Habs Daily: Roy Ovation, Monahan Trade Value, Gallagher’s Hit

Check out all the latest Montreal Canadiens news, highlights, and stories you may have missed on Thursday.

Habs News

• All eyes were on longtime Canadiens goaltender Patrick Roy as he returned to Montreal as the head coach of the New York Islanders. Given the poor results in recent games, Habs head coach Martin St-Louis changed his lineup ahead of Thursday’s game.  [Canadiens Game 48: Patrick Roy Returns To Montreal, New Lines]
• Roy was welcomed with a heartwarming ovation from the fans in attendance at the Bell Centre. The Hockey Hall of Fame inductee was visibly emotional during the ovation. [GOTTA SEE IT: Canadiens Fans Give Patrick Roy Ovation]
• The Canadiens got off to a great start against the Islanders, but a late and dirty hit by Brendan Gallagher almost spoiled the fun with an ugly elbow to Adam Pelech’s head. Expect Gallagher to receive a call from the NHL’s Department of Player Safety in the near future. Sean Monahan and Samuel Montembeault managed to salvage the win, which should only add to Monahan’s NHL Trade Deadline value.[Monahan Saves Gallagher’s Bacon In Exciting Win]
• It’s never too early to take a look at some of the potential Montreal Canadiens draft targets. The CHL’s Top Prospects game offered a perfect opportunity to examine some of the NHL’s stars of tomorrow.  [Canadiens Draft Targets: Standouts At CHL Top Prospects Game]
• It’s always interesting to keep an eye on the scouts attending games at the Bell Centre with the trade deadline on the horizon. There were over 20 scouts in attendance when the Canadiens faced the Ottawa Senators. Against the Islanders, only six scouts made the trip.

Scouts in Bell Centre press box for tonight’s game between #Habs and #Isles #HabsIO pic.twitter.com/azJJ8yXTrO

— Stu Cowan (@StuCowan1) January 25, 2024

National Hockey Now Network

• Patrick Roy wanted Thursday’s game to be just like any other road trip for the Islanders. But that certainly was not the case as he arrived in Montreal, where Roy spent the first dozen seasons of his Hall of Fame career. [New York Islanders]
• The New Jersey Devils claimed defenseman Nick DeSimone off waivers from the Calgary Flames on Thursday. In a corresponding move, the Devils placed center Jack Hughes on the injured reserve retroactive to January 5th. [New Jersey Devils]
• After just seven months, it’s possible former Philadelphia Flyers standout Ivan Provorov could be on the move once again. The Flyers traded Provorov to the Columbus Blue Jackets in a three-team trade with the Los Angeles Kings on June 6, yielding a return of Cal Petersen, Sean Walker, Helge Grans, a 2023 first-round pick (Oliver Bonk), a 2024-second round pick, and a conditional 2024 second-round pick for Philadelphia. [Philadelphia Flyers]