Connor Hughes wants to build a relationship with St. Louis based on his experience in Lausanne

Connor Hughes is now part of the Canadiens organization.

As announced by the club yesterday, the goaltender has signed a one-year, two-part contract to play in North America next season.

This will be the first professional experience in North America for the Ontarian, who also holds Swiss nationality.

The man who will celebrate his 28th birthday in September spoke to Ruben Steiger (Le Matin) and says he’s excited at the prospect of a new challenge.

That said, he’ll have to find a way to adapt to his new environment… And that could happen relatively easily, because he has a connection with Martin St-Louis.

The Habs coach played in Lausanne (where Hughes had been playing for the past two years) during the lockout in the 2004-2005 season, so the goaltender wants to take advantage of this to get closer to St-Louis :

Now that I know, it’ll be a good way for me to bond with him.

He really was an incredible player. – Connor Hughes

After a brilliant season with Lausanne, Connor Hughes has signed up with the Montreal Canadiens, a franchise coached by the former Lion. Interview. https://t.co/ZDL1RM4iOA

– Le Matin (@Lematinch) June 5, 2024

I have a feeling that fans will like him quickly because Hughes speaks French and he understands the importance of language in Montreal.

He said in the interview that he dreams of wearing the Canadiens’ colors… And he wants to do everything he can to make that happen.

Let’s talk about his style.

What I like most about him is that he’s huge in front of the net.

We’re talking about a goalie who’s agile on his skates, who covers a lot of space in net…

But mostly we’re talking about a goalie who’s 6’4′ tall and weighs 231 pounds.

He’s a monster, in other words.

I’m especially eager to see if his style will help him acclimatize to AHL (or NHL) play, because we know the game is faster here because of the thickness of the ice.

He’ll have to prove himself, though, and we expect him to be used mainly as a second goalie in Laval behind Jakub Dobes.

He’ll have the opportunity to prove himself, and it’ll be up to him to take advantage of it. His signing comes with a certain amount of risk… But since we’re talking about a one-year contract, it’s not so bad.

I can’t wait to see what he’s got up his sleeve.

Breaking news

– Bob!

What Panther is your current pick for the Conn Smythe? @JeffMarek and @Mattymar89 breakdown the odds on the Line Change presented by @SIASport.

The Jeff Marek Show on @FAN590: https://t.co/19ptuyoZ9H pic.twitter.com/jgWMHjIiHU

– Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) June 5, 2024

– Really?

Maxim Massé knows that NHL teams want him to improve his skating.

To do so, he’s called in a few specialists, including a McGill University researcher who’s discovered that part of the problem may be related to… the larynx.https://t.co/16bcnNKnlL

– Kevin Dubé (@KDubeJDQ) June 5, 2024

– It’s true!