The Montreal Canadiens' American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Laval Rocket, have added to their defensive depth.
Laval has announced that they have signed defenseman Charles Martin to a one-year, two-way contract for the 2025-26 season.
Le Rocket s’entend sur les modalités d’un contrat d’une saison à deux volets avec le défenseur Charles Martin
— Rocket de Laval (@RocketLaval) July 14, 2025
Détails au https://t.co/Xo5HCaOsxZ
Rocket agree to terms on a one-year, two-way AHL contract with defenseman Charles Martin
Details at https://t.co/Xo5HCaOsxZpic.twitter.com/rndHTVnnLU
Martin spent this past season split between the ECHL and AHL. In 40 ECHL games with the Rapid City Rush, the 6-foot defenseman recorded three goals, 18 assists, 21 points, and 40 penalty minutes. He also played in four AHL contests with the Calgary Wranglers in 2024-25, posting zero points and a minus-1 rating.
At this point in his professional career, Martin has spent most of his time at the ECHL level. In 101 career ECHL games, he has recorded seven goals, 48 assists, and 54 points. Overall, the Quebec native has shown that he can produce solid offense from the point and be solid defensively at the ECHL level.
With this signing, the Rocket will now have another defenseman to consider using in their lineup. However, at a minimum, he should be a solid addition to the Canadiens' ECHL affiliate, the Trois-Rivieres Lions.
Ex-Canadiens Goalie Signed NHL's Most Unique Off-Season DealHeading into July 1, former Montreal Canadien Jake Allen was the clear top pending unrestricted free agent (UFA) goalie who could hit the market. Due to this, there was expected to be a ton of interest in the 34-year-old, and he was in a position to land a high average annual value (AAV) had he tested the market.
Photo Credit: © David Kirouac-Imagn Images