The Montreal Canadiens have officially confirmed their Rookie -Kamp Rooster, with 26 players who touch the ice on 10 September. As is often the case, the event will bring together a mix of familiar faces and fresh talent, management, coaches and fans the chance to take a closer look at the next generation of HABs. Many of the names on the list are prospects that are already part of the development camps of the organization or that last season with the Laval Rocket in the American Hockey League of Junior hockey. But there are also intriguing new additions, including the concept class of the 2025 of Canadiens.
This year’s Rookie camp feels particularly exciting, not only because of the depth in the system, but also because a handful of these players is close to the insistence on NHL jobs. For Montreal, the camp represents both a showcase and a test site, an opportunity to evaluate the progress, to identify who has taken a step forward and to take the tone for our coming season. Here are four players who stand out as those to look at.
Ivan Demidov
All eyes will naturally be attracted to Ivan Demidov, the 2024-pick of the Canadiens of 2024 that arrived in high expectations in North America. After being blinded in Russia and at the end of the 2024-25 season, Demidov is on the Rookie camp with the clear goal of proving that he will have an immediate impact in the NHL.
The skills of Demidov are tailor-made for modern game: speed, elite puck skills, creativity and the touch of a scorer. He has already shown flashes to take over shifts against older competition, and now the spotlight is shifting to how quickly he can adapt to the smaller ice surface and the physical demands of the NHL style.
In contrast to many rookies that come to the camp in the hope of just surviving or making an impression in flashes, Demidov should dominate. He not only projects to crack the schedule of the Canadiens this fall, but also to immediately push for a top-six role. The Rookie camp is just the first step in what could be a seasonal audition for the Calder trophy.
David Reinbacher
If Demidov represents the attacking future of the Canadiens, David Reinbacher is the poster boy for their blue line. Drawn up in the first round in 2023, the development of Reinbacher was sometimes rocky and marked with injuries.
On 6-foot-3 with strong mobility and balance, Reinbacher brings the kind of modern right-handed defensive presence that each team desires. Although he is not expected to wear the same type of flash as Demidov, his importance for the long -term plan of the organization is just as important. The Rookie camp gives Reinbacher a platform to show how much stronger and more polished his play has become since its concept year.
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For fans of Canadiens it is less about whether Reinbacher will play in the NHL and more about when. The Rookie camp must confirm what many people already believe: it is not far from a fixed value, and he could push hard for a schedule spot rather than expected.
Hayden -Stas
Under the new names, Hayden Paupuis stands out as one of the few new faces in this year’s camp. Prepared in the Third round in 2025The attacker born in Manitoba will make his first impression in a Canadiens sweater.
Paupekis brings a balanced skills to the table: he can skate, he plays responsibly in all three zones and he has shown flashes of attacking creativity at junior level. Although he will not wear the same immediate spotlight as Demidov or Reinbacher, camps often serve as the launch platform for prospects that have been drawn up outside the first round.
For Paupuis, the Rookie camp is less about dominating and more about evidence that he belongs. If he can settle as a fast student with a high work ethics, he will put himself on the right track in the Montreal development frame. It is the start of a long journey, but all journeys start somewhere and September 10 will be his first real step.
Jacob Fowler
Finally, Jacob Fowler is the player to watch between the pipes. The American goalkeeper has risen rapidly in shape within the Canadiens system thanks to its calmness, technical skills and consistency. With a strong NCAA career behind him, Fowler is now entering the next phase of his development in search of proving that he can handle the pace of professional hockey.
Rookie Camp will be an important checkpoint for Fowler. Targetmen often develop in longer timelines, but Fowler has the mental makeup and raw aids to speed up that process. For an organization that is looking for a long-term successor in the net since the end of the Carey Price era, Fowler represents Hoop. Every rescue that he makes in the camp will be investigated, not only for the immediate impact, but also for what it suggests about his process.
The Rookie camp of the Canadiens is not just about the 26 names on the Roster, it’s about what they represent. For Montreal, the event is a reminder of how much young talent there is in the pipeline and how the organization quietly built one of the more exciting prospect poles in the NHL.
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