, RH shot.

Season Stats	64GP	19G	33A	+19	38 PIM
Weekly Stats	4GP	3G	2A	+3	2 PIM
Complete Stats	68GP	22G	35A	+22	40 PIM

Called up to play for Montreal

C David Desharnais: 24 years old, 5'6", 177 pounds, LH shot.

Alternate Captain

Season Stats

35GP

10G

35A

+14

24 PIM

LW Max Pacioretty: 21 years old, 6'2", 210 pounds, LH shot.

Season Stats

27GP

17G

15A

+4

20 PIM

D Yannick Weber: 22 years old, 5'11", 196 pounds, RH shot.

Season Stats

15GP

8G

4A

-5

10 PIM

C Ryan White: 22 years old, 6', 198 pounds, RH shot.

Alternate Captain

Season Stats

33GP

3G

9A

-5

77 PIM

The Juniors Report: The Canadiens currentlyfeature prospects playing in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL), the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) and the Western Hockey League (WHL). These leagues can be considered the primary conduit towards professional hockey in North America.

QMJHL:

C Michaël Bournival: 18 years old, 6’, 190 pounds, LH shot.

Junior Club: Shawinigan Cataractes – Team Captain (42W, 23L, 2OTL, 1 SOL) (4-3 Playoff Record)

Season Stats

56GP

28G

36A

+4

28 PIM

Playoff Stats	5GP	3G	3A	+1	2 PIM
Weekly Stats	2GP	0G	1A	-4	0 PIM
Complete Stats	7GP	3G	4A	-3	2 PIM

D Morgan Ellis: 18 years old, 6'2", 196 pounds, RH shot.
Junior Club: Cape Breton Screaming Eagles - Team Captain (18W, 45L, 1 OTL, 4 SOL) (0-4 Playoff Record)

Season Stats

65GP

8G

28A

-27

65 PIM

Playoff Stats

4GP

0G

0A

-4

8 PIM

C Louis Leblanc: 20 years old, 6'1", 184 pounds, RH shot.
Junior Club: Montreal Juniors - Alternate Captain. (46W, 12L, 5 OTL, 5 SOL) (5-1 Playoff Record)

Season Stats

51GP

26G

32A

+21

98 PIM

Playoff Stats	4GP	4G	0A	+2	2 PIM
Weekly Stats	2GP	1G	1A	+2	4 PIM
Complete Stats	6GP	5G	1A	+4	6 PIM

LW Phillippe Lefebvre: 20 years old, 6', 200 pounds, LH shot.

Junior Club: Montreal Juniors (46W, 12L, 5OTL, 5 SOL) (5-1 Playoff Record)

Season Stats

60GP

19G

27A

+26

38 PIM

Playoff Stats	4GP	2G	2A	+5	0 PIM
Weekly Stats	2GP	1G	2A	+1	0 PIM
Complete Stats	6GP	3G	4A	+6	0 PIM

OHL:

D Jarred Tinordi: 19 years old, 6'7", 212 pounds, LH shot.
Junior Club: London Knights (34W, 29L, 4 OTL, 1 SOL) (2-4 Playoff Record)

Season Stats

63GP

1G

13A

-8

140 PIM

Playoff Stats

6GP

0G

0A

-1

17 PIM

LW Alain Berger: 20 years old, 6’4”, 208 pounds, RH shot.
Junior Club: Oshawa Generals (39W, 19W, 4 OTL, 6 SOL) (5-2 Playoff record)

Season Stats

65GP

29G

23A

+19

56 PIM

Playoff Stats	4GP	4G	1A	+7	6 PIM
Weekly Stats	2GP	1G	1A	-1	0 PIM
Complete Stats	6GP	5G	2A	+6	6 PIM

WHL:

RW Brendan Gallagher: 18 years old, 5'8", 170 pounds, RH shot.
Junior Club: Vancouver Giants – Alternate Captain (35W, 32L, 1 OTL, 4 SOL) (0-4 Playoff Record)

Season Stats

66GP

44G

47A

+29

108 PIM

Playoff Stats

4GP

2G

0A

0

14 PIM

US College Hockey (NCAA) Report: The Canadiens have drafted a number of college players in recent years, these are generally ‘project players’ who benefit from additional years in lower level hockey to develop their skills.

D Mac Bennett: 19 years old, 6', 180 pounds, LH shot.
NCAA Team: University of Michigan Wolverines (29W, 11L, 4T)

Season Stats	30GP	2G	10A	+13	17 PIM
Weekly Stats	2GP	0G	0A	-1	4 PIM
Complete Stats	32GP	2G	10A	+12	21 PIM

RW Danny Kristo: 20 years old, 5'11”, 188 pounds, RH shot.
NCAA Team: University of North Dakota Fighting Sioux (32W, 9L, 3T)

Season Stats	33GP	8G	20A	+7	18 PIM
Weekly Stats	1GP	0G	0A	-1	0 PIM
Complete Stats	34GP	8G	20A	+6	18 PIM

D Greg Pateryn: 21 years old, 6’3”, 222 pounds, RH shot.

NCAA Team: University of Michigan Wolverines (29W, 11L, 4T)

Season Stats	38GP	3G	13A	+13	28 PIM
Weekly Stats	2GP	0G	1A	+2	0 PIM
Complete Stats	40GP	3G	14A	+15	28 PIM

C Dustin Walsh: 20 years old, 6’3”, 190 pounds, LH shot.

NCAA Team: Dartmouth College Big Green (19W, 12L, 3T)

Season Stats

34GP

10G

10A

+2

8 PIM

Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) Report: The Kontinental Hockey League is the professional hockey league of Russia, many Russian players first play professionally there before joining the NHL. Due to a lack of a transfer agreement between the NHL and the KHL it can be very difficult for NHL clubs to attract their drafted Russian prospects.

G Karri Ramo: 24 years old, 6'3", 207 pounds, catches left.

KHL Club: Avangard Omsk (42W, 9L, 1 OTL, 2 SOL) (7-7 Playoff record)

Season Stats:

44GP

33-6-2-1

1.97GAA

.925%

Playoff Stats

14GP

6-5-2

2.16GAA

.914%

RW Maxim Trunev: 20 years old, 5'11", 189 pounds, RH shot.
KHL Club: Severstal Cherepovets (30W, 20L, 4 OTL, O SOL) (2-4 Playoff record)

Season Stats

39GP

1G

6A

+3

20 PIM

Playoff Stats

6GP

0G

0A

-3

2 PIM

D Alexei Yemelin: 24 years old, 6'1", 221 pounds, LH shot.
KHL Club: Ak Bars Kazan (34W, 12L, 3 OTL, 4 SOL) (5-4 Playoff record)

Season Stats

52GP

11G

15A

+16

117 PIM

Playoff Stats

9GP

0G

0A

0

4 PIM