The air inside the Brossard practice facility hangs heavy, charged with a tension that every player, coach, and reporter can feel but no one dares to name. It’s the kind of morning where even the sound of skates carving ice seems sharper, echoing off the walls like a warning. Shadows flicker across the glass as the Canadiens file onto the rink, their faces tight, their movements precise, the usual banter replaced by quiet glances and silent questions. Something is different. Something is coming.

Martin St-Louis stands apart from the crowd, his eyes scanning the ice with the intensity of a chess master plotting his endgame. The head coach’s posture is rigid, his focus unwavering, his every gesture loaded with purpose. On the surface, it’s just another practice—drills, puck battles, strategy sessions—but beneath it all, a current of uncertainty pulses through the locker room. Rumors have begun to swirl, whispers of a decision so bold it could send shockwaves through the team and the city itself.

Outside, the December sun glints off the snowbanks and the parking lot fills with media vans and anxious fans clutching their phones, hungry for any scrap of news. Montreal is a city that lives for hockey drama, and today, the anticipation is almost unbearable. Social media buzzes with speculation. Is a blockbuster trade brewing? Will a rising star be sent down? Could a veteran be on his way out? The questions hang in the air, unanswered, as St-Louis keeps his cards close to his chest.

Inside, the players skate with a little more urgency, their eyes darting to the bench after every drill. For some, it’s a routine test of endurance; for others, it could be an audition for their future. The tension is palpable, a silent contest playing out in every stride and every pass. The rookies look nervous, the veterans wary, and the coaching staff unusually tight-lipped. Every movement, every lineup change, is scrutinized for clues.

A few cryptic words from St-Louis after practice only deepen the mystery. He hints at “big decisions” and “shifts in direction,” but stops short of revealing his hand. The locker room is a cauldron of anticipation, teammates exchanging quick glances and hushed conversations. Even the equipment staff seem to move with extra caution, as if bracing for impact.

As the team files off the ice, the sense of impending change is impossible to ignore. Reporters scramble for quotes, fans refresh their feeds, and somewhere in the city, a player waits for a phone call that could change everything. The Canadiens are on the brink—not just of another game, but of a moment that could redefine the season, the roster, and maybe even the franchise itself.

What will Martin St-Louis do next? Who will be the hero, and who will be the casualty? At this crossroads, every possibility is on the table, and the only certainty is that Montreal is about to witness something unforgettable. Stay with us as we pull back the curtain on a day that could become legend in Canadiens history.

Montreal Canadiens head coach Martin St-Louis, practice in Brossard

Photo credit: All Montreal Hockey / NHL

It’s starting to feel like a return to Laval is coming for Jared Davidson within the Montreal Canadiens organization.

The Canadiens’ practice was pushed back Monday morning, and the atmosphere was heavy even before the players stepped on the ice, as if management was already discussing the team’s immediate next steps.

During drills, Jakub Dobes took a shot to the arm and seemed shaken, enough to bring a real silence over the arena, even though no official announcement followed regarding his health.

Then, Martin St-Louis shuffled the forward lines. We saw a first trio with Cole Caufield, Nick Suzuki and Zachary Bolduc, a second with Juraj Slafkovský, Oliver Kapanen and Ivan Demidov, then Alexandre Texier with Jake Evans and Josh Anderson, and finally Florian Xhekaj with Joe Veleno and Brendan Gallagher.

In this context, one detail stands out: Jared Davidson was used as the 13th forward in practice. Marc-Olivier Cook summed it up in a striking sentence:

“Ah, and Jared Davidson as an extra forward in the 13th spot. I get the impression he’s close to a return to Laval.”

– Marc-Olivier Cook

Davidson, 23, is a fifth-round pick by the Canadiens in 2022, 130th overall, and he is playing the final year of a two-season entry-level contract that carries a cap hit of $862,500 per year until 2025-2026.

Since being called up, he has played 3 games with the Canadiens this season, without a point, with a -1 rating, 2 penalty minutes, and 6 shots on goal while averaging 8 minutes and 44 seconds per game.

In Laval, the picture is completely different: with the Rocket this season, he has 9 goals and 11 points in 13 games, with 19 penalty minutes and a shooting percentage over 22%, making him one of the team’s top scorers.

Jared Davidson on the tightrope

The Rocket also have a record of 12 wins and 6 losses for 24 points, good for first place in their division, which further boosts the value of the players dominating there, like Davidson and the other young forwards.

Meanwhile, Samuel Blais has just arrived in Laval. At 29 years old, with 71 points in 257 NHL games, he already has 4 points in 2 games with the Rocket since joining them, along with a +5 rating.

When a young player like Davidson finds himself as the 13th forward while a veteran like Blais starts producing immediately in Laval, the message is hard to miss.

Everything suggests that a movement between Montreal and Laval could follow, and Jared Davidson’s name will inevitably return to the center of the discussion.