The Canadiens just got a solid forward stolen from them according to Habs staff

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Elias Adaime
July 3, 2024 (8:25 PM)

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According to Martin Lapointe of the Montreal Canadiens, the organization indeed had an excellent Quebec forward stolen from them during the draft.

I think we can unanimously say that the Habs had an excellent draft in Las Vegas, notably with the selections of Michael Hage, Ivan Demidov, and Aatos Koivu. However, there is one small detail that is bothering some fans and analysts.

For the 7th time since 1970, the Canadiens did not select any players from the QMJHL.

One name that stands out is Justin Poirier.

We're talking about a 17-year-old player who scored 51 goals in 68 games this season in the QMJHL. That's truly exceptional.

Poirier was finally chosen late in the 5th round by the Carolina Hurricanes.

The Canadiens had a Quebec player stolen, according to Martin Lapointe

Obviously, this was a topic discussed during Lapointe's press conference.

«Martin Lapointe of the Montreal Canadiens just reiterated, �we have nothing against Quebecers, we have claimed players who speak French,' but this year we were not able to secure the right player from the QMJHL.»

- Stéphane Leroux

He also added that the Canadiens were going to draft a QMJHL forward with their 6th-round pick, but they got him stolen by another team that drafted earlier.

Is he talking about Justin Poirier? Many believe so, but in any case, know that the Canadiens really intended to draft a Quebecer, but he was simply not available at their desired pick.

However, they did invite several players as «undrafted» players for the organization's development camp.

The complete press conference, with all the details, is right here:

Credit: GoNordiques
Repêchage: le CH s'est fait voler un Québécois révèle Martin Lapointe