In a recent article for Bleacher Report, Joe Yerdon ranked each NHL team's goalie tandem. The Montreal Canadiens' tandem of Samuel Montembeault and Jakub Dobes at the No. 20 spot. 

By grabbing the No. 20, the Canadiens' goalie tandem was ranked better than teams like the Vancouver Canucks (Thatcher Demko & Kevin Lankinen), Utah Mammoth (Karel Vejmelka, Vitek Vanecek & Connor Ingram), and the Edmonton Oilers (Stuart Skinner & Calvin Pickard). 

Teams that were ranked ahead of the Canadiens were the Boston Bruins (Jeremy Swayman & Joonas Korpisalo), Detroit Red Wings (John Gibson & Cam Talbot), and the Colorado Avalanche (Mackenzie Blackwood & Scott Wedgewood). 

Montembeault is coming off a strong season with the Canadiens, as he posted a 31-24-7 record, a .901 save percentage, a 2.82 goals-against average, and four shutouts. Dobes, on the other hand, had a 7-4-3 record, a 2.74 goals-against average, a .909 save percentage, and one shutout in 16 games for the Habs last season. With numbers like these, he left a strong first impression. 

Overall, while the Canadiens' goalie tandem received the No. 20 spot on Bleacher Report's rankings, there is plenty to be optimistic about with Montembeault and Dobes. Montembeault proved that he can be an impactful starting goalie last season, while Dobes should only improve as he continues to gain more experience. It will be interesting to see what kind of year these two have from here. 

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Winnipeg Team Not Apart of League's Plans - May 19 1995 - Volume 48, Issue 35 - Rob Vanstone

Brandon’s Marty Murray is close to signing with Calgary.

The imminent departure of the NHL’s Winnipeg Jets creates a hockey void in the Manitoba capital.

Might the Western League come to the rescue?

“Right now, (Winnipeg) doesn’t fit into our equations,” said WHL president Ed Chynoweth. “We don’t even know if there will be future expansion. We’ve got three or four other cities which have inquired. All of a sudden this comes up and it’s news? I’m not so sure.”

The owners of minor-league baseball’s Winnipeg Goldeyes inquired last autumn about landing a WHL franchise.

More Winnipeg Jets: Jets First-Round Pick Gears Up for First Pro Season in the AHL

“I have no idea how it’s going to unfold,” Chynoweth said. “It’s just another piece in the puzzle of where we’re going in the next five years.”

Winnipeg has not had a WHL franchise since the Winnipeg Warriors moved to Moose Jaw in 1984.

The addition of the Calgary Hitmen gives the WHL 17 franchises.

SIGN OF TIMES: Brandon Wheat Kings’ center Marty Murray-the WHL’s most valuable player for 1994-95-was close to signing with the NHL’s Calgary Flames.

Calgary picked Murray in the fourth round of the NHL’s 1993 draft. If Murray, 20, did not reach an agreement before the July 8 draft, he would have been eligible to go back into the draft.

“Everything’s close,” Murray said. “It’s just a matter of getting a day or two to sit down and dot the I’s and cross the T’s.”

Murray had 128 points-including a league-high 88 assists-in 65 regular-season games.

NEW HOME?: Prince George Cougars’ owner Rick Brodsky is salivating over the prospect of moving into a new arena.

A 6,000-seat facility, which has yet to be named, is slated for completion in September.

“It should be open for the start of the season,” Brodsky said. “The city hasn’t expressed 100-per-cent confidence that it will be open, but it should be ready by the middle of September.”

This past season, Prince George sold out all 36 of its home games at the 1,860-seat Coliseum. Brodsky moved the Cougars from Victoria to Prince George after the 1993-94 season.

SUTTER SERIES: The Lethbridge Hurricanes claimed center Shaun Sutter in the sixth round of the 1995 bantam draft.

His father, Brian Sutter, is the Boston Bruins’ coach-and one of six Sutter brothers to have played in the NHL.

Shaun Sutter lives in Boston, at least for the time being.

“The next step is to get him playing in Canada,” said Lethbridge GM Bob Bartlett. “We hope as early as next season.”

The bantam draft is for players bom in 1980. They are not eligible to play in the WHL until the 1996-97 season.

HEY, HEY, HAY: The Tri-City Americans picked defenseman Darryl Hay in the first round of the bantam draft. He’s the 15-year-old son of Kamloops Blazers’ coach Don Hay.

PLAYOFFS

More Winnipeg: Winnipeg Youth Hockey Player in Running For Sports Illustrated Youth Athlete of the Year

Red Wings set stage for Future Prospects Showcase versus Dallas Stars with roster reveal

The Detroit Red Wings have officially announced their 24-player roster for the 2025 NHL Prospect Games, set to take place September 13 and 14 in Frisco, Texas. The annual event, hosted at Comerica Center, will feature Detroit’s top young talent against the very best young talent from the Dallas Stars in a two-game series that offers a sneak peek at the franchise’s future.

It all starts next weekend!

📝 » https://t.co/dk16KjpYvDpic.twitter.com/WLGbDnZaat

— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) September 4, 2025

More Red Wings: Detroit AHL Coach Believes New CBA is "Good for Both Sides"

This year’s squad is stacked with promise, headlined by four recent first-round picks in Nate Danielson (9th overall, 2023), defenseman Axel Sandin-Pellikka (17th overall, 2023), right wing Michael Brandsegg-Nygård (15th overall, 2024) and left wing Carter Bear (13th overall, 2025). 

Beyond the first-round standouts, the roster includes an intriguing mix of late-round draft picks, free-agent invites, and international prospects. Rudy Guimond, a goaltender who went undefeated (16-0-0) during his QMJHL campaign with Moncton, posting a 1.73 GAA and a .940 save percentage. Kevin Bicker, a German winger and DEL Rookie of the Year with Löwen Frankfurt. Emmitt Finnie, a seventh-round steal who led the Kamloops Blazers with 84 points before a short stint in Grand Rapids.

Also of note is Shai Buium, a towering defenseman taken in the second round back in 2021, who The Hockey News recently did a sit-down interview with on his off-season and future goals with the Red Wings. Now 22, Buium logged 25 points last season in the AHL and will be one of the elder statesmen on this youthful roster.

Four players from Detroit’s newest set of prospects from the 2025 draft class will get their first taste of Red Wings competition, including defenseman Will Murphy, center Grayden Robertson-Palmer, and goalie Michal Pradel. The roster also features several undrafted invitees, including Liam Kilfoil, Carson Bantle, and Justice Christensen, each looking to turn a tryout into a contract.

Bookmark The Hockey News Detroit Red Wings team site to stay connected to the latest news, game-day coverage, and player features. 

Full Roster: 

Shai Buium - D, Grand Rapids (AHL)

2021 2nd round (36th overall)

Michael Brandsegg-Nygård - RW, Skellefteå AIK (SHL)/Grand Rapids (AHL)          

2024 1st round (15th overall)

Nate Danielson - C, Grand Rapids (AHL)

2023 1st round (9th overall)

Carter Bear - LW, Everett (WHL)

2025 1st round (13th overall)

Axel Sandin-Pellikka - D, Skellefteå AIK (SHL)/Grand Rapids (AHL)          

2023 1st round (17th overall)

Carl-Otto Magnusson - D, Frölunda HC (SHL)

Free Agent Invitee

Ondřej Becher - C, Grand Rapids (AHL)

2024 3rd round (80th overall)

Emmitt Finnie - C, Kamloops (WHL)/Grand Rapids (AHL)

2023 7th round (201st overall)

Kevin Bicker - LW, Löwen Frankfurt (DEL)

2023 5th round (147th overall)

Landon Miller - G, Sault Ste. Marie (OHL)

2024 4th round (126th overall)

Jacob Truscott - D, Michigan (B1G)

Signed by Griffins

Alexandre Doucet - LW, Grand Rapids (AHL)

Signed by Red Wings

Carson Bantle - LW, Grand Rapids (AHL)/Toledo (ECHL)

Signed by Griffins 

Rudy Guimond - G, Cedar Rapids (USHL)/Moncton (QMJHL)

2023 6th round (169th overall)           

Liam Kilfoil - C, Halifax (QMJHL)

Free Agent Invitee

Vincent Collard - C, Moncton (QMJHL)

Free Agent Invitee

Florent Houle - RW, Sherbrooke (QMJHL)

Free Agent Invitee

Michal Pradel - G, Team Slovakia (Slovakia2)/Tri-City (USHL)

2025 3rd round (75th overall)

Jakub Rychlovský - LW, Grand Rapids (AHL)

Signed by Red Wings

Justice Christensen - D, Prince Albert (WHL)

Free Agent Invitee

Maxim Dirracolo - D, Kitchener (OHL)

Free Agent Invitee

Wyatt Kennedy - D, North Bay/Windsor (OHL)

Free Agent Invitee

Will Murphy - D, Cape Breton (QMJHL)

2025 6th round (172nd overall)

Grayden Robertson-Palmer - C, Phillips Academy Andover (USHS-MA)

2025 7th round (204th overall)

More Red Wings: Exclusive: Red Wings Prospect Shai Buium Eyes NHL Roster Spot: “Make It a Hard Decision”

Where To Watch: 

TICKETS: Tickets for all NHL Prospect Games are free but are on a first-come first-serve basis. Tickets will be available on Sept. 5 at DallasStars.com/ProspectGames

STREAMING: The 2025 NHL Prospect Games vs. Dallas will be streamed live on DetroitRedWings.com and the Detroit Red Wings App

Game 1: Saturday, Sept. 13 at 8:00 p.m. ET — Dallas vs. Detroit

Game 2: Sunday, Sept. 14 at 7:00 p.m. ET — Detroit vs. Dallas

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New York Islanders 2025 second-round pick Daniil Prokhorov has been loaned back to Dynamo Moscow for the 2025-26 season, sources told The Hockey News. The Islanders have confirmed. 

He has made Dynamo Moscow out of training camp. 

Prokhorov, 18, was selected 45th overall by the Islanders and then 65th overall by the OHL's Sarnia Sting in the CHL's Import Draft. 

The Russian forward had completed a Professional Tryout with the KHL's Dynamo Moscow, signing a two-year, two-way deal once it came to an end. 

However, once he signed his three-year entry-level deal, the contract was no longer valid due to an NHL contract opt-out clause in the deal. 

That would have allowed him to play for Sarnia in the 2025-26 season, which was something Sarnia had hoped to see happen. 

What Prokhorov's loan back to the KHL means is that he can play for Dynamo Moscow or their MHL affiliate (KHL's AHL). Because he is 18, he is still eligible to play in the VHL, which is juniors. 

However, as mentioned, he made Dynamo out of training camp, which is beyond exciting for the youngster. 

That is Prokhorov in the top right corner.

Dynamo Moscow has announced that this is their team for 2025-26, meaning the #Isles 2025 2nd rd pick has made the KHL out of training camp.

Makes even more sense why he's back there on loan.

Congrats to the kid. https://t.co/QAy2yKxT6r

— Stefen Rosner (@stefen_rosner) September 4, 2025

So, you may be wondering, why would he sign in the KHL, then sign his ELC to get out of his KHL deal just to be loaned back to the KHL?

Good question. 

The most important news here is that, because of the ELC slide rule, the Islanders will not be losing a year of control. It's always good to have draft prospects under contract anyway, so no harm there. 

The reason why the Islanders likely waited to sign him to his ELC was because who knew what would happen with his PTO. 

Having an 18-year-old to make a KHL squad wasn't a likely outcome, but it would have been tremendous for Prokhorov's development. 

When Prokhorov's PTO ended, it wasn't the Islanders who allowed Dynamo Moscow to sign him to a two-year deal. They didn't have a say in that regard.

But, following that announcement, the Islanders were well aware of the opt-out clause and likely wanted to allow Prokhorov to have as many options as possible to further his development. 

That gave the Islanders and Prokhorov's camp more time to evaluate where he is at and what is a better course of action. 

Ultimately, it seems that the Islanders and Prokhorov's camp believe that his playing in Russia against men -- not if he goes back to juniors, which isn't likely -- is a stronger path than going to the OHL and playing against 16 to 20-year-olds. 

It's hard to argue that. 

It's worth mentioning that Prokhorov was eligile to play in the AHL, which could be a likely landing spot for the 2026-27 season. 

While the Islanders could have always signed Prokhorov to his ELC following this season, having him out on loan for one season allows them to reassess following the 2025-26 season. 

Yes, they could have always done that, whether he was still under contract for two years, but there's more control on the Islanders' side now. 

If Prokhorov is playing in the KHL, his season begins Saturday. If he plays in the MHL, his season begins on Friday.

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