With the Frozen Four coming to a close last weekend, the 15-day window for players to enter the transfer portal is currently open, and a couple of Montreal Canadiens [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/montreal-canadiens] goaltending prospects chose to enter it, meaning they’ll be playing for another team next season. Quentin Miller, who was a member of the national champion Denver Pioneers and posted a 12-10-2 record with a 2.39 goals-against average and a .916 save percentage, chose to enter the transfer portal. While he became a national champion last week, he did it in the backup role since Johnny Hicks was the number one netminder. Hicks joined Denver late after the program he had committed to in Tennessee State was delayed, and when he took over from Miller after he suffered an injury, he never looked back, going 16-0-1 with a 1.19 GAA and a .957 SV. Canadiens Lose To The Flyers, Will Start Playoffs On The Road [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/montreal-canadiens/latest-news/canadiens-lose-to-the-flyers-will-start-playoffs-on-the-road] 4 Canadiens Make New NHL Top Skater Prospect Rankings [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/montreal-canadiens/latest-news/4-canadiens-make-new-nhl-top-prospect-rankings] Big Battle Ahead As The Canadiens Will Play The Lightning In The First Round [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/montreal-canadiens/latest-news/big-battle-ahead-as-the-canadiens-will-play-the-lightning-in-the-first-round] Since Hicks was also a freshman and isn’t going anywhere, Miller’s decision makes sense. A fourth-round pick by the Canadiens at the 2023 draft, the netminder will have a much better chance at developing the right way if he gets more playing time. Meanwhile, Alexis Cournoyer, who was a fifth-round pick for the Canadiens at the last draft, is also reported to be heading for the portal out of Cornell. He had an 18-10-0 record this season, including a shutout, with a .915 SV and a 2.05 GAA. According to reports, he is likely to be headed to the Wisconsin Badgers. Cole Caufield’s former team made it all the way to the Frozen Four final but was beaten 2-1 by Denver. While the Canadiens currently have two very good young netminders, Kent Hughes said when he was hired that he wanted to build a perennial Stanley Cup contender, and that means planning not only for the current window of opportunity but also for the next ones. It will be interesting to see how both goalies fare with their new team. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Follow Karine on X @KarineHains [https://x.com/KarineHains] Bluesky @karinehains.bsky.social [https://bsky.app/profile/karinehains.bsky.social] and Threads @karinehains [https://www.threads.net/@karinehains]. Bookmark The Hockey News Canadiens' page [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/montreal-canadiens/] for all the news and happenings around the Canadiens. Join the discussion by signing up to the Canadiens' roundtable [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/montreal-canadiens] on The Hockey News. Subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free [https://thehockeynews.store/products/print-subscription]. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here [http://eepurl.com/i7OC4I].
