Niko Mikkola: $5,000 fine for his actions against the Canadiens

It smells like spring, doesn’t it?
We can talk about several guys who have put the team on their shoulders for a few weeks to allow the Canadiens to be in the playoff race this season.
Nick Suzuki and Lane Hutson are two players we need to mention in this regard. They’ve had their say recently.
(Credit: Sportsnet)
But there’s also a player we need to talk about: Christian Dvorak. He has 10 points in his last 10 games and since March 1st, in 16 games, he has no less than 12 poin

The Habs accomplished their mission last night by beating the Bruins at the Centre Bell.
But there was also action elsewhere in the NHL.
Let’s see what happened:The @EdmontonOilers closed off a nine-game Thursday by keeping pace with the Kings in the Pacific Division, ahead of their crucial head-to-head outing Saturday in Los Angeles.#NHLStats: https://t.co/j0ieOfwy09 pic.twitter.com/Qnk1ZzgDGM
— NHL Public Relations (@NHLPR) April 4, 2025
1: The Habs can thank the Avalanche
The Habs

After two big wins against the Panthers, the Canadiens faced another Atlantic rival tonight, as the Boston Bruins (with nine straight losses) were visiting the Bell Centre.
For the occasion, Martin St-Louis did not make any changes to his lineup: Arber Xhekaj, Joshua Roy, and Oliver Kapanen were all left out.
Samuel Montembeault was once again in front of his team’s net.Tonight’s lineup#GoHabsGo | @mtlgazette pic.twitter.com/9w38zY2mE2
— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL

When we think of Nick Suzuki these days, we think of the one who is almost single-handedly taking the Canadiens to the playoffs. On the ice, the captain is playing huge hockey… and we realize how lucky Marc Bergevin was to land his third choice in the Max Pacioretty trade.
Because clearly, the habs would not be where they are now with Erik Brannström or Cody Glass.
That being said, beyond his on-ice performances, Suzuki is also very involved in the community. Today, his involvement w

Right now, Nick Suzuki is one of the main reasons the Habs are at the top of the playoff run. The captain is playing huge hockey… and unless there’s a huge surprise, he will become the first since Alex Kovalev to score 82 points in a season with the Habs.
And that, Kovalev did in 2007-08. That’s almost 20 years ago.
Naturally, therefore, the Tricolore wouldn’t be where they are now without their captain. By the same token, they wouldn’t be there without the trade t

We were all waiting to see what would happen with Jacob Fowler.
And according to two sources (Marco D’Amico and Jimmy Murphy), the goalkeeper would have signed his entry-level contract with the Canadiens.
Said contract would come into effect as of next season. That means Fowler would join the Rocket to finish the season:Can confirm in conjunction with @MurphysLaw74 that #GoHabsGo prospect Jacob Fowler has signed his ELC for the 25-26 season.
Will join Laval on an ATO.
Expect an announcemen

When the Canadiens play at home for a few weeks, the Bell Centre is loud.
Very loud.
Since the team’s playoff run in the summer of 2021, we hadn’t seen the fans be so excited about the team’s performance. And that’s normal… because the Canadiens had awful years after that.
But now, with the playoff fever well established in the city, things are different.
The Canadiens benefit from the crowd’s support every time they play a home game and it shows in the team&

In November, Gary Bettman was at the Bell Centre in Montreal for the start of the partnership between the NHL and Amazon in Canada.
On the occasion, Alain Crête interviewed the NHL commissioner on television (RDS) and it got people talking for a particular reason.
During the interview, Gary Bettman said he had never received a concrete offer from someone to bring a team back to Quebec. He stated that no one had come forward with a plan and done what was necessary to bring the NHL back ther

The media landscape is undergoing a revolution. Traditional journalists who only reported on news – either by investigating or simply relaying it – are becoming less common.
Teams, athletes, leagues, and organizations are publishing a tremendous amount of content on their own, and the journalist has often become just an intermediate communication channel between them and the fans. Yes, journalism has been struggling for a few years… but sports journalism is struggling even mor

Everyone is watching Alex Ovechkin right now.
And we all know why: the Capitals’ captain – who scored again yesterday – is just three goals away from breaking Wayne Gretzky’s absolute record.
He is on the verge of making history and that’s getting attention for obvious reasons.ALEX OVECHKIN, CAREER GOAL 892!
THREE AWAY FROM THE RECORD!#ALLCAPS pic.twitter.com/s8e3e7r0gk
— Hockey Daily 365 l NHL Highlights & News (@HockeyDaily365) April 3, 2025
The Caps hav

Throughout the season, Martin St-Louis has done everything to leave Michael Pezzetta on the sidelines. The majority of his 19 games have been played because the Habs didn’t have much of a choice.
He hasn’t obtained a single point this season, by the way.
But for a few games now, the coach has had options. He could put Joshua Roy in the lineup. He could play with 11 forwards and put Arber Xhekaj on the ice.
And tonight, it won’t change: WiFi and Roy won’t play.
Note that O

When Anthony Duclair, this eternal traveler in the NHL, agreed to a four-year deal (3.5 million per year) with the Islanders, we thought it was a long time for a guy who has trouble staying with the same team.
Obviously, Patrick Roy knew him from their years with the Remparts, but still.
Earlier this week, in year #1 of the contract, Patrick Roy publicly expressed his thoughts about the Québécois. He told the media that Duclair had been bad after their game of the day and that he h