The Russian forward signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Canadiens on Friday, which will pay him a prorated $700,000 salary in the NHL and $70,000 in the AHL.
Julien said during Montreal’s morning skate on Saturday that the Canadiens’ coaching staff met with Kovalchuk briefly, but didn’t go into any gameplan details. The 36-year-old hasn’t played a game since Nov. 9.
“He seems to feel like he’s still in pretty good shape,” said Julien. “He’s always been one of those guys that’s kept himself in good shape. So, we’ll probably see him on the ice tomorrow, if everything goes well and we’ll go from there.”
Julien doesn’t seem to be in a hurry to slate Kovalchuk in a specific spot of the Montreal lineup.
“I haven’t even seen him on the ice yet, so it’s hard for me to all of a sudden peg him somewhere,” he told reporters. “We’ll give ourselves some time here and have a look at that.”
Kovalchuk returned to the NHL in June 2018, signing with the Los Angeles Kings after five seasons in the KHL. He posted three goals and nine points over 17 games this season before being sidelined and eventually released.
The Canadiens head to Manitoba after Saturday’s game against Pittsburgh to face the Winnipeg Jets on Monday.
After losing four games in a row and struggling with an injury bug that has sidelined important goal scorers like Brendan Gallagher and Jonathan Drouin, Montreal currently sits outside of a playoff spot and sixth in the Atlantic Division.
GUADALAJARA, Mexico – Canada’s Marina Stakusic fell 6-4, 6-3 to Poland’s Magdalena Frech in the quarterfinals of the Guadalajara Open tennis tournament on Friday.
The 19-year-old from Mississauga, Ont., won 61 per cent of her first-serve points and broke on just one of her six opportunities.
Stakusic had upset top-seeded Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia 6-3, 5-7, 7-6 (0) on Thursday night to advance.
In the opening round, Stakusic defeated Slovakia’s Anna Karolína Schmiedlová 6-2, 6-4 on Tuesday.
The fifth-seeded Frech won 62 per cent of her first-serve points and converted on three of her nine break point opportunities.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
BRUSSELS – Canadian shot putter Sarah Mitton rebounded from a disappointing performance at the Paris Olympics by capturing Diamond League gold on Friday.
Mitton, of Brooklyn, N.S., won the competition, the final Diamond League event of the season, with a heave of 20.25 metres on her third throw.
Chase Jackson of the U.S. placed second with a throw of 19.90, while German’s Yemisi Ogunleye, the Olympic gold medallist, claimed bronze with a toss of 19.72.
Mitton, the runner-up of last year’s world championship, failed to qualify for the top eight in Paris.
Edmonton runner Marco Arop, who won silver for Canada in the men’s 800 metres at the Paris Games, was scheduled to race in the 800 on Saturday.
Olympic bronze-medallist Alysha Newman, of London, Ont., also competes Saturday in the women’s pole vault.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
EDMONTON – The Edmonton Oilers signed defenceman Travis Dermott to a professional tryout on Friday.
Dermott, a 27-year-old from Newmarket, Ont., produced two goals, five assists and 26 penalty minutes in 50 games with the Arizona Coyotes last season.
The six-foot, 202-pound blueliner has also played for the Vancouver Canucks and Toronto Maple Leafs.
Toronto drafted him in the second round, 34th overall, of the 2015 NHL draft.
Over seven NHL seasons, Dermott has 16 goals and 46 assists in 329 games while averaging 16:03 in ice time.
Before the NHL, Dermott played two seasons with Oilers captain Connor McDavid for the Ontario Hockey League’s Erie Otters. The team was coached by current Edmonton head coach Kris Knoblauch.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
