While it may not feel like it because of how long the break is between rounds in the AHL, the Montreal Canadiens' affiliate, the Laval Rocket, is still in the playoffs. After dispatching the Cleveland Monsters in four games, Laval has been waiting for the next round since May 7 and won’t hit the ice until the 14th.

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When they finally hit the ice for the divisional final against the Rochester Americans, Pascal Vincent will have one more man at his disposal: prospect Owen Protz. The 19-year-old defenseman was picked in the fourth round of the 2024 draft by the Canadiens with the 102nd overall pick.

He has yet to sign an ELC contract, but he was signed to an amateur tryout, which will allow him to jump right into the action. The left-shot defenseman scored 32 points in 67 games, up from 19 in 66 games the year before.

He joined the Brantford Bulldogs halfway through the 2023-2024 season and played for half a season with Florian Xhekaj, whom he will be joining with the Rocket. The younger Xhekaj will probably be able to show him the ropes since he took the exact same road just a year ago. He joined the Rocket in April 2024 before his ELC started for the 2024-25 season.

It will be interesting to see how much he gets to play considering Vincent already has a full contingent of blueliners with Logan Mailloux, Gustav Lindstrom, Adam Engstrom, William Trudeau, David Reinbacher and Tyler Wotherspoon. Of the lot, Mailloux has been a force so far, registering three points in four games and 14 shots.

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