Rookie Camp is officially underway in Brossard as the Canadiens hit the ice earlier today for their first training session before heading to Gatineau, Quebec for the NHL Prospect Challenge.
This year's NHL Prospect Challenge, much like last year's in Montreal, will feature the Canadiens, Ottawa Senators, Toronto Maple Leafs and Winnipeg Jets, with each club playing two games. Montreal will face Winnipeg on Saturday at 1 pm ET, followed by the Ottawa Senators at 6 pm ET on Sunday.
With many of Montreal's prospects currently playing in the NCAA and Europe, along with the graduation of players like Owen Beck, Ivan Demidov, Adam Engstrom, Jacob Fowler, Oliver Kapanen, David Reinbacher and Florian Xhekaj from last year's Rookie Camp, the Canadiens' roster for the 2026 NHL Prospect Challenge is relatively thin. However, there are numerous players that fans should keep tabs on.
Three Montreal Canadiens to Watch at the 2026 NHL Prospect Challange
Braidy Wassilyn (London Knights - Ontario Hockey League)
This year, the Montreal Canadiens invited seven players to their rookie camp on a tryout basis and among them is Braidy Wassilyn of the Ontario Hockey League's London Knights. If the name sounds familiar, Wassilyn was in attendance, also as an invite, at Montreal's Development Camp in late-June/early-July.
Wassilyn, 18, was ranked 105th among North American Skaters by NHL Central Scouting in mid-April, two months prior to the 2026 Entry Draft. It was a considerable drop from his midterm ranking of 50th. In a bit of a surprise, Wassilyn ended up going undrafted in June. If he's able to work on his defensive game, combined with a big jump in offensive production, there's no question he could be a second or third round pick next summer.
In 56 games with the London Knights, the Campbellville, Ontario native registered 41 points (17 goals, 24 assists), eight penalty minutes and was a plus-three. He's set to join Boston University for the 2027-28 season.
Tyler Thorpe (Laval Rocket - American Hockey League)
There's no question that forward Tyler Thorpe has gained plenty of new fans over the last 12 months after his strong effort at Montreal's training camp last September, along with his play for the American Hockey League's Laval Rocket.
This year marks Thorpe's third appearance at Montreal's Rookie Camp after he was selected by the club in the fifth round (130th overall) in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft. Thorpe's game is something that the Canadiens will need in the future in their bottom-six. He's not afraid to get into the dirty areas, throw a big, timely hit and stand up for his teammates when needed.
To no one's surprise, Thorpe will be AHL-bound once again this season as he looks to gain more experience at the professional level. After a 16-point campaign with Laval last year, he'll look to eclipse that mark in the 2026-27 season and could do so in an elevated role for the Rocket.
Owen Protz (Laval Rocket - American Hockey League)
Making the jump to professional hockey this season is hard-nosed defenseman Owen Protz, who spent the last three years in the Ontario Hockey League with the Sudbury Wolves and Brantford Bulldogs. Just as the OHL Playoffs got underway in late-March, Protz signed his entry-level contract with the Canadiens.
A physical, defensive defenseman is exactly what Owen Protz is and while he might have a bit of a tough transition to professional hockey right out of the gate, there's no doubt he'll be able to adapt relatively quickly and be an important piece of Laval's roster this coming season. While it's way too early to say where Protz will begin in terms of the lineup, it might be best to ease him in on the third pairing. If the Canadiens make some moves with their log jam on the blue line, it'll lead to a promotion or two to the NHL, which in turn will mean a bigger role in Laval for Protz.
The Ottawa, Ontario native put up 23 points (five goals, 18 assists), 84 penalty minutes and was a plus-45 in 64 games for Brantford during the regular season. He added six assists in 15 playoff contests as Brantford fell to the Barrie Colts in the Eastern Conference Final.